Hoosier Lyrics

Field, Eugene, 1850-1895Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 97K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Hoosier Lyrics by Eugene Field. Author: Field, Eugene, 1850-1895. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: May 18, 2011

Editor's review

Hoosier Lyrics is a collection of poems by Eugene Field rooted in the life of Indiana's "Hoosiers," released free in its original English by Project Gutenberg. Field's verse moves between the briskness of the newspaper column and homely lyricism, capturing small-town daily life, domestic warmth, and a child's perspective, with careful attention to sound and rhythm that rewards reading aloud. The great value of this electronic edition is that, as a public-domain resource, it gives Chinese readers low-threshold access to the tradition of late-nineteenth-century American Midwestern local poetry, and offers English poetry lovers a short, moderately difficult text for close reading. This is not, however, a systematic annotated introduction to poetry: it lacks notes and background explanation, so readers must supply the author's biography and regional culture themselves. It is better suited as leisure reading in English literature or as material for reading-aloud practice than as an introductory textbook to American poetry history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to practice English reading aloud and language sense with short poems
Readers interested in Midwestern American local life and regional literature
English teachers and reading groups in need of short English poetry material
Casual readers who enjoy light, humorous, family-themed poetry

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic study of American poetry history or detailed annotations
Readers who prefer Chinese translations and are not used to reading English poetry directly

Reading tips

Choose two or three poems a day to read aloud, first feeling the rhythm and rhyme, then looking up new words to understand the content.
Read by theme in groups, comparing poems on childhood with poems on family life.
Keep background material on Indiana and the American Midwest on hand to consult regional allusions.
After finishing, pick a favorite poem and try translating it, comparing the gains and losses in sound between translation and original.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What English level is needed to read this book?

Field's poems use fairly everyday vocabulary and short sentences, so a high-school-level reading ability in English is enough to make a start. Unfamiliar regional words and old-fashioned expressions can be handled with a dictionary; on a first reading, don't chase every word—grasp the general meaning and rhythm first.

Why does this edition have no Chinese translation or notes?

This edition comes from a public-domain ebook in Project Gutenberg and preserves the original English without added translation or notes. This makes free distribution and an authentic reading experience possible, but readers must look up background information themselves.

Is it suitable for English reading-aloud practice?

Fairly suitable. Field's poems value sound and rhythm and are mostly short, good for ten minutes of reading aloud each day, which practices pronunciation and intonation while giving a feel for English poetic rhythm.

Comments

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About the author

Field, Eugene, 1850-1895 Author

Eugene Field (1850–1895) was a nineteenth-century American poet and essayist, best known for his children's verse and humorous prose. Fifteen of his works are held here, spanning a considerable range: the lively, read-aloud poems of Lullaby-Land: Songs of Childhood; the imaginative, fable-like short pieces in A Little Book of Profitable Tales and The Mouse and the Moonbeam; and The Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac, a light, witty portrait of a book lover's quirks and obsessions, while verse collections such as John Smith, U.S.A. show the variety of his poetry. His writing is typically warm and playful, drawing poetry from everyday life and childhood and appealing to both adults and young readers. Because public information is limited, biographical details are hard to verify, yet the surviving works suggest a modest influence in children's literature and the essay, and he is often grouped among inspirational and coming-of-age reading.