Looking for poems related to ancient history

[helena]

We're doing ancients this year, and I need a couple poems to put in with our regular poetry list. So far all I've found are The Roman Road by Thomas Hardey and The Destruction of Sennacherib by Lord Byron.

 

My kids are 9 (will be in Sep) and 11, so I don't want anything too terribly long or difficult. Any ideas?

 

Thanks :)

Edited July 21, 2010 by helena

[MamaT]

What about this one?

 

 

Ozymandias

 

• 
  
  • by Percy Bysshe Shelley
    

 

 

• 
  

 

 

• 
  

 

I met a traveler from an antique land

Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal these words appear:

“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!â€

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

 

 

[Snickerdoodle]

What about Horatius by Thomas Macaulay? You can just do an excerpt if it's too long. I'm going to have mine do this next.

[Doodle]

The Legend of Ra and Isis of Ancient Egypt

 

I have a book with the entire poem. If you are interested, I'll type the rest of it out.

[Corraleno]

What about this one?

 

 

Ozymandias

 

• • by Percy Bysshe Shelley

 

 

 

 

 

I met a traveler from an antique land

Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal these words appear:

“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!â€

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

 

 

I second Ozymandias (another name of Ramesses); I used this as handwriting practice as well as memory work for both my kids, and they've memorized it well. Shelley and his friend Horace Smith had a competition to write poems on the same topic (inspired by a newspaper article about a statue of Ramesses), and it's a wonderful exercise to have the kids compare the two poems and discuss why they think Shelley's is famous and Smith's is not. (You can read Smith's version here.)

 

Jackie

[kalanamak]

http://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/listwels.html

 

Scroll down to Shaw-Stewart. I learned about this poem from the Elizabeth Vandiver lectures from the Teaching Company. It refers to Achilles finally standing up in the trenches and shouting with the sunset behind him, ringing his head in flame and rage. Read aloud.

Edited July 21, 2010 by kalanamak

[Caitilin]

Look for Eleanor Farjeon's Mighty Men. Each chapter begins with a short poem. Calvert school uses this book--I still remember bits from my own hsing. :)

[helena]

Thanks everyone! I knew I could count on you to make a few suggestions. :001_smile:

You guys are awesome!!

[OrganicAnn]

Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson

 

Might be too difficult for young kids.

[helena]

What about Horatius by Thomas Macaulay? You can just do an excerpt if it's too long. I'm going to have mine do this next.

 

Which part are you memorizing?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Look for Eleanor Farjeon's Mighty Men. Each chapter begins with a short poem. Calvert school uses this book--I still remember bits from my own hsing. :)

 

I love her poems. Our old library had several of her books in the system, which they pulled out of storage for me to read.

 

Now I've got a bunch of her books on my wish list.

[Chris in VA]

Just for fun--

There's a book of poems on Ancient Egypt at our library; I can't remember the title, but I believe it's in the AG for SOTW 1. They are all funny, with some being slightly gross. Ah--here it is--

Modern Rhymes About Ancient Times.

They also have one on the Greeks. They are really quite fun, and would be a nice addition to the serious stuff.

[Snickerdoodle]

Which part are you memorizing?

 

XXVI

 

But the Consul’s brow was sad,

And the Consul’s speech was low,

And darkly looked he at the wall,

And darkly at the foe.

‘Their van will be upon us

Before the bridge goes down;

And if they once may win the bridge,

What hope to save the town?’

 

 

XXVII

 

Then out spake brave Horatius,

The Captain of the gate:

‘To every man upon this earth

Death cometh soon or late.

And how can man die better

Than facing fearful odds,

For the ashes of his fathers,

And the temples of his Gods,

 

 

XXVIII

 

‘And for the tender mother

Who dandled him to rest,

And for the wife who nurses

His baby at her breast,

And for the holy maidens

Who feed the eternal flame,

To save them from false Sextus

That wrought the deed of shame?

 

 

XXIX

 

‘Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul,

With all the speed ye may;

I, with two more to help me,

Will hold the foe in play.

In yon strait path a thousand

May well be stopped by three.

Now who will stand on either hand,

And keep the bridge with me?’

 

 

XXX

 

Then out spake Spurius Lartius;

A Ramnian proud was he:

‘Lo, I will stand at thy right hand,

And keep the bridge with thee.’

And out spake strong Herminius;

Of Titian blood was he:

‘I will abide on thy left side,

And keep the bridge with thee.’

 

 

XXXI

 

‘Horatius,’ quoth the Consul,

‘As thou sayest, so let it be.’

And straight against that great array

Forth went the dauntless Three.

For Romans in Rome’s quarrel

Spared neither land nor gold,

Nor son nor wife, nor limb nor life,

In the brave days of old.

[smrtmama]

Captain Science memorized this one, Prometheus Amid Hurricane and Earthquake.