In School-Days
John Greenleaf Whittier
1807 to 1892
Track 1
Reconstruct the poem by dragging each line into its correct position. Your goal is to reassemble the original poem as accurately as possible. As you move the lines, you'll see whether your arrangement is correct, helping you explore the poem's flow and meaning. You can also print out the jumbled poem to cut up and reassemble in the classroom. Either way, take your time, enjoy the process, and discover how the poet's words come together to create something truly beautiful.
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As if a fault confessing.
And heard the tremble of her voice,
When all the school were leaving.
Of one who still her steps delayed
Because,"—the brown eyes lower fell,—
And low eaves' icy fretting.
That sweet child-face is showing.
Pushing with restless feet the snow
The charcoal frescoes on its wall;
As restlessly her tiny hands
And brown eyes full of grieving,
"Because, you see, I love you!"
He saw her lift her eyes; he felt
It touched the tangled golden curls,
The jack-knife's carved initial;
How few who pass above him
His cap pulled low upon a face
Dear girl: the grasses on her grave
And blackberry vines are running.
Still memory to a gray-haired man
The soft hand's light caressing,
The feet that, creeping slow to school,
Lament their triumph and his loss,
I hate to go above you,
The warping floor, the battered seats,
Within, the master's desk is seen,
Her childish favor singled:
To right and left, he lingered;—
Deep scarred by raps official;
Lit up its western window-panes,
A ragged beggar sunning;
He lives to learn, in life's hard school,
Went storming out to playing!
The blue-checked apron fingered.
Like her,—because they love him.
For near her stood the little boy
Where pride and shame were mingled.
"I'm sorry that I spelt the word:
Long years ago a winter sun
Its door's worn sill, betraying
Around it still the sumachs grow,
Still sits the school-house by the road,
Shone over it at setting;
Have forty years been growing!