Interactive Literature Selections The Village Blacksmith

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The Village Blacksmith

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

During Reading Strategy
Create Mind Pictures

Vocabulary from the Selection
vocab term

Guided Reading Question 1
What words are used to describe the strength of the smith?
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	Under a spreading chestnut tree
		The village smithy¹ stands:
	The smith, a mighty man is he,
		With large and sinewy² hands,
5	And the muscles of his brawny arms
		Are strong as iron bands.

	His hair is crisp³, and black, and long,
		His face is like the tan;
	His brow is wet with honest sweat,
10		He earns whate’er he can,
	And looks the whole world in the face,
		For he owes not any man.

	Week in, week out, from morn till night,
		You can hear his bellows⁴ blow,
15	You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
		With measured beat and slow,
	Like a sexton⁵ ringing the village bell,
		When the evening sun is low.
	And children coming home from school
20		Look in at the open door;
	They love to see the flaming forge,
		And hear the bellows roar,
	And catch the burning sparks that fly
		Like chaff⁶ from a threshing floor.

Guided Reading Question 2
To what is the smith’s swinging his sledge compared?
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25	He goes on Sunday to the church,
		And sits among his boys;
	He hears the parson pray and preach,
		He hears his daughter’s voice
	Singing in the village choir,
30	And it makes his heart rejoice.

Guided Reading Question 3
What does the smith do on Sundays? What does he hear? How does he feel?
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	It sounds to him like her mother’s voice,
		Singing in Paradise!
	He needs must think of her once more,
		How in the grave she lies;
35	And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
		A tear out of his eyes.

	Toiling—rejoicing—sorrowing,
		Onward through life he goes;
	Each morning sees some task begin,
40		Each evening sees it close;
	Something attempted, something done,
		Has earned a night’s repose.

	Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend.
		For the lesson thou hast taught!
45	Thus at the flaming forge of life
		Our fortunes must be wrought;
	Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
		Each burning deed and thought.

Guided Reading Question 4
Of what does the smith’s daughter’s voice remind him? What effect does it have on him?
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