The Titmouse

A poem retold from Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a nineteenth-century American poet and essayist. 'The Titmouse' is one of his best-known poems, recounting a winter walk that nearly ended in tragedy until a tiny bird taught him a lesson in courage. The poem celebrates the idea that true bravery has nothing to do with size, and that a stout heart within can face any cold. This retelling is worth a child's time because it shows how nature can teach us to be brave, and how even the smallest creature can inspire the greatest courage.

Band

Green · Independent readers, early, about 8 to 10

Length

medium · about 821 words in 5 sections · 3 pictures

Source

Poems, Ralph Waldo Emerson · Project Gutenberg

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.