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The gay belles of fashion may boast of excelling
In waltz or cotillon, at whist or quadrille;
And seek admiration by vauntingly telling
Of drawing, and painting, and musical skill:
But give me the fair one, in country or city,
Whose home and its duties are dear to her heart,
Who cheerfully warbles some rustical ditty,
While plying the needle with exquisite art:
The bright little needle, the swift-flying needle,
The needle directed by beauty and art.
If Love have a potent, a magical token,
A talisman, ever resistless and true,
A charm that is never evaded or broken,
A witchery certain the heart to subdue,
’Tis this; and his armory never has furnished
So keen and unerring, or polished a dart;
Let beauty direct it, so polished and burnished,
And oh! it is certain of touching the heart:
The bright little needle, the swift-flying needle,
The needle directed by beauty and art.
Be wise, then, ye maidens, nor seek admiration,
By dressing for conquest, and flirting with all;
You never, whate’er be your fortune or station,
Appear half so lovely at rout or at ball,
As gayly convened at the work-covered table,
Each cheerfully active, playing her part,
Beguiling the task with a song or a fable,
And plying the needle with exquisite art:
The bright little needle, the swift-flying needle,
The needle directed by beauty and art.
-Samuel Woodworth
STUDY GUIDE
A. Vocabulary Practice-Read the definitions carefully. Then use each word to complete the sentences. The first one is done for you
1. In the 19th century, when this poem was written, gay meant happy and carefree.
2. A belle is a beautiful woman.
3. Cotillion and quadrille are formal dances that were popular in the 19th century.
4. Whist is a card game played by four players.
5. If someone does something vauntingly , they do it in a way that makes them sound better than others.
6. To warble is to sing in a gentle, birdlike way.
7. A ditty is a kind of song.
8. If something is potent , it is very strong.
9. A talisman is an object that is supposed to have magical powers, protecting the holder from bad luck.
10. To burnish something is to polish it by rubbing.
11. A ball is a formal dancing party.
12. Ply means to work steadily at your job.
a) At the wedding, many people were gay , because it was a very happy time.
b) There were many beautiful at the ball.
c) I don’t know how to dance the or , so I will just sit down.
d) I often play with my friends.
e) The girl spoke about her latest victory.
f) Sometimes I when I sing.
g) The he sang was very nice.
h) The drink was overwhelming.
i) My necklace is a kind of .
j) How often do you your trophies?
k) Where was the ? It was in the dance hall.
l) I usually at my job from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
B. Comprehension Questions
1. In this poem, the narrator refers to “plying the needle”. This means sewing or making clothes. Why do you think the narrator likes women who work better than women who play?
2. Do you agree that women should be happier doing housework than other activities? Why or why not?
3. The narrator lists many leisure activities that women might enjoy. What are they?
4. What are some kinds of housework that the narrator doesn’t list?
5. This poem was written in the 19th century. How do you think most women in the 21st century would feel about this poem? Why?
6. What qualities do you think it is important for women to have? Why?
C. Find the Word-Using the clues, find the words in the poem that have the same meanings as the words in this exercise.
