As I went out a Crow
In a low voice said, “Oh,
I was looking for you.
How do you do?
I just came to tell you
To tell Lesley (will you?)
That her little Bluebird
Wanted me to bring word
That the north wind last night
That made the stars bright
And made ice on the trough
Almost made him cough
His tail feathers off.
He just had to fly!
But he sent her Good-by,
And said to be good,
And wear her red hood,
And look for skunk tracks
In the snow with an ax—
And do everything!
And perhaps in the spring
He would come back and sing.”
Mountain Interval (1920) | Robert Frost (1874–1963)
Suggestions
Ask your students to do one or more of the following:
- Read the poem aloud.
- Copy the poem on Drawing and Writing paper. Illustrate the drawing with a representative illustration.
- Determine the rhyme scheme of the poem (AABBBBCCDDEEEFFGGHHIII).
- Older students can narrate the poem and explain the meaning.
- Where was the bluebird going?
- Why?
- Learn more about bluebirds.
- Learn more about migration, including the migration of bluebirds.
- Learn more about crows.
- Older students can rewrite the poem in short story form.
- Younger students can orally tell the story.
- Older students can study another, more challenging poem by Robert Frost: “Birches.”
- Compare/contrast the two poems:
- How are they alike?
- How are they different?
- Are the themes the same or different?
- Is the style the same or different?
- Which do you like better, and why?
Additional Resources
A Manual of Bird Study ~ Free eBook
Learn more about the bluebird.
Burgess Bird Book {Free eBook & Activities}
A wonderful classic that tells about bluebirds and crows in a story form.
Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost
We love these books. The point of the book is to introduce young students to poetry at an early age. It takes the mystery out of poetry, making it accessible. So don’t expect detailed poetical analysis. Simply read and enjoy. There is a fruitful payoff over time….
Free Nature Studies: Our Wonderful World
These are the bird sections from our free nature study with resources and more for studying the birds:
- Free Nature Studies: Hunting Birds With Eyes & Camera
Identify birds by observing the type of nests they build, the eggs they lay, their habits, and their habitats. Unit resources. - Free Nature Studies: Bird Guardians (Owls)
Birds act as guardians by eating harmful insects and serving as scavengers. Unit resources. - Free Nature Studies: Landlord to the Birds
Landlords to the birds provide shelter, a place to bathe, and food in the winter. Unit resources.
Author Notebooking Paper
Create an author page for Robert Frost.
14 Forms of Writing for the Older Student: Poetry
Ideas for doing more with the poem.
