Page "Walter Scott" Paragraph 78

This poem troubled me a great deal.

My father never intended to return to his native land Lithuania.

I didn ’ t know exactly what a “ dead soul ” was, but.

I was sure my father didn ’ t have one.

The last two lines.

stated that my father was to go down into the vile dust from which he sprung.

The poem never caused me to think less of my father, whom I loved and respected, but I quickly grew to despise and, in a sense, fear the thought advanced by the poetry.

What was all this nonsense about a “ native land ”?

Why was it better than any other land?

And why should I have to memorize such a nasty verse.

So I pondered at the age of ten.