Class 7 - English - Literary Reader - Poem - Daybreak - HW Longfellow
Summary
The poem describes the arrival of a wind from the sea which brings the message of daybreak. The wind calls out to ships, people, and the forest to awaken and start the day. It also touches the wing of a sleeping bird and instructs it to sing. As it blows over the farms, it tells the rooster to crow and whispers to the fields of corn to bow in preparation for the morning. The wind also calls out to the belfry tower and the churchyard, but with a sigh of sadness for the dead, as it is not yet time for them to awaken. The poem portrays the wind as a messenger of the new day, bringing life and activity to the world.
Let's enjoy the poem
Question 1. Who acts as the messenger in the poem?
Answer:
The wind acts as the messenger in the poem "Daybreak" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, conveying the news of the daybreak to the world.
Question 2. The wind moves from the sea/land towards the sea/land.(Strike out the wrong words)
Answer:
The wind moves from the sea towards the land.
Question 3. Which of the following is not a sign of daybreak in the poem? (Tick it)
Answer:
a. The mists begin to lift.
b. The ships begin to sail.
c. The leaves on the trees flutter.
d. The bird begins to chirp.
e. The cock crows.
f. The corn plants bend.
g. The church bell tolls.
h. The people buried in the churchyard wake up. 
Question 4. When you sigh, you take and then let out a long deep breath that can be heard, to show that you are sad, disappointed, tired, etc. Why does the wind sigh when it crosses the churchyard? (last stanza)
Answer:
In the poem "Daybreak" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the wind sighs when it crosses the churchyard because it is said to be "breathing low in sorrow". The wind's sighing is a metaphor for the mournful, sorrowful atmosphere of the churchyard, where people have been laid to rest.
Question 5. Find rhyming words in the poem for the following:
power, fear, key, tie, torn, cling, bout
Answer:
- power: hour
- fear: near
- key: sea
- tie: lie
- torn: corn
- cling: sing
- bout: shout
