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Poetry in the classroom
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Tue, 03/10/2009 - 20:06
I´d like to know if you have experienced with poetry, and to find out if this is still an interesting area for you.
Have you got experiences you feel are worth sharing?
What learner group do you think woud be more interested in this kind of approach?
Any poet you particularly choose for EFL/ESL purposes?
Any project involving poetry which has proved satisfactory in your teaching experience?
Hoping to hear from poetry fans or detractors!
Wed, 03/11/2009 - 10:58
#2
Hi Maria Graciana, Pilar and Everyone
Nice to see you already here! Thanks Graciana for bringing up such a fascinating topic such as Poetry.Why is this topic particularly relevant to you? Do you have any experience to share with us using poetry with your students? I'm also really interested in hearing about how people have been using it in the classroom and how your students have been responding to it.
Welcome Pilar!! I'm really happy to see you here. You bring in the concept of representational language. I hope John can join us to comment on this too. Could you share with us a bit more about your approach to it, please?
Looking forward to your comments.
Cheers - Chris
Wed, 03/11/2009 - 23:14
#3
Hi poetry fans,
This to let you know that I am so much interested in poetry teaching, reading and writing. The problem today is that not all teachers avail themselves of it while in class because they think poetry is something outmoded and learners no longer cincern themselves with it anymore. This is what a colleague of mine has recently said to me and seems to highlight the use of drama instead.
Poetry is the language with which human hearts communicate and it is a language which is revered by all and we should never forget that only people upholding good and refined taste that are dedicated to poetry. This year, I have taught my students a poem entitled "Morocco!". The poem was given to me by a student and I am actually ignorant of its real author, but I found it worth-to-be-taught owing to the simple images and marvellous ideas matching the level of my students. Students learnt the poem by heart and did manage to read it in a very poetic and impressive way. Some readings are still good echoes in my mind. This activity really made me think of annoucing the birth of "The Poetry & Music Club" wherein students are required to develop this love for poetry and music and to enlarge their knowledge about these two aforesaid disciplines. I am so much satisfied at what we are doing because many students jumed at the offer and worked wonders. Last Sunday, I took 25 of them to visit the local conservatory of music and the waterful of Ain Asserdoune in Beni Mellal. Some students have prepared sketches, rehearsed dialogues, read poems and sung sweet songs outside the classroom sphere in nature. "We should come repeatedly", all of them as such insisted on me. In brief, I think that students need only the occasion so that they can demostrate their skills and infinte hidden abilities.
Looking for a sweet-sounding poetic reply.
Rachid
Wed, 03/11/2009 - 23:29
#4
Hi Chris and everyone,
I use Literature with kids, with teens and adults, I think that on of the reasons why I do not take to texbooks has to do with the absence of literature. One of my students´favourites is . Ten Things Found in a Wizard´s Pocket by Ian Mac Millan, We first start by discussing the word: Wizard, then we talk about famous wizards, words that we associate with them like: magic wand, magic tricks, etc, we describe the way a wizard looks like and what things he needs to perform his tricks, I give them the first line of the poem only and invite them to write about the nine remaining lines of the poem. This allows them to play with the laguage, to develop their creativity and to start seeing the language from a diferent angle: To use language to represent, to form their own metaphors, to raise awareness about the fact that languages are meant to build different representations and meanings. Ah The kids I´m talking about are 10-year-olds and English is foreign to them.
Thu, 03/12/2009 - 02:30
#5
Hi Maryadelpilar, Chris, Rachid!
It seems we are really a poetry freak lot!
I really liked your acitivy Maryadelpilar! It certainly triggers your imagination and asks children to use a foreign language to express their own meanings- wonderful! And guess it´s also a magical moment for you to be allowed into their world.
And. Rachid, your mentioning the link between poetry and music in the club you set up made me associate it to the fact that even though some students are reluctant to poems as such- mainly teenagers in that age of self-consciousness which becomes an obstacle for their spontaneous self-expression- when they see the link between poems and songs as poems set to music, they seem to be more willing to accept the use of poetry. The club you`ve told us about sounds so much fun! A shame you are so far away, I´d like to particpate too!!!
Chris, as to your question, I am convinced that if I enjoy some aspect of language, it´s some kind of duty for me to find a way to share it with my students. Enthusiasm is catchy! Poems have been a great tool for me, always depending on the group I´m working with and their level and personal likings. There´s always been a certain poem or poet that appealed to them. I´m thinking of light hearted poetry by Harry Graham, or more romantic stuff such as Christina Rossetti´s, limericks or chants for children, spooky pieces by Poe, inspired lyrics by their favourite singers, there`s always been some bait they can take. You may have used a book by Maley and Duff which lists many creative ways to use poetry in the classroom and makes students write their own poems: The Inward Ear, a classic by now and one of my favourites.
