Reading Comprehension
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rhlschool.com
Poetry by Tennyson
These are just a few lines from In Memoriam A.H.H. by Alfred,
Lord Tennyson. The author wrote the poem as a tribute to a close
friend who died as a young adult. It was published in 1850.
You can find the entire poem and all of Tennyson's works
athttp://home.att.net/~TennysonPoetry/
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
1. What holiday would you associate with these lines?
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2. What kind of changes does Tennyson hope to see in the future?
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3. What is a feud?
a. an ongoing quarrel with bad feelings on each side
b. a game that creates feelings of comfort
c. a waterway that is similar to a deep river
d. a home with separate living quarters for servants
4. What does "redress" mean in this poem?
a. to get dressed again, to change clothes
b. clothing worn by an older person
c. making up for a wrong or injustice
d. playing holiday music
5. Do Tennyson's words make you think about anything in your own life or
in the news?
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Reading Comprehension, Vol. 11, No. 2, December 11, 2009
http://rhlschool.com
Copyright 2009 RHL