Under a spreading chestnut-tree, The village smithy stands;The smith a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands;And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands.
His hair is crisp, and black, and long;
"Look in at the open door. "
His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat; He earns whate"er he can,And looks the whole world in the face For he owes not any man.
Week in, week out, from morn till night, You can hear his bellows blow;You can hear him swing his heavy sledge, With measured beat and slow,Like a sexton ringing the village bell When the evening sun is low.
And children, coming home from school, Look in at the open door;They love to see the flaming forge, And hear the bellows roar,And catch the burning sparks that fly Like chaff from a threshing-floor.
He goes on Sunday to the church And sits among his boys;He hears the parson pray and preach; He hears his daughter"s voiceSinging in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.
It sounds to him like her mother"s voice
Singing in Paradise;
He needs must think of her once more, How in the grave she lies,And, with his hard, rough hand he wipes A tear out of his eyes.
Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing, Onward through life he goes;Each morning sees some task begun, Each evening sees it close :
Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night"s repose.
Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend, For the thou hast taught !
Thus, at the flaming forge of life, Our fortunes must be wrought;Thus, on its sounding anvil, shaped Each burning deed and thought.
Longfellow
General.-Describe in prose the personal appearance of the smith. What traits in his character do you like? What family has he? Is his life of toil, joy, and sorrow like other people"s lives? What is the he has taught? How is a burning deed shaped? How is a burning thought altered? Pick out the comparisons in the poem-you will see how often the word "like " occurs. Which one appeals to you most strongly?