Well , I got carried away...! Please, share with me your own favourites, I´m always eager to learn from like minded souls and this is a great chance to do it.
Cheers
Thu, 03/12/2009 - 02:51
#6
Hi All
Indeed, Graciana, you ende up in the middle of poetry lovers here :)
I think one of the reasons teachers sometimes do not bring poetry to their students is because they do not feel confident enough to use it. There is still some ideas in the air that the language of poetry is too difficult and that you have to do close reading to work with a poem. Of course, it's highly figurative language but if we read it alound and open the opportunity for learners to explore the language and come up with their own responses to poems, poetry comes alive.
I also loved Pilar's activity!! I like using deceivingly easy poems, such as Blake's, with intermediate students. With more advanced levels we can be more adventurous - Rossetti, Wordsworth, Frost...
I strongly recommend part two of a book by Michael Benton, where he deals with reading poetry in general and also the place of poetry in children's education.
Benton, M. (1992) Secondary Worlds. Buckingham: Open University.
Cheers - Chris
Thu, 03/12/2009 - 03:30
#7
hi all!
I think that Frost, Rossetti, Wordsworth are a must and that together with Spark are one of a kind, the reading of Authors´Ghosts makes wonders with students who take Written Expression at Tertiary level and, forgive my eclectic spirit, the song Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield can lead them to further reflection on writing.
Thu, 03/12/2009 - 16:31
#8
Dear Graciana, Chris and Marya
Truely, teaching poetry is not as easy as one may think. It entails a huge number of skills by dint of which one can instil its love in students hearts. Not all teachers can use poetry and not all teachers taste poetry. Being the sole concern of the elite and intelligentsia, poetry is and shall remain a sublime literary genre because it remarkedly hints to the pinnacle of creativity. The language of Holy books once revealed to the Apostles was taken for poetry due to the tremendous and influential side of its discourse. Not surprising that the certain Arabian tribes once witnessing the birth of a new poet, women would siffle tunefully and would sing collectively because they believe that this poet is going certainly to defend his / her compatriots against any foreign harm. Satire was commonly used at that time because the tribes were in a state of conflict. By this, I am saying that we've got actually to revive this poetic heritage of great poets like Pope, Wordsworth, Edgare Allan Poe, Yeats, Keats, Coleridge...etc. as a way of paying homage to these people whose poems are a great solace to the souls, let alone the souls of the young pupils.
Teaching Poetry, as I view it, can help students master the foreign language effortlessly because there are some readymade and idiomatic expressions subsumed there. Plus, the metaphors and the images can enable them develop their imaginative skills and speak FL fluently and poetically. Not the academic way, I guess, poetry should be instructed; rather, students should be granted an opportunity to change the a bit the classroom by going for example to a green place, a beautiful garden to start lerning poetry, write and why not read poetry. I am absolutely certain that this is what can show to students that poetry is not like any ordinary language. In so doing, we are teaching them how to stay calm, how to represent their reflections and perceptions in beautiful verses . Competitions in poetry writing is also a good technique through which we can motivate and encourage students exhibit a strong affinity for poetry and prizes can serve the purpose well.
Graciana, you are totally right. Poetry and music are inseparable and the two go hand in hand. Yes, most of the songs are but poems. Once students recognize this truth, I am sure that they will never hesitated in poetizing over what they see and the good / bad experiences they live. They need poetry so long as the latter can be regarded as the sole refuge to which we can return to escape from the burdens of life, I mean from the problems of life.
Marya, I think that the teacher should first know about his / her students interests and the poets with which they seem to be familiar in order to impart to them that learning. Of course, some poets are more difficult than others and our duty, as teachers, I think, is first to let students love poetry, enjoy poetry while listening / reading / writing poetry.
Chris, Thanks for the recommendation. we are not different in our views because easy poems can undoubtedly bring back to poetry the value it has lost. Let us from now on initiate our students into poetry using music as a backgound and let us insist on them to memorize as many poems as they can. I can find no tale with which I can conclude this message excepting that which was said about one Arab poet when asked by his pupil: "How can I become a poet, teacher!" the pupil gently said. " Go and memorize all the poems of your age and then try to forget them".
Waiting for a sweet poem to speak.
Rachid
Thu, 03/12/2009 - 17:29
#9
Hi everybody!
Chris, your suggestion did ring a bell so I´ve been undigging material I used some years ago and I´ve found something by Benton, P and Benton, M called "Double vision: reading pictures, reading poems", Stoughton Educ. It`s full of activities linking poetry and art in general.
In the same line there is "The Web of Words" by Carter and Long (CUP) and "Poem into Poem" by Maley and Duff, books to inspire good classes for poetry lovers.
Looking forward to more tips!
