William Slade Civil War/Slavery Poem by Jenn G.

Ms. Gillespie

jennifer_gille1 — 2014-04-16 22:04:15 UTC

The poem is not easy to read, but you can do it. Read it many times. Each time you will understand it more and more.
Comment about what you think Slade is communicating in the poem.

Jane L

2014-04-17 14:19:03 UTC

To me the poem means that the stars will always guide the slaves, or in William Slade's case, abolitionists. One piece of evidence of the text is when he's describing what he thinks God is saying, "the stars will always guide thee." I also think that it might be better if he had adding a rhyming poetical element. My favorite line is "The eternal midnights dearest gem". It gives me a certain thrill.

Anthony McCoy

2014-04-17 14:19:31 UTC

I think he is talking about what he has seen in his years.Because he is talking about the northern star/light about caves.So I think he is talking about what he has seen in his years.

maisy

2014-04-17 14:21:25 UTC

i noticed that every other line rhymes and that he is referring to other things and people almost like they are an inspiration to him and he looks up to a star and a pilot and the pathway and i think that is really cool

Milo

2014-04-17 14:21:43 UTC

I think Slade was trying to communicate that for slaves, the North Star was their only way to find freedom. They had to follow it.

ruby

2014-04-17 14:21:54 UTC

jaiden

2014-04-17 14:22:20 UTC

I like how he said the star was like a jewl

Franchelsa

2014-04-17 14:22:21 UTC

I think this poem is mostly about a path from the Northern Star that is guiding the slaves to their rightful destination, so they can be free. To me this poem is mostly about reaching freedom and following the right path by following the stars.

ruby

2014-04-17 14:23:06 UTC

I think that William Slade was out carrying a message for Pres. Abe and he ran across some slaves in a cave. Also what does erewhile mean?

Ashlynn

2014-04-17 14:23:07 UTC

i like how the poem used lots of personification and things like that and its decribing something

kaicyie

2014-04-17 14:23:54 UTC

I think he is a man of his word because he said the star is like his race and he makes the star look like a light in the sky .And my best line is when he said the star is like a beacon made me feel like a fire ball in the sky a beacon in the sky like a fire ball

olga

2014-04-17 14:24:01 UTC

i think it means to never give up and try! also its about if you try you will be successful. :D. my favorite line is:

the red sea of my pilgrim road whose waves hung threateningly.

this one came from the Bible. also i like the words. the words give me a feeling. the waves that hang threatening you. its probley a storm. thats why i like it! :

ashlynn

2014-04-17 14:25:10 UTC

and i think it means the stars are seeing things in the world what people are doing

Anthony

2014-04-17 14:25:20 UTC

Far up in God's free heaven unmoved,

I really like that line

tyra a

hmpph — 2014-04-17 14:25:25 UTC

i think this poem means that stars are speaking to him quietly and he knows that every time something when slavery happens the stars tell him whats going like with the pilot and god and the other things that the stars are talking about. Also i nodecied the type of langange which is very great

Aaron

2014-04-17 14:25:29 UTC

I think the poem means that how African-Americans had hope and how they believed they could escape to freedom.The stanza I liked the most was the 3rd one.

jaiden

2014-04-17 14:25:44 UTC

Libby

2014-04-17 14:25:53 UTC

I think that dearing the intire poem he knew that in the future there would bo no slavery

"the pilote of the pathless slave"

Nina

2014-04-17 14:25:56 UTC

the whole poem is about the stars guidance but i am going to explain each stanza is about
The first stanza is about how he found the star that will lead him to freedom
the second stanza is about how the star will never fall and always will lead him in the right direction
the third stanza is about all the hidiging it takes to escape slavery

isaac

2014-04-17 14:26:07 UTC

in the 1st paragraph it is using a metaphor

Joshuan

2014-04-17 14:26:12 UTC

Star of the slave, crown of the free,The eternal midnight's dearest gem,My race from midnight look to thee,As Bethlehem's star art thou to them.Forever dear their light above,Their path below through wood and wave,Their evening star of trust and love,Thou pilot of the pathless slave! This is my favorite line because the line talks about the setting and how dark and scary the escape was

TORE

2014-04-17 14:26:23 UTC

I thin the poem is how the stars will always guide you

Ashlynn

2014-04-17 14:26:30 UTC

norman

2014-04-17 14:26:48 UTC

why did his poem about the siave did his famely was a slav ?

maisy

2014-04-17 14:27:06 UTC

Star of the slave, crown of the free, The eternal midnight's dearest gem, My race from midnight look to thee, As Bethlehem's star art thou to them. Forever dear their light above, Their path below through wood and wave, Their evening star of trust and love, Thou pilot of the pathless slave! The last stanza is the part that really gets to me and i feel like they really cool lines.

Julian

2014-04-17 14:28:08 UTC

What does it mean by i gaze upon

Franchelsa

2014-04-17 14:28:19 UTC

My favorite piece of the poem is.....

