9.3 FOR RECITATION. PART I. LONDON: MOFFATT & PAIGE, 28, WARWICK LANE, PATERNOSTER ROW, F.C. 2805 PriceOne Penny. 2805 X PREFACE. 1. Every poem in this collection is complete in itself. An extract loses much of its beauty and some of its meaning by separation; like a square cut from a picture, lines detached from their context are neither so intelligible nor so interesting, when considered alone, as when seen in relation to the whole work. 2. While I have sought far and wide for pieces little known, I have excluded no poems simply because they were familiar, for they are not familiar to the children into whose hands this book will fall; their popularity probably proves that they possess great merit; and ignorance of most of them will be almost a reproach to young people leaving school. 8. In selecting poetry for recitation, I have applied a higher standard of excellence than if I were choosing it for reading only; and I trust I have admitted nothing which is unworthy of being learned by heart. 4. The notes are written for the assistance of young teachers. |