Thu, 03/12/2009 - 22:27
#10
Hi all,
As I see it, teaching poetry is an art per se; my students did go through a lovely experience when I brought them a poem on friendship they were supposed to recreate in their own way. the activity proved worthy of their efforts. The poem was very short but the outcome gigantic:
Friends
A friend is someone we turn to
when our spirits need a lift.
A friend is someone we treasure
for our friendship is a gift.
A friend is someone who fills our lives
with beauty, joy, and grace.
And makes the whole world we live in
a better and happier place.
- Jean Kyler McManus
Activity 1:Start the poem with" my mother"( after ss finish, some read their creation loud to the classroom)
Activity 2: Start the poem with "my planet"(same as above)
Activity 3: Replace "we" by "I"(same as above)
Discussion: 1) When you changed "friends" by "mother"and ",planet" did the lexical field change? why? why not?
2) Did your feelings change when you replaced "we" by "I"? how?
conclusion: ss liked very much the experience and looked forward to doing the activity next time. ;)
Fri, 03/13/2009 - 09:27
#11
Hi All
Just a couple of other interesting books:
McRae, J. (1998) The Language of Poetry. London: Routledge.
Lennard, J.(1996) The Poetry Handbook. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fenton, J. (2002) An Introduction to Poetry. London: Penguin.
Websites later :)
Cheers - Chris
Fri, 03/13/2009 - 10:22
#12
Hi all,
I have been reading your postings with great passion. Mostapha, the poem you launched was discussed in our club and students have now an idea about it because every student there takes the charge of a poem or two poems. I really did appreciate the activities you suggested. The question that should be raised here is "How can we teach poetry?" To put it differently, shall we consider it a reading or a listening activity, knowing that we don't have for example CD roms wherein poets are reading their poems aloud, at least in our Moroccan contex? The other thing is that memorization here is of paramount importance because through memorization, we can make of our kids forthcoming poets. Let you all have a look at this poem we did study in our class.
Morocco!
What a wonderful country Morocco is!
You enjoy the desert besides
The mountains and the sea
Its people are generous
Its meals are delicious
Its cities are beautiful
But just try to see
Its music is various
But just try to listen
You will not find like my country
Throughout the world!
Throughout the world!
Aftter the reading process, students were asked a few questions about Morocco, the king of Morocco and the capital of Morocco. They were really highly motivated when they talk about their country because I think most of them know at least something about it. They did develop a good impression about the poem due the way they've read the poem. We have six students and each student take two verses to read and s/he gets out of the line in order to face the audience reading them in a very slow expressive way that certainly affects the emotions of the seers.
Warmest,
Rachid
Fri, 03/13/2009 - 23:29
#13
Hi all,
I did try the whole day to post some comments but there was a problem of connection.
Your question "How can we teach poetry?" Is it through reading or listening? I would say it's all an amalgam of integrated skills. As I mentioned in my previous posting that teaching poetry is an art, for we are dealing with a dimension of creativity. Hence, the first thing to do is to get students to appreciate and savour the beauty of poetry. After all, poetry is the "overflow of powerful feelings" as Wordsworth put it. Herein lies the great role of the teacher; he or she has to initiate ss to foster a "poetic ear" to respond aesthetically to poeticity.
When ss get progressively addicted to appreciating poetry, the task of the teacher gets more and more facile. Only then can we talk about teaching reading or listening or even vocabulary. And listening here does not necassarily mean the automatic reception of sounds, rather the teacher is supposed to read poems in poetic manner to get ss to feel the musicality of the verses. As for vocabulary, ss will have to get acquainted to rhetoric (simile, hyperbole, onomatopoeia...)
cheers-to be continued ;)
Sat, 03/14/2009 - 00:21
#14
Hi Mostapha,
Wonderful thing you've done. I subscribe for sure to your view that teaching poetry is a combination of the basic four skills. Of course, this poetic ear / tongue is what we are striving to trigger off on the part of our learners. Creativity doesn't come as such, but successive and ongoing reading of poetry can lead certainly to it. No surprising that some poets have found themselves poets by chance while others did struggle their best and utmost to become poets.
With much passion for poetry, I agree, teaching poetry will turn out to be much entertaining. Nothing in my eyes compare to poetry and this is my conviction because poetry is not like normal discourse. In poetry, there is a forceful and powerful language which even the mundane amidst the natives can not grasp. Thus, the best thing a human being, and for the time being a student can do is to let his / her feelings speak in a poetic way. Most of teenagers love poetry, but the majority lean towards exploiting it in the mother tongue. Be sure that among your pupils / your students, there are some hidden poets and they are predating over the opportunity to show up and to demonstrate their poetic skills.
additionally, I do believe that inviting poets to read their poems for one's students can serve the teaching process well because in poetry reading, what counts so much is the aesthetic dimention of the feeling, how can you show this feeling to your reader, how can you communicate to him / her the experience you're talking about. I guess in poetry teaching, one has to put himself / herself in the poet's shoes in order not to spoil the beauty