9. Make out a careful outline of this Canto, filling in the sub topics: INTRODUCTION. The stars of Faith and Courtesy shining amid war clouds. BODY. I. On the way to Coilantogle Ford. Stanzas II.-XII. IV. On the way to Stirling. Stanzas XVIII.-XXI. VI. The Outlaw and his King. Stanzas XXVII.-XXX. CONCLUSION. The coming of Sorrowful Evening. Stanzas XXXI.-XXXII. CANTO SIXTH 2. Dark city. Stirling. 3. Caitiff. Wretch. Often with a dishonorable meaning. 9. Kind nurse of men. Cf. 2 Henry IV., III. i. 5, and other references to sleep in Shakespeare, notably in Macbeth. 15. Gyve. Fetter for the ankle. 42. Harness. Armor of man and horse. 47. Adventurers. Scott tells that James V. was the first to introduce a body-guard of mercenaries, in contrast to the ordinary Scottish army, which was composed of the barons and their retainers. 53. Fleming. A native of Flanders, a fertile country. 60. Halberd. See picture in Webster's Dictionary. 65. Fray. See hint at close of Canto V. 78. Trent. A river in eastern England. 87. Troll. Sing. An old ballad word. 88. Buxom. Lively. The derivation and history are interesting. 129. Glee-maiden. A little girl who accompanied the medieval juggler, and did tumbling and dancing. Therefore the epithet was gross disrespect to Ellen. 170. Needwood. A royal forest in Staffordshire, England. He had been outlawed from England for deer shooting. 183. Tullibardine. A home of the Murrays, some twenty miles from Stirling. 199. Errant Damosel. Like the damsels described in mediæval times, the feminine counterpart of the knight-errant. 234. Barret-cap. Cloth cap. He wore the purse as a knight wore a favor. 242. Master's face. Douglas. It was the minstrel's duty to be with his patriarchal chief. 265. But I loved. "Unless I had loved." 269. Thy Lord. Brent misunderstands him and takes him to Roderick. 295. Leech. Physician. 306. Prore. Poetic for prow. Latin, prora. 319-320. Lady . . . Douglas. Note the order of the questions. 836. Pine. Explain the reference. 346. That stirring air. The song beginning in 1. 369. 369. Beal an Duine. "A skirmish actually took place at a pass thus called in the Trosachs, and closed with the remarkable incident mentioned in the text. It was greatly posterior in date to the reign of James V."- SCOTT. 377. Erne. Eagle. Study the skill with which the minstrel winds into his subject, and the use made of the thunderstorm. 404. Barded. Armored. Many editions have barbed. 447. Serried. Closely packed. 452. Tinchel. A circle of hunters surrounding the deer. 454. As tame. Complete the thought. 539. Bonnet-pieces. Gold coins on which the king's head wore a bonnet instead of a crown. 565. Duncraggan's widowed dame. Cf. III. 428. 567. Naked dirk. Unsheathed dirk. One edition has husband's dirk" (Rolfe). 583. Truce-note. Signal for stay of battle. 594. Feeling. Part of speech? "her 603. Parting breath. Was not this a most appropriate passing away for fierce Roderick ? 631. Even she. Ellen. 638. Storied pane. Stained glass windows on which scenes were depicted. Cf. Milton's Il Penseroso, l. 159, "And storied windows richly dight, 665. Perch and hood. Confinement from the hunt. 672. Meet. Fitting. 688. Interpret the Lay of the Imprisoned Huntsman. Who was the singer? 712. Stayed. Supported. 740. And Snowdoun's Knight is Scotland's King. James V. was fond of such incognito escapades. Mary Queen of Scots came by her waywardness in fair inheritance from this father. 741-742. As wreath . . . rest. Show force of this simile.. 769. Infidel. Unbeliever, distrustful one. 825. Stained. Caused to blush. 832. Who. Antecedent? 837. Warder . . . Graeme. Has the Graeme shown himself worthy of Ellen's love? Is he painted strongly ? 842. Harp of the North, farewell! Go back and read the introduction to Canto I. Compare the two. 860-868. Follow the exquisitely dying cadences of the harp. GENERAL QUESTIONS ON CANTO SIXTH 1. Paraphrase the prelude. 2. How did Ellen secure respect in her unprotected condition? 3. Why was it difficult for John of Brent to understand the clan loyalty of the old minstrel ? 4. What does Roderick's death scene tell us of his character more than we already knew? 5. Make a pen picture of this scene. 6. Read the account of the Battle of Flodden Field in Marmion, and compare these two stories. 7. In what ways is the metre varied in this story? Can you see the reason? 8. Interpret the Lay of the Imprisoned Huntsman, explaining the fitness of the imagery. 9. Has the climax of the story been kept effectually concealed, or have you guessed the personality of Snowdoun's Knight? 10. Make an outline of this Canto like that of Canto V. QUESTIONS ON ENTIRE POEM 1. Follow the use of the Harp through the entire poem, from the first prelude to the closing lines. 2. Collate all the songs and discover how the verse movement of each song aids its thought. 3. Find all the passages which show the beautiful relation between Ellen and her father. 4. What use does Scott make of natural scenery in this poem? Is it for the simple beauty of its own description, as a background for human action, or is it something still different? 5. From this poem alone what would be your conception of the character and tastes of its author? 6. What have you learned from this poem ? 7. Have you enjoyed it? why it produced the pleasure. If so, collect all the reasons |
