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Over the hill the farm-boy goes.
His shadow lengthens along the land,
A giant staff in a giant hand;
In the poplar-tree, above the spring,
The katydid begins to sing;
The early dews are falling —
Into the stone-heap darts the mink;
The swallows skim the river’s brink;
And home to the woodland fly the crows,
When over the hill the farm-boy goes,
Cheerily calling,
“Co’, boss! co’, boss! co’l co’! co’!”
Farther, farther, over the hill,
Faintly calling, calling still,
“Co’, boss! co’, boss! co’! co’!”
Now to her task the milkmaid goes.
The cattle come crowding through the gate,
Lowing, pushing, little and great;
About the trough, by the farm-yard pump,
The frolicsome yearlings frisk and jump,
While the pleasant dews are falling —
The new milch heifer is quick and shy,
But the old cow waits with tranquil eye,
And the white stream into the bright pail flows,
When to her task the milkmaid goes.
Soothingly calling,
“So, boss! so, boss! so! so! so!”
The cheerful milkmaid takes her stool,
And sits and milks in the twilight cool,
Saying, “So! so, boss! so! so!”
To supper at last the farmer goes.
The apples are pared, the paper read,
The stories are told, then all to bed.
Without, the crickets’ ceaseless song
Makes shrill the silence all night long;
The heavy dews are falling.
The housewife’s hand has turned the lock;
Drowsily ticks the kitchen clock;
The household sinks to deep repose,
But still in sleep the farm-boy goes,
Singing, calling,
“Co’, boss! co’, boss! co! co’! co’!”
And oft the milkmaid, in her dreams,
Drums in the pail with the flashing streams,
Murmuring, “So, boss! so!”
( John T. Trowbridge )
staff : a walking stick
brink : edge
twilight : the time when the sun goes down
pare : to cut off the skin of fruit
A) Answer the following questions.
1) In the first stanza, what tells the reader it is evening
2) What is the milkmaid doing in the second stanza?
3) What qualities do the farm-boy, the milkmaid, the farmer, and the farmer’s wife have in common?
4) Draw a picture of your favourite stanza.
5) Would you like to work on a farm? Why or why not?
B) Word Groups—Complete the following word groups with words from the poem.
1) breakfast, lunch, s _ _ _ _ _
2) watch, timepiece, c ____
3) mountain, slope, h ___
4) grasshopper, mosquito, c _ _ _ _ _ _
5) flutes, guitars, d___
C) Something beautiful in your neighbourhood—Go outside and draw something beautiful near where you live.