A Perfect Hour Trivia Quiz

Answer: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Longfellow (1807-1882) wrote some of America's best-known poems, such as "Paul Revere's Ride", for one.

He and his second wife, Frances (Fanny), had six children. Only three are mentioned in the poem, "The Children's Hour"; "...grave Alice, laughing Allegra, and Edith with golden hair". The others were Charles, Ernest, and little Fanny, who lived only a few months.

The last two stanzas of the poem are:

"I have you fast in my fortress
And will not let you depart
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the wall shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away."

Answer: Kissed Me

"Jenny Kissed Me" is a well known and loved poem by Leigh Hunt, a 19th Century (1784-1859) poet, essayist and publisher. This poem has brought enjoyment to many readers for many years because of its sweet message and ease of commitment to memory - it just sticks with you.

There are two stories of the origination of the poem, both about Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher, Thomas Carlyle's wife, Jane (Jenny). Hunt and his family lived next door to the Carlyles, and the families were very close. The first story is that Jane kissed Hunt when he brought good news to their door. The second story is most believed: Hunt was ill for quite a while, and when he recovered and came to the Carlyle door, Jane was so glad to see him, she jumped up and kissed him.
Later Jane received a message from Hunt, containing this poem.

"Jenny kissed me when we met,
Jumping from the chair she sat in;
Time, you thief, who love to get
Sweets into your list. put that in.

Say I'm weary, say I'm sad
Say that health and wealth have missed me
Say I'm growing old, but add,
Jenny kissed me."

Answer: The Highwayman

"The Highwayman" tells an exciting story of forbidden love and betrayal, the ultimate sacrifice and, perhaps, redemption. It paints a picture in your mind that you won't forget,

Alfred Noyes was a noted English poet who was nominated for the Nobel Prize
at one point in his lengthy career.

The end of the poem, printed in italics, reads:

"A highwayman comes riding, up to the old-inn door.
Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard;
He taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred;
He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Bess the landlord's daughter,
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair".

Answer: The Crimean War

The Crimean War (1853-1856) was mainly about religion and territory (The Holy Land). Combatants were an alliance of the French, British and Ottoman Empires vs. The Russian Empire.

The famous first verse of the poem reads:

"Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred".

Perhaps an even more famous quotation from the poem is:
"Theirs not to make reply
Theirs not to reason why
Theirs but to do and die..."

Answer: In Flanders Fields

The Battles of Ypres and the Flanders Field Cemetery and Memorial were near Waregem, Belgium. Although 411 American and Canadian servicemen are buried/commemorated there, actual burials are 368, some being unknown.

Sadly, the author of the poem was killed in France near the end of the war, on January 28,1918, after serving on the western front for four years. His poem is as follows:

by John McCrae, May 1915

"In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields".

Answer: Trees

This poem was published by George H Doran Co., in 1914. It was written by Sergeant Joyce Kilmer, who was killed in action, in W.W.I, near Ourcy, July 30, 1918.
Some critics call Kilmer's poems too simple and sentimental, but others (like me) are captured by their beauty. What do you think?

"I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree".

Answer: The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat

The narrator of this charming poem is the author, but it is told to him by the two observers of the battle, the old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate. What happened to the dog and the cat? I shan't tell you, but the old Dutch clock knows, and it may tell you! (You'll have to read the poem).

Two other poems by Eugene Field, are "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod", and "Little Boy Blue" (not the nursery rhyme). That one is the saddest poem I have ever read.

Answer: Waiting

"Waiting" gives hope to some, especially those that must wait (and there are many of us); to others it may be uninspiring, even meaningless. But it can certainly be of comfort through dark times.

John Burroughs was part of the American naturalist movement and many of his poems and essays reflect this. He was popular in America when naturalism was, but his popularity declined with the decline of the movement.

You can read other poems by John Burroughs, such as "Bluebird", "The Coming of Phoebe", or The Crow", but "Waiting" is by far his best known work.

The last stanza reads:

"The stars come nightly to the sky;
The tidal wave unto the sea;
Nor time, nor space, nor deep, nor high,
Can keep my own away from me".

Answer: Carl Sandburg

Carl Sandburg was born near Chicago in 1878 and had a colorful young life, He left school at 13 and had many jobs. He was in the military for awhile and attended college briefly, eventually fulfilling his destiny as a writer. Other of his famous works include, "Grass" and "Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years", (Two Volumes).
"Chicago" is such a powerful poem, that I will include it here:

"HOG Butcher for the World,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,
Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the Big Shoulders:

They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I
have seen your painted women under the gas lamps
luring the farm boys.
And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it
is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to
kill again.
And they tell me you are brutal and my reply is: On the
faces of women and children I have seen the marks
of wanton hunger.
And having answered so I turn once more to those who
sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer
and say to them:
Come and show me another city with lifted head singing
so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning.
Flinging magnetic curses amid the toil of piling job on
job, here is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the
little soft cities;

Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning
as a savage pitted against the wilderness,
Bareheaded,
Shoveling,
Wrecking,
Planning,
Building, breaking, rebuilding,
Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with
white teeth,
Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young
man laughs,
Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has
never lost a battle,
Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse.
and under his ribs the heart of the people,

Laughing!

Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of
Youth, half-naked, sweating, proud to be Hog
Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with
Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation."

Answer: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

This poem was one of Robert Frost's most well-known, along with "The Road Not Taken", and "Mending Wall" ('Good fences make good neighbors').

Raised a city boy, Mr. Frost is most famous for his rural poems of New England, including "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". He wrote many of these poems at his farm in New Hampshire. He received many honors in his life, including three Pulitzer Prizes, and being chosen to read one of his poems, "The Gift Outright", at the 1961 inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. I was fortunate to see Mr. Frost reading the poem live on television. He also wrote "Fire and Ice", "Death of the Hired Man" and dozens of other poems, including:

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"
By Robert Frost

"Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."