THEME SUBJECTS

A Walk in the Woods
A Spring Day
Sugar-Making
My Flower Garden
The Garden in Lilac Time
The Orchard in Spring
On a Farm in Early Summer
A Walk on a Summer Night
Waiting for Morning
The Stars
Walt Whitman and his Poetry

COLLATERAL READINGS

Poems by Whitman suitable for class reading:—­
  On the Beach at Night
  Bivouac on a Mountain Side
  To a Locomotive in Winter
  A Farm Picture
  The Runner
  I Hear It was Charged against Me
  A Sight in Camp
  By the Bivouac’s Fitful Flame
  Song of the Broad-Axe
  A Child said What is the grass? (from A Song of Myself)

The Rolling Earth (Selections from Whitman) W.R.  Browne (Ed.)
The Life of Walt Whitman H.B.  Binns
Walt Whitman John Burroughs
A Visit to Walt Whitman (Portraits) John Johnston
Walt Whitman the Man (Portraits) Thomas Donaldson
Walt Whitman G.R.  Carpenter
Walt Whitman (Portraits) I.H.  Platt
Whitman Bliss Perry
Early May in New England (poem) Percy Mackaye
Knee-deep in June J.W.  Riley
Spring Henry Timrod
Spring Song Bliss Carman

ODYSSEUS IN PHAEACIA

TRANSLATED BY GEORGE HERBERT PALMER

Thus long-tried royal Odysseus slumbered here, heavy with sleep and toil; but Athene went to the land and town of the Phaeacians.  This people once in ancient times lived in the open highlands, near that rude folk the Cyclops, who often plundered them, being in strength more powerful than they.  Moving them thence, godlike Nausithoues, their leader, established them at Scheria, far from toiling men.  He ran a wall around the town, built houses there, made temples for the gods, and laid out farms; but Nausithoues had met his doom and gone to the house of Hades, and Alcinoues now was reigning, trained in wisdom by the gods.  To this man’s dwelling came the goddess, clear-eyed Athene, planning a safe return for brave Odysseus.  She hastened to a chamber, richly wrought, in which a maid was sleeping, of form and beauty like the immortals, Nausicaae, daughter of generous Alcinoues.  Near by two damsels, dowered with beauty by the Graces, slept by the threshold, one on either hand.  The shining doors were shut; but Athene, like a breath of air, moved to the maid’s couch, stood by her head, and thus addressed her,—­taking the likeness of the daughter of Dymas, the famous seaman, a maiden just Nausicaae’s age, dear to her heart.  Taking her guise, thus spoke clear-eyed Athene:—­