1a. Who is singing this song? Where are the people going, and why? When are they supposed to travel?
2a. Who waits for the travelers?
3a. How can the travelers use natural elements to help them find the way? What element recurs to guide them? Where do the rivers lead them?
4a. What can you infer about the challenges facing escaping slaves from your reading of "Follow the Drinking Gourd"?
5a. If you were a slave, how encouraging do you think this song would be in helping you decide whether to escape? Explain.
1b. What overriding image is used to guide the travelers toward their destination? Why is this signpost not openly identified? What time of year might be suggested by these natural events?
2b. How will the person who waits help the travelers? Who might he be?
3b. What forces influence the journey of the travelers? Why must they keep "traveling on"? What might "the other side" and "great big river" refer to?
4b. How does the map on page 8 help you visualize the path of the travelers? In what ways do you think seeing the "drinking gourd" in the sky helped them visualize their path to freedom?
5b. What song, speech, other inspirational work have you used to encourage yourself to do something difficult? How did it help you?
Spiritual. In what ways does "Follow the Drinking Gourd" qualify as a spiritual?
Repetition and Refrain. What phrase is repeated throughout this spiritual? What is its refrain? In what two ways is it used throughout the song?
Theme. What do you think is the theme of "Follow the Drinking Gourd"?
Oral Tradition. Why do you think a song such as "Follow the Drinking Gourd" was part of the oral, rather than written, literary tradition?
1. Write an ad slogan that might motivate a young person to achieve a personal goal, such as earning better grades.
2. Using your own paper, illustrate and label a map with alternative place names to help a traveler navigate in unknown territory. You might label place names "Spaghetti Junction" (for an intersection that includes multiple freeways) or "The Rollercoaster" (for a series of steep hills that are nearly impossible to bike).
3. Write song lyrics to encourage a friend to overcome a difficult situation.
Finding the Complete Subject and Complete Predicate. In the following sentences, star (*) the complete subject once and bracket the complete predicate. For more information, see the Language Arts Survey 3.19, "Finding the Complete Subject and Complete Predicate in a Sentence."
Example: You* [should follow the drinking gourd].
1. The old man is waiting to carry you to freedom.
2. The river bank will make a very good road.
3. The dead trees show you the way.
4. Left foot, peg foot travel on.
5. Escaping slaves listened carefully to the hidden code in this song.
Requesting Information.Compose a business letter requesting information for a class project on the American folk tradition.
