Mamacita says: I always ask my students for a show of hands: Who hates poetry? Hands go up all over the room, because our students are not taught about poetry; they are subjected to it, and selections from the lowest bidders at that.
I haven’t done my duty by Poetry Friday for a while, but I intend to rectify that, starting today. Or tonight, as the case may be.
Poetry is music, my dears. You hate poetry? You have no favorite songs, then? Take away the melodies and what’s left? That’s right. A poem. Now let me ask again: Who hates poetry? Put your hands down, you bunch of liars.
Robert Frost (the laureate who recited at President Kennedy’s inaugaration) was once asked how he thought the world might end. He thought long and hard about this, and came up with two ways, both absolutely viable.
Fire and Ice, by Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
In many cultures, what we refer to as “Hell” isn’t hot; it’s cold. This makes perfect sense to me.
Think about it.
This one hasn’t been set to music, but it’s still considered a lyric.
The ancient Greeks revered poetry so much that three of the nine Muses are in charge of most of the poetry, but the other Muses dip their hand into a lyric or two whenever it suits them. The Greeks were smart; they knew that poetry makes the world go round, and that even the sciences were part of the poetry of the universe. More on the Muses later.
Dear, dear, Mamacita,
I am one of those “old folks” you mention in your 3 Feb post.
For all that is ever said or done, I am one of those people who hated school. Primarily I think because I didn’t fit in. The only class that held my attention was phys ed. I spent most of high school English class, sleeping. True, I had to attend summer school for two years in order to have the credits to graduate with my class…’63’
I think I have written to you before and mentioned I hated reading mostly because any reading was supposed to be followed up by a book report, and I hated doing book reports.
Now, those who do the research tell us learning increases when we are sleeping, so, I guess sleeping in English class must have had an impact on me. After graduation, I joined the Marine Corps, and back in those days cars were far and few between, so, as a young Marine I spent a lot of time on buses, ergo, lot of slack time. Started reading books, mostly novels. Later, I learned that reading non-fiction increases your knowledge, and is efficacious in bettering your occupation. As a Marine Corps benefit, we were eligible for college education to the tune of 80% paid by USMC. The results on the CLEP test in English, with written essay, was 169 Whoda thunk it?
Anyway, somewhere along the line, I learned I could say things in rhyme. Which leads me to see, that a lot of poetry is in the reader.
Mamacita, I apologize for allowing myself to get away from you.
Bless you lady.