Horatius at the Bridge

[Mom2mthj]

I am attempting to finish 6M with my 11yo son and it has been a challenging year. He is a daydreamer with many varied interests. I am looking at 7M and wondering if some of you could tell me what is so important about memorizing all of Horatius at the Bridge. It looks like a huge time commitment and I want to know what the child gets out of it besides being able to say he did it. He could do it, but I just don't feel convinced that it is the best use of his (and my) time. We haven't done as much memorization this year as I had hoped, but I think there are other poems he might enjoy more. Thoughts?

[SaintJude7]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

I put the memorization of Horatius at the Bridge as something optional for my children. If they want to attempt it, great. If not, they can memorize other poems instead. My son who actually memorized it took it on as a personal challenge. He wanted to see if he could do it, and he did. I have to say, it was a thrill the day that he recited that whole poem for my husband and me.
Has your son seen the Seven Poems Every Boy Should Know that are in "The Dangerous Book for Boys"? I love that that book also has Latin Phrases Every Boy Should Know.
Blessings,
Jude

DD 20, DS 17, DS 14, DS 12, DD 10, DS 7, DD 5

[Mom2mthj]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

I put the memorization of Horatius at the Bridge as something optional for my children. If they want to attempt it, great. If not, they can memorize other poems instead. My son who actually memorized it took it on as a personal challenge. He wanted to see if he could do it, and he did. I have to say, it was a thrill the day that he recited that whole poem for my husband and me.
Has your son seen the Seven Poems Every Boy Should Know that are in "The Dangerous Book for Boys"? I love that that book also has Latin Phrases Every Boy Should Know.
Blessings,
Jude

DD 20, DS 17, DS 14, DS 12, DD 10, DS 7, DD 5

I don't know think he has read the dangerous book for boys. He does have a reprint of an older book and what I assumed was a similar book recommended by Taylor Marshall (who started Soucts of St. George) called the American Boys Handy Book. I will have to have him check out the Dangerous Book for Boys. I know memorizing Horatius is a wonderful accomplishment if he chooses to it, but I was wondering if it was something to push (like Latin) if he didn't fall in love with it on his own. Thanks for the book recommendation :-)

[SaintJude7]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

I don't know think he has read the dangerous book for boys. He does have a reprint of an older book and what I assumed was a similar book recommended by Taylor Marshall (who started Soucts of St. George) called the American Boys Handy Book. I will have to have him check out the Dangerous Book for Boys. I know memorizing Horatius is a wonderful accomplishment if he chooses to it, but I was wondering if it was something to push (like Latin) if he didn't fall in love with it on his own. Thanks for the book recommendation :-)

Funny coincidence: Taylor Marshall attends my church. My boys were in one of the first TSG troops. I have the American Boys Handy Book and the Beard books. But all of my children prefer The Dangerous Book for Boys. Our first copy fell apart from heavy usage. We now have a second copy. My daughters like it better than The Daring Book for Girls.
Blessings,
Jude

DD 20, DS 17, DS 14, DS 12, DD 10, DS 7, DD 5

[MaggieAnnie]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

We are just finishing it up and I can say it was the single most important thing ds did this year. The example of fortitude and courage he delved into by reading this poem again and again was well worth the effort. I can not think of a better project for any child on the cusp of their teenage years.

We have a history of speech and learning challenges but the learning to persevere, the practicing of articulation and voice projection and intonation, proper presenting posture/stance and appearance, the ability to overcome the anxiety of presenting to stand and face a group of people and recite 70 stanzas was life changing for him...The amount of history he absorbed and the accompanying academic challenge of simply memorizing it was honestly for us the least of what we gained.

I would say that don't let the worry of your ds being a day dreamer put you off... while it is a large endeavor...it amounts to a 15-20 min speech depending on your ds's presenting speed...it did not take extreme amounts of time daily...we took the whole year and at the beginning it was about 5 minute a day and worked up to about 20 minutes a day...I am sure many kids could do it much faster but since we were dealing with speech and learning challenges we took the year.

I was so unsure about tackling this project last year and am very glad we attempted it.

anyhow ha just my thoughts as we wrap up our project...

[KF2000]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

Hey Dorinda!

I didn't "push" it, either, just kept it out there as something that was part of his year. There were a couple of times when he sort of "stalled," and did not make any progress for a few weeks, so it took us a bit longer than a single school year. I would ask him how it was going and he'd say, "Oh, yeah, I need to work on that..." This happened at around stanza 35. I think it was a "make or break" moment for him...was he really going to do this or not. I didn't push, just would ask once in a while.

And then all of a sudden he was back in it and telling me what stanza he had gotten to, or I would find him pacing around the house, reciting in his head. It was quite surely HIS accomplishment, so it is hard for me to say what it will mean for your son because I cannot say exactly what it did for mine. I know what I saw - the pride and joy on his face when he did it, the frustration he felt trying to record it without messing up, and the exuberance he felt to complete it. But he didn't want a lot of fuss - he went out into the woods for an hour after he was done! It definitely "did" something, and is something I am so grateful he completed. And also for the sake of his very competitive sister who committed herself right then to doing it!

