LESSON 34
THE SOLDIER'S REST

Sir Walter Scott, 1771-1832, the great Scotch poet and novelist, was born in Edinburgh. Being a feeble child, he was sent to reside on his grandfather's estate in the south of Scotland. Here he spent several years, and gained much knowledge of the traditions of border warfare, as well as of the tales and ballads pertaining to it. He was also a great reader of romances in his youth. In 1779 he returned to Edinburgh, and became a pupil in the high school. Four years later, he entered the university; but, in neither school nor college, was he distinguished for scholarship. In 1797 he was admitted to the practice of law, —a profession which he soon forsook for literature. His first poems appeared in 1802. The “Lay of the Last Minstrel” was published in 1805, “Marmion” in 1808, and “The Lady of the Lake” in 1810. Several poems of less power followed. In 1814 “Waverley, ” his first novel, made its appearance, but the author was unknown for some time. Numerous other novels followed with great rapidity, the author reaping a rich harvest both in fame and money. In 1811 he purchased an estate near the Tweed, to which he gave the name of Abbotsford. In enlarging his estate and building a costly house, he spent vast sums of money. This, together with the failure of his publishers in 1826, involved him very heavily in debt. But he set to work with almost superhuman effort to pay his debts by the labors of his pen. In about four years, he had paid more than $300,000; but the effort was too much for his strength, and hastened his death.

In person, Scott was tall, and apparently robust, except a slight lameness with which he was affected from childhood. He was kindly in disposition, hospitable in manner, fond of outdoor pursuits and of animals, especially dogs. He wrote with astonishing rapidity, and always in the early morning. At his death, he left two sons and two daughters. A magnificent monument to his memory has been erected in the city of his birth. The following selection is from “The Lady of the Lake.”

Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er,

Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking;

Dream of battlefields no more,

Days of danger, nights of waking.

In our isle's enchanted hall,

Hands unseen thy couch are strewing,

Fairy strains of music fall,

Every sense in slumber dewing.

Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er,

Dream of battlefields no more;

Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking,

Morn of toil, nor night of waking.

No rude sound shall reach thine ear,

Armor's clang, or war steed champing,

Trump nor pibroch summon here

Mustering clan, or squadron tramping.

Yet the lark's shrill fife may come,

At the daybreak from the fallow,

And the bittern sound his drum,

Booming from the sedgy shallow.

Ruder sounds shall none be near,

Guards nor warders challenge here,

Here's no war steed's neigh and champing,

Shouting clans or squadrons stamping.

Huntsman, rest! thy chase is done;

While our slumb'rous spells assail ye,

Dream not, with the rising sun,

Bugles here shall sound reveille.

Sleep! the deer is in his den;

Sleep! thy hounds are by thee lying;

Sleep! nor dream in yonder glen,

How thy gallant steed lay dying.

Huntsman, rest; thy chase is done,

Think not of the rising sun,

For at dawning to assail ye,

Here no bugle sounds reveille.

STUDY GUIDE

A. Vocabulary Power—Answer the following questions related to difficult vocabulary in the poem.

1. To toil is to work hard with no break. Tell about a time when you toiled.

2. A rude noise is a noise that is very sudden, loud, and unpleasant. What are some rude noises that you have heard?

3. A clan is a large family including children, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Who are some of the people in your clan?

4. A glen is a narrow valley. Where is the closest glen to where you live?

5. If a person or animal is described as being gallant, he or she is very brave and noble. Tell about a person you know who is gallant.

6. To assail someone is to attack that person, either physically or verbally (with words). Have you ever been assailed? Tell what happened.

B. Comprehension Questions—Answer the following questions.

1. Many times in the poem, it says “Soldier rest! ” Why? What has happened to the soldier?

2. What are some things that the soldier doesn't have to worry about anymore?

3. At the end of the poem, it says “Here no bugle sounds reveille”. What does this mean?

4. In the 18th century, when this poem was written, there was a lot of fighting between Scottish and English soldiers. Why do you think this happened?

5. Would you like to be a soldier? Why or why not?

6. What do you think the writer, Sir Walter Scott's opinion of war was? Why do you think so?

C. Word Groups—Using the clues, fill in the missing words from the poem.

1. bird/animal words: lark, d ___, h _____

2. relaxing words: sleep, r ___, s ______

3. group words: clan, s _______, g _____