* Star of the slave, crown of the free,

The eternal midnight's dearest gem, .......

ISAAC

2014-04-17 14:28:33 UTC

IT IS SO IMPORTANT

TO FOLLOW WHAT

YOU THINK IS RIGHT

OR WRONG

ruby

2014-04-17 14:29:24 UTC

Hiding in darkling caves by day, With toiling footsteps through the night, To me came down thy guardian ray, A burning lamp, a shining light! The Red Sea of my pilgrim road, Whose parted waves hung threatningly,[3] I traversed while that beacon glowed, And freedom's fettered slave is free. Star of the slave, crown of the free, The eternal midnight's dearest gem, My race from midnight look to thee, As Bethlehem's star art thou to them. Forever dear their light above, Their path below through wood and wave, Their evening star of trust and love, Thou pilot of the pathless slave! ( I like the whole poem but I just got what I liked the most)

maisy

2014-04-17 14:30:15 UTC

Adain

2014-04-17 14:30:26 UTC

I think the poem is about the North Star guiding slaves to free states or Canada.

joshuan

2014-04-17 14:31:03 UTC

I think this poem is about the escape slaves that went through dark scary moment

Hiding in darkling caves by day,With toiling footsteps through the night,To me came down thy guardian ray,A burning lamp, a shining light!The Red Sea of my pilgrim road,Whose parted waves hung threatningly,[3]I traversed while that beacon glowed,And freedom's fettered slave is free

2014-04-17 14:31:03 UTC

jaiden

tyra

hmpph — 2014-04-17 14:31:23 UTC

Bright star, of all stars beloved,[2]To thee I turned from dreams erewhile;Far up in God's free heaven unmoved,I saw by night thy ceaseless smile,Lighting a path of hope afar,

simon

2014-04-17 14:31:25 UTC

I think te poem was about how much William slade likes nature and manly stars

Isabel

2014-04-17 18:09:59 UTC

I believe that this poem represents how it might of felt escaping to the North as a slave. It also connects to the religious stories. For example: The Red Sea of my pilgrim road Whose parted waves hung threatningly. It's like when Moes parted the Red Sea. It also talks about how important the stars where to the slaves escaping and how "great" the North seemed to them.

My favorite line of the poem was the one I gave an example of;"The Red Sea of my pilgrim road, whose parted waves hung threatningly." and"Star of the Slave, Crown of the free, the enternal midnight dearest gem."

phillip drake

2014-04-17 18:10:13 UTC

I think this poem is about stars to the slaves.Like how it talks abot how the North star always stays,never moves, never moves and also how it provides hope.Or how beautiful the stars are like when it hides in the dark caves in day and shines bright at night.Lastly it is about how that as the stars are very dangerous they don't care because of the beauty of a star.

my favorite line is

Dezmun S

2014-04-17 18:12:30 UTC

What I think about this poem is that even though he's not a slave he wants everybody that is a slave to have a star too so they could be free.

benjamin

2014-04-17 18:12:48 UTC

i think this poem is about how the slaves feel when they are escaping from the plantation and they have no regrets about what they are doing and they would rather die than stay a slave and they are fearless at this point so they are not afraid and frozen with fear

Xander

2014-04-17 18:13:18 UTC

I think this poem is about a slave who follows a star to freedom. I think this because of this:

BRIGHT STAR and FREEDOM.

Modesti A

2014-04-17 18:13:39 UTC

i think this poem is about God giving you a chance to do something great and wonderful while you can.And always achieve and have high goals in life.Focus on the things that matter to you and forget the rest.Always know God is watching over you and letting you have your chance to shine,and continue to try and never give up, no matter what.Even though situations can be bad try to always see the good in every bad thing.Life can be hard sometimes and can always seem like a bad place ,but life is too short to worry about every little thing.There's spark and light in everything,Live, Love and ,be Happy.And remeber God is your number 1 man

Marquita L.

2014-04-17 18:13:52 UTC

I think he is talking about how the Northern Light is to the free. He says, " Their evening star of trust and love, Thou pilot of the pathless slave!"

Joshua E

2014-04-17 18:14:13 UTC

I think this poem is about the North

Tyra D

tyra_daniels343 — 2014-04-17 18:15:03 UTC

My favorite line is I gaze upon thy Northern light, That never fails, and falters never, But hang far over day and night, From Heaven's wall shine down forever; I seem to hear a voice of God Speak through the silence down to me, "Thy feet are strong, thy way is broad, The star shall be my path for thee." i liked it because it was inspiring!!!I love to hear about black history>>>>>.........

Joshua

2014-04-17 18:15:31 UTC

I think that this poem is about the North Star.

Joshua E

2014-04-17 18:17:12 UTC

My favorite line in this poem is I gaze upon the North light

Laila

2014-04-17 18:17:39 UTC

My favorite line is:

As Bethlehem's star art thou to them.

