The Harp and Laurel Wreath: Poetry and Dictation for the Classical Curriculum (Paperback)

~ Laura M. Berquist (Editor), Christopher J. Pelicano (Illustrator) "It is a temptation for a person who is homeschooling children to save fine arts appreciation for days when religion, English, mathematics, science, history, geography,..." (more)
Key Phrases: dictation selections, rhetorical stage, poetry selections, Poetry Selections, The Rhetorical Stage, The Grammatical Stage (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Convinced that a critical part of education is to foster in our children a love of the beautiful and true, teacher and writer Laura Berquist presents this wide selection of poetry for every age level from grades one to twelve. Language development is significantly enriched by exposure to good poetry. This book is an important resource because it provides in one volume many poems that concern noble actions or ideas presented in beautiful patterns of sound.

This book contains all the poems recommended in Berquist's best-selling Designing Your Classical Curriculum. The extensive selection includes poems by Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Robert Browning, William Shakespeare, G.K. Chesterton, William Butler Yeats, Robert Frost, and many others. There are three indices to help locate specific poems. This book also includes dictation selections that are useful tools in the development of the child's writing ability, as well as study questions and answers for each poem.

Product Details

• Paperback: 493 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898707161
• ISBN-13: 978-0898707168
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #128,347 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

140 of 147 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Harp and Laurel Wreath, December 14, 1999

By A Customer

The road to truth is paved with beauty and goodness. The way we can help our children love what is true is by introducing them to those things that are beautiful and good. Beauty and goodness come to us primarily through art and literature. It is literature that Berquits provides us with. And she sets it forward in a useful fashion as a way to teach beauty to children. The literature in the book is children of all ages--adutls not excluded. But it is arranged in ascending ages so that a first grader will not be overwhelmed by that which is more appropriate for a ninth grader. This collection of poetry and prose is appropriate for instilling a love of beauty in the mind and heart. There is no garbage here, nothing obscene and ugly. It is without a doubt a classical curriculum. Those who will find this book helpful are teachers, parents, and homeschoolers who wish to give their children a love of beauty and wonder. But any person with good taste and a love of poetry will enjoy this book as well. Hopefully that is the majority of us.

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twaddle-free Copywork, October 9, 2003

By A Customer

This is *the* all-in-one resource for your classical copywork, dictation, and memory work needs. Laura Berquist has done all the legwork for busy homeschooling parents, bringing together a lovely selection of poetry and organizing it according to the stages of the trivium. Selections for the rhetorical stage include study questions, so the book could double as a literature text in the upper grades.

One note to clear up a misconception by another reviewer: This isn't meant to be a comprehensive poetry anthology for reading aloud - plenty of these are available - but rather a sourcebook for classical language arts. It's an attractive enough book, with black-and-white line drawings on some pages, but not a decorative one; that's not its purpose. The emphasis is on language throughout, not visuals. But that's part of the appeal for classical homeschoolers.

All in all, this is a wonderful time-saving resource for your classical homeschool.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Collection of Poetry for Children, March 19, 2004

By	A. VanHecke "Love2learn Mom" (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This collection of poetry, especially designed for those putting together a curriculum for children, does all the work of finding important, interesting and beautiful works for children to study or memorize from the simplest verses for young tots "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings" to more complex works for high school (such as "Ode to a Grecian Urn" by John Keats) that include study questions and an answer key. This is a true treasure especially for homeschool parents and teachers - it's so comprehensive and easy to use.

It's not the only poetry book you should own (there certainly is a place for beautifully illustrated poetry books to pick up for pleasure reading as well), but it is a real gem and a great value.