58 AMERICA

My country, 'tis of thee,

Sweet land of Liberty,

Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the pilgrim's pride,

From every mountain side

Let Freedom ring.

My native country, thee—

Land of the noble free—

Thy name I love;

I love thy rocks and rills,

Thy woods and templed hills;

My heart with rapture thrills,

Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,

And ring from all the trees

Sweet Freedom's song;

Let mortal tongues awake,

Let all that breathe partake,

Let rocks their silence break—

The sound prolong.

Our fathers' God, to Thee,

Author of Liberty,

To Thee we sing;

Long may our land be bright,

With Freedom's holy light;

Protect us by Thy might,

Great God, our King.

(Samuel F. Smith)

Word list

liberty: freedom

rill: a very small river

rapture: extreme happiness

You Practice

Does it rhyme? Some of these pairs of words rhyme, and others do not. Write “yes”if the words rhyme and “no”if they don't rhyme.

1) _____ died - side

2) _____ sweet - bite

3) _____ rocks - kicks

4) _____ bright - might

5) _____ awake - break