I will also add, the poem is simply a beautiful experience. I am not a sentimental person, and I usually don't cry at anything (unless pregnant!). But I would get choked up when I would hear him practice. It's one of those things you can gloss over and not pay a lot of attention to, and it won't mean much, but if you let yourself "be in the moment" with it, it's incredible. An experience of beauty to be sure!

That's what I thought of it.
AMDG,
Sarah

[MaggieAnnie]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

That was lovely Sarah!
Congrats to your son.

[Mary]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

So glad to read the responses to this question (and thanks for posting, Dorinda!). DD12 will begin HatB next year and we were just talking about this over the weekend. I was wary of having her attempt it with all of her issues; however, she said something that stopped me in my tracks: "Mom, you gave me that whole lecture about doing hard things when we talked about Robin in 'The Door in the Wall'. I think this is a hard thing I should try." *cue the waterworks from Mom*

It will be very time-consuming but even if she just comes out having learned nothing more than an epic poem, I think it is a hard thing worth spending time doing. <3

**Truth be told, I was much more distraught about this until I printed out the HatB/FMoG plans some kind soul posted here recently! Now I feel much more confident.**

[SaintJude7]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

Sarah,
Don't you get chills at this stanza every time?

Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the gate:
"To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds
For the ashes of his fathers
and the temples of his gods.

I wanted to stand up and shout, "Yessss!" But I contained myself.
Blessings,
Jude

DD 20, DS 17, DS 14, DS 12, DD 10, DS 7, DD 5

[MaggieAnnie]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

So glad to read the responses to this question (and thanks for posting, Dorinda!). DD12 will begin HatB next year and we were just talking about this over the weekend. I was wary of having her attempt it with all of her issues; however, she said something that stopped me in my tracks: "Mom, you gave me that whole lecture about doing hard things when we talked about Robin in 'The Door in the Wall'. I think this is a hard thing I should try." *cue the waterworks from Mom*

It will be very time-consuming but even if she just comes out having learned nothing more than an epic poem, I think it is a hard thing worth spending time doing. <3

**Truth be told, I was much more distraught about this until I printed out the HatB/FMoG plans some kind soul posted here recently! Now I feel much more confident.**

Oh ha she got you didn't she!
I just have to shake my head at myself when I realize the hold up is ME!
That balance between medical health and academic ability is a tricky one...and I am fully guilty of worrying more than I need too and getting in the way.

One nice help is that there are lots and lots of online videos of kids doing it so even one day a kiddo may feel too sick to read or do work in the book they can listen online to the poem.
We had a few hiving days where ds was too swollen to see but listened to his fav version on YouTube.

[SaintJude7]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

Our favorite YouTube version was "Chris Gardam reads How Horatius Kept the Bridge." It really helped with the pronunciation.
Blessings,
Jude

DD 20, DS 17, DS 14, DS 12, DD 10, DS 7, DD 5

[MaggieAnnie]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

Sarah,
Don't you get chills at this stanza every time?

Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the gate:
"To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds
For the ashes of his fathers
and the temples of his gods.

I wanted to stand up and shout, "Yessss!" But I contained myself.
Blessings,
Jude

DD 20, DS 17, DS 14, DS 12, DD 10, DS 7, DD 5

Ds saw a t-shirt with that last half stanza and now wants if for Christmas

It was too pricey so I am considering making one for him instead.

You have better self control than I Jude, I kept gasping or punching the air with my fist when ds would practice which would make him face palm and go "mommmmmmmmmm you are cracking me up and I need to be serious!"

[KF2000]

Re: Horatius at the Bridge

Sarah,
Don't you get chills at this stanza every time?

Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the gate:
"To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds
For the ashes of his fathers
and the temples of his gods.

I wanted to stand up and shout, "Yessss!" But I contained myself.
Blessings,
Jude

DD 20, DS 17, DS 14, DS 12, DD 10, DS 7, DD 5

Most definitely.
AMDG,
Sarah

[pickandgrin]

Why Memory Matters podcast

Just listened to this for the first time today and it reminded me of this conversation!

https://www.circeinstitute.org/podca...memory-matters

Jude, Thank you for that YouTube tip!

[KikaMarie]

I'm wondering about my 12-year-old son memorizing Horatius at the Bridge even though he is doing 5M. When anyone asks, I say he is in grade 7 because he started in public school and that would be his grade, but we were late coming to MP and I really want him to have the benefit of MP materials, so I put him back a couple of grades. Developmentally though HatB seems like a good fit. I'm just reading through FMOR and read about Horatius and started wondering if I should put the memorization work in front of my son for this year. His 10-year-old brother is also doing 5M as well. I'm thinking that putting HatB in front of my older son for memorization might be a good way of delineating their age/grade difference even though they are working on the same core.

As an aside, does anyone have any thoughts on pushing him through the grades 5 and 6 work to bring him to his age/grade in the content subjects like Bible, Geography, FM series? I do Latin, math, composition at the pace needed for mastery.

Thank you!
Monica