DIY Homeschooler

When the scarlet cardinal tells,
Her dream to the dragon-fly,
And the lazy breeze rocks the nest in the trees,
And murmurs a lullaby, —
It is July.

When the tangled cobweb pulls
The corn-flower’s blue cap awry,
And the lilies tall lean over the wall
To bow to the butterfly, —
It is July.

When the heat like a mist-veil floats,
And poppies flame in the rye,
And the silver note in the streamlet’s throat
Has softened almost to a sigh, —
It is July.

When the hours are so still, that Time
Forgets them, and lets them lie
‘Neath petals pink, till the night-stars wink
At the sunset, in the sky, —
It is July.

A Year of Beautiful Thoughts Edited by Jeanie Ashley Bates Greenough (1902) | Susan Hartley Swett

Online Poetry Anthology

Suggestions

• Read the poem aloud.
• Have your child copy a favorite stanza.
• He can also draw or illustrate the stanza.
• What are some ways your child can describe that indicate to him it is July?
• Have him add a stanza of his own following the form of the poem.