Examine the song my country tis of thee

Name Date Examine the Song “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” is an American patriotic song. Samuel Francis Smith wrote the song in 1831. It was the unofficial national anthem of the United States before the official adoption of “The Star- Spangled Banner” in 1931. It’s not surprising that the tune in “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” is from the British national anthem "God Save the King/Queen.” We cannot be sure if Smith knew about this connection at the time. Smith wrote this child-friendly version of the song based on older versions from Europe. The idea was to have children sing a song that was easier to understand than other patriotic songs. The first time students sang “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” was on July 4, 1831. They sang it at a children's choir performance at the Park Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts. “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” My country ‘tis of thee, Let music swell the breeze, Sweet land of liberty, And ring from all the trees Of thee I sing. Sweet freedom's song. Land where my fathers died! Let mortal tongues awake; Land of the Pilgrim's pride! Let all that breathe partake; From every mountainside, Let rocks their silence break, Let freedom ring! The sound prolong. My native country, thee, Our father's God to, Thee, Land of the noble free, Author of liberty, Thy name I love. To Thee we sing. I love thy rocks and rills, Long may our land be bright Thy woods and templed hills; With freedom's holy light; My heart with rapture fills Protect us by Thy might, Like that above. Great God, our King! Vocabulary Terms patriotic: showing love that a person ‘tis of thee: it is about you feels for their country rills: a small stream cut in the thee: you thy: your surface of rocks or soil Find worksheets, games, lessons & more at education.com/resources © 2007 - 2021 Education.com

Name Date Examine the Song “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” Directions: Use the text and the song to help you make inferences and answer these questions. Quote or refer to the texts in your answers. 1. Use context clues to determine the meaning of the word rapture in the second verse. 2. Why is it “unsurprising” that the tune of this song is similar to the British national anthem? 3. Why does the author describe “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” as a patriotic song? 4. The author says “Let all that breathe partake” in the third verse. What does the author want? 5. Why would the song mention God and “Protect us by Thy might” in the fourth verse? 6. What is the theme of the song “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”? Find worksheets, games, lessons & more at education.com/resources © 2007 - 2021 Education.com