I think that means the star that led the wise men to baby Jesus led the slaves out of slavery.

Leah K

hmpph — 2014-04-17 18:17:51 UTC

I think this poem is a telling of the way a slave is liberated and what guides him and makes him free. It tells that he loves the star that shows him the way north. It shows that he has faith in the fiery orb to show him the way to freedom. The he tells his toils and how hard it is, but then the star is there, guiding him. and finally, it tells the love that the slaves feel for it- thanking that star with their souls... and, also the star.

My favorite line is...

Their evening star of trust and love,

Thou pilot of the pathless slave!

beacause it shows how much the slaves love that star and how it guided him.

jennifer_gille1 — 2014-04-17 18:17:54 UTC

Corey

What this poem means to me is that the north star has a bright light that will shine and lead you to a better place. And it also means that if you have faith and follow the north star you would do great things and the gates of heaven will open for you.

Olivia

2014-04-17 18:18:16 UTC

Tyra D

tyra_daniels343 — 2014-04-17 18:18:33 UTC

I think its about :the slaves never gave up on what they belived in even if there boss said never gonna happen.I think that because it said Their evening star of trust and love, Thou pilot of the pathless slave!I thought it was GREAT!!
plus the star was the most important thing to them..

Dezmun S

2014-04-17 18:18:34 UTC

Xander

2014-04-17 18:19:05 UTC

My favorite

Neyla

2014-04-17 18:19:28 UTC

I think that the servant was saying in the poem that the stars and the sun was waiting for him and that god is telling him that he should start his journey ( His freedom). Also he said that the message that god send and the message that the stars give him (not for really) that are made for hm. That's what I think the passage is about.

benjamin

2014-04-17 18:19:46 UTC

my favorite line is the first line

bright star,of all the beloved. because to me this line says follow me and you will be free and no longer at the command of another...all people sould be treated equaly

Laila

2014-04-17 18:20:38 UTC

I think the poem means the star, specifically the Northern Star, has led many to freedom.

I gaze upon thy Northern light, That never fails, and falters never, But hang far over day and night, From Heaven's wall shine down forever; I seem to hear a voice of God Speak through the silence down to me, "Thy feet are strong, thy way is broad, The star shall be my path for thee." That's relly special to me because God told him that the star will light his way, which proves my theory.Because I believe that if God says the star will guide you, the star will guide you, know it or not. Also, in every stanza, it has the word 'star'.

Joshua

2014-04-17 18:21:41 UTC

I think the poem is about the North Star Because in paragraph 2 William says I gaze upon the North light.

Tracy

2014-04-17 18:22:26 UTC

" From Heaven's wall shine down forever; I seem to hear a voice of God" is my favorite line

deshon.

hmpph — 2014-04-17 18:22:46 UTC

From Heaven's wall shine down forever;I seem to hear a voice of God

Corey

jennifer_gille1 — 2014-04-17 18:23:58 UTC

Bright star, of all stars beloved,[2] To thee I turned from dreams erewhile; Far up in God's free heaven unmoved, I saw by night thy ceaseless smile, Lighting a path of hope afar, Freedom's high watchfire for the free— Steadfast and solitary star, I felt that fire was lit for me!

OLIVIA

2014-04-17 18:24:33 UTC

I THINK THE POEM IS ABOUT IS HOW THE CIVIL WAR AND ABOUT MR WILLIAMS LIFE AND ABOUT AND ABOUT SLAVES AND WHAT WENT ON IN THERE LIVES

Neyla

2014-04-17 18:24:36 UTC

My favorite part is

I seem to hear a voice of God Speak through the silence down to me, "Thy feet are strong, thy way is broad, The star shall be my path for thee."

Joshua

2014-04-17 18:25:29 UTC

Please STOP writing BLANK comments. Thank you for your corporation.

corey

taylor322 — 2014-04-17 18:27:50 UTC

taylor

taylor322 — 2014-04-17 18:28:17 UTC

my favorite part of the story /poem was

Joshua

2014-04-17 18:28:33 UTC

Why are none of y'all using punctuation.

Milton

2014-04-17 18:30:11 UTC

I think the poem is about a man being free when he fells like going to the north.

taylor

taylor322 — 2014-04-17 18:30:24 UTC

my favoritw part of the poem was: As Bethlehem's star art thou to them. the poem was about well I think it was about freedom

Modesti

2014-04-17 18:31:47 UTC

My favorite line in the poem is:

From Heavens wall shine down forever;I seem to hear a voice of God

Marquita

2014-04-17 18:32:11 UTC

My fave line is when he says, " Star of the slave, crown of the free, The eternal midnight's dearest gem, My race from midnight look to thee, As Bethlehem's star art thou to them."

taylor

taylor322 — 2014-04-17 18:44:17 UTC