You know why Literature is awesome? (I am tempted to add "unlike math and science," but I will admit that life is made better by math and science... Take the internet for example). Because literature is about PEOPLE and the human condition. And what's more, it's about ME and MY condition!
I had an "I love lit" moment this evening, so now I'm all inspired... I was flipping through a book and caught sight of Keats' line "Heard melodies are sweet but those unheard are sweeter" and it brought tears to my eyes. Why? What does that? (And when's the last time a math problem brought tears to your eyes?!)
It brought tears to my eyes because (well, to be perfectly honest it was probably because I had just been watching a sad movie and was listening to the very emotional "Five Hebrew Love Songs" but let's ignore that and say, which is also true, that it brought tears to my eyes because) it spoke to myriads of moments, big and small, in my life in which I held on to the profound truth that there is more to life than meets the eye - some moments of great joy where it was obviously true, others of desperation in which I needed it to be true, still others of clarity where I saw (with the eyes of faith) that it was true.
Literature is great because it can give expression to those myriads of moments. As Alexander Pope said (creating my all time favorite "why Lit is awesome" quote): "True wit is... What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed."
I know I've already raved about The Next Fine Day on this blog, but I found so much of myself in that book. I am a conservative to the core, and haven't dealt well with change ever since infancy, pretty much. In class we discussed the theme of "mutability" and I made my students laugh lots with my rendition of a song I made up when I was 13 (it has a very haunting melody, I might add): "Why can't things be like they used to be? Why do things always have to change?" THIRTEEN!
So discovering this book, clearly written by a kindred spirit, was balm to a soul that has been oft tortured (okay, slight exaggeration). It was all about the things that do not change - the cycles and patterns and threads and continuity of history. And it was just so BEAUTIFUL! It was beautiful in a simple way that doesn't try to be anything bigger than it is, which makes it all the more inspired.
And that makes me think that another reason the Keats line brought tears to my eyes is that the line stretches way into my past (okay, high school anyway... which is becoming more and more historic these days) and is still part of my life today. Literature doesn't change! Tennyson's In Memoriam will ALWAYS begin "Strong Son of God, Immortal Love," no matter what else happens in life. Trends in what's being read my come and go, but those words were written and will remain forever written.
Cool.
So read, people, read! And discover truths around every corner...
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Recent Tidbits
*I've been reminded recently of the power of words, as two former students, in an out-of-the-blue fashion, thanked me for teaching them. Wow! It makes me want to do the same for my teachers and mentors. I've been floating because of it.
*We've been studying Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" in Classical Literature, so one day I found a huge tarp in the gym and had my students set up a cave and re-enact the allegory. We had such a fun time doing it! It took us about 45 minutes to make the set and 10 minutes to act out, but hey, at least they won't be forgetting the allegory any time soon.
*Growing up at Fairwood we kids would go through phases in our choice of entertainment. One stage was ping-pong and we played and played and played. Another was volleyball with a beach ball. Another Monopoly. And then there were our favorite outdoor games like Run Sheep Run and Chipmunks. It turns out I'm going through my second childhood apparently, because I'm starting to do the phases thing again at my friend's house after school. Last semester it was chess - we played so many games! And this semester the craze is Rook. And when I say craze I'm not exaggerating too much - we played until 11pm on a school night, gambling on a snow day. As I pulled in at my apartment about about quarter of 12 I wondering what on earth I'd been thinking, but when I got the call the next morning that school was indeed cancelled I realized the joy of the successful gambler. No wonder people get addicted...
*When you're living in an apartment with all girls, sometimes you have to do those mechanical things that your Dad always did at home. I have participated in the smaller things like taking out the trash, but also bigger things like figuring out what was wrong with the furnace (with Melissa) and unclogging the drain in the sink. Woo woo! Quite the feeling of empowerment.
*It is official: my first love in literature is definitely British Literature. And the incredible thing is that so far the classes I've taught have loved it too. This year I have five juniors and seniors taking it, and on more than one occasion I've heard them quote Hamlet in the course of conversation. Yesssssss.
*My car is SO dirty right now.
*We have started the junior/senior thesis work in earnest in Rhetoric class. One of my students is going to be researching the effects of Rock n' Roll. He didn't have his library card with him on the day we were searching library books online, so I let him use my card. Consequently I've been having to pick the books up at the library as they come in. Yesterday I marched into the library in a full ankle-length skirt, conservative coat and scarf, and hair in two french braids, and walked out with this huge stack of books on Rock. Yeah. There was an interesting juxtaposition. It's like the time my loaner car had a huge Harley Davidson sticker on the back and I wondered what people thought seeing me get out of the car... Probably people really don't think anything because they're too busy living their own lives. But still, it was cause for my own internal amusement.
*Speaking of amusement, my best friend on the teaching staff and I both have a bit of a problem with punctuality when it comes to morning devotions with the staff. We joke about being relieved when the other one is later because we don't look so bad. Yesterday we pulled in about the same time, and she caught my eye as we got out of our cars and took off running for the door. She made my official list that I've started on which I record who makes me laugh first every day:) I started the list when one of my students asked me if I ever don't laugh...
*Sad news: I don't think I can be a CTU agent. Jack Bauer often holds his flashlight between his teeth when he needs both hands, and when I hold things between my teeth I pull my tongue way back and it threatens to trigger my gag reflex. Bummer.
*We are reading the BEST BOOK in 7/8 Literature: The Next Fine Day by Elizabeth Yates. It has sparked amazing conversations about mutability, continuity, whether there are absolute standards for judging beauty, tradition and heritage, the importance of history, and whether it is truly "better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Woooo! I highly recommend the story to all!
*Now I want to go check my email, so I'll sign off until next time...
*...but just want to add that I love Claire! Thanks for the encouragement to post again; this was fun:)
*We've been studying Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" in Classical Literature, so one day I found a huge tarp in the gym and had my students set up a cave and re-enact the allegory. We had such a fun time doing it! It took us about 45 minutes to make the set and 10 minutes to act out, but hey, at least they won't be forgetting the allegory any time soon.
*Growing up at Fairwood we kids would go through phases in our choice of entertainment. One stage was ping-pong and we played and played and played. Another was volleyball with a beach ball. Another Monopoly. And then there were our favorite outdoor games like Run Sheep Run and Chipmunks. It turns out I'm going through my second childhood apparently, because I'm starting to do the phases thing again at my friend's house after school. Last semester it was chess - we played so many games! And this semester the craze is Rook. And when I say craze I'm not exaggerating too much - we played until 11pm on a school night, gambling on a snow day. As I pulled in at my apartment about about quarter of 12 I wondering what on earth I'd been thinking, but when I got the call the next morning that school was indeed cancelled I realized the joy of the successful gambler. No wonder people get addicted...
*When you're living in an apartment with all girls, sometimes you have to do those mechanical things that your Dad always did at home. I have participated in the smaller things like taking out the trash, but also bigger things like figuring out what was wrong with the furnace (with Melissa) and unclogging the drain in the sink. Woo woo! Quite the feeling of empowerment.
*It is official: my first love in literature is definitely British Literature. And the incredible thing is that so far the classes I've taught have loved it too. This year I have five juniors and seniors taking it, and on more than one occasion I've heard them quote Hamlet in the course of conversation. Yesssssss.
*My car is SO dirty right now.
*We have started the junior/senior thesis work in earnest in Rhetoric class. One of my students is going to be researching the effects of Rock n' Roll. He didn't have his library card with him on the day we were searching library books online, so I let him use my card. Consequently I've been having to pick the books up at the library as they come in. Yesterday I marched into the library in a full ankle-length skirt, conservative coat and scarf, and hair in two french braids, and walked out with this huge stack of books on Rock. Yeah. There was an interesting juxtaposition. It's like the time my loaner car had a huge Harley Davidson sticker on the back and I wondered what people thought seeing me get out of the car... Probably people really don't think anything because they're too busy living their own lives. But still, it was cause for my own internal amusement.
*Speaking of amusement, my best friend on the teaching staff and I both have a bit of a problem with punctuality when it comes to morning devotions with the staff. We joke about being relieved when the other one is later because we don't look so bad. Yesterday we pulled in about the same time, and she caught my eye as we got out of our cars and took off running for the door. She made my official list that I've started on which I record who makes me laugh first every day:) I started the list when one of my students asked me if I ever don't laugh...
*Sad news: I don't think I can be a CTU agent. Jack Bauer often holds his flashlight between his teeth when he needs both hands, and when I hold things between my teeth I pull my tongue way back and it threatens to trigger my gag reflex. Bummer.
*We are reading the BEST BOOK in 7/8 Literature: The Next Fine Day by Elizabeth Yates. It has sparked amazing conversations about mutability, continuity, whether there are absolute standards for judging beauty, tradition and heritage, the importance of history, and whether it is truly "better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Woooo! I highly recommend the story to all!
*Now I want to go check my email, so I'll sign off until next time...
*...but just want to add that I love Claire! Thanks for the encouragement to post again; this was fun:)
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