When reading a new piece of poetry, I like to read it out loud without any knowledge of the poet or meanings of new vocabulary. Then, after a read-through, you can slowly unpeel the onion of understanding. First, get to the know the poet. This often gives a whole new perspective on the piece. Then, break down any new language to get further meaning. After all of that, have a little discussion about it to explore individual feelings and ideas.

This is such a great way for students to develop communication, reading comprehension, and critical thinking skills. If you want to get really fancy, you could encourage your student to start their own poetry journal. They can add new poems you read together along with some art, and maybe even some poetry of their own. 

Here's a new poem to explore. Find information about the poet by clicking on their name to read a full biography. After a read-through try some of the following questions with your student to expand their prospective.

The Light of Stars
BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

The night is come, but not too soon;
And sinking silently,
All silently, the little moon
Drops down behind the sky.

There is no light in earth or heaven
But the cold light of stars;
And the first watch of night is given
To the red planet Mars. 

Is it the tender star of love?
The star of love and dreams?
O no! from that blue tent above,
A hero's armor gleams. 

And earnest thoughts within me rise,
When I behold afar,
Suspended in the evening skies,
The shield of that red star. 

O star of strength! I see thee stand
And smile upon my pain;
Thou beckonest with thy mailèd hand,
And I am strong again. 

Within my breast there is no light
But the cold light of stars;
I give the first watch of the night
To the red planet Mars. 

The star of the unconquered will,
He rises in my breast,
Serene, and resolute, and still,
And calm, and self-possessed. 

And thou, too, whosoe'er thou art,
That readest this brief psalm,
As one by one thy hopes depart,
Be resolute and calm. 

O fear not in a world like this,
And thou shalt know erelong,
Know how sublime a thing it is
To suffer and be strong.

Explore the poet
HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

Explore some new vocabulary
​beckonest  (en-archaic second-person singular of: beckon)
mailèd (Armored in, protected by)
erelong (before long; soon)
sublime (of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe)

Question prompts for discussion
What do you think the writer meant by "And the first watch of night is given To the red planet Mars?" How does Mars differ from a "cold light of stars" from the second verse?

What do you think the writer meant in the fourth verse when he wrote a "hero's armor gleams" while describing the "tender star of love" and "the star of love and dreams?"

Do you get any pictures in your mind from the fifth verse now that you know "mailèd" means armored?

Who do you think the writer is addressing in the eighth verse? What is he trying to convey?

In the end, how does it make you feel that the writer describes suffering and strength to be sublime?

Does this poem spark your imagination in any way, does it conjure and memories or dreams?

P.S. for more homeschooling ideas, go to Blossom Learning. ​

My daughter attended a Waldorf school eight years before we started homeschooling. Her first November in school we were introduced to the Lantern Walk Festival that is a tradition in many Waldorf schools. Being a Jewish girl from California, I knew nothing of this celebration. So I, like a child, was able to experience the wonder with her for the first time. 

I was new to the Pacific Northwest at the time and was not yet accustomed to our long, dark winters. I have to admit, I was struggling with the gloom of fall and was anxiously awaiting the next season. My daughter's very wise teacher explained to the parents the purpose of the Lantern Walk and the symbolism of it. But it wasn't until I actually participated that I understood the power of carrying your own light into a dark night. 

I helped my daughter fashion a small lantern made from a jar and some colored paper. Then we headed off to the park where our friends were casting streams of spells from their handmade lanterns' light. My daughter was scared at first, after all, she was only four years old and had never been out in the dark without the safety of her father or me holding her. We lit her lantern and bravely she ventured off following the older children in reverent silence. 

On the way home that night, I couldn't help but notice a change in my daughter. She seemed older, wiser all of a sudden. Her confidence had grown and expanded on that dark walk. As for me, it was a lesson in bravery and self-reliance. I, too could carry the light of strength and inner love through any darkness that life may bring. 

Even if we don't see it in them, our children have been living through one of the darkest times in our history. Each of them carry the ability to bring gifts of love, generosity, kindness, creativity, and change into the next period of our world. This November consider sharing this tradition with your children. Make some beautiful lanterns and venture off into the dark night carrying your own light.

Here are some lantern making craft ideas:

https://austinwaldorf.org/parent-corner/a-balloon-lantern-how-to/
https://homesongblog.com/autumn/on-martinmas-lantern-making/

For more information about the meaning of the Lantern Walk Festival see:

https://waldorfinspiredlearning.com/the-lantern-festival-overview/

-As always for more lessons and homeschooling ideas, go to Blossom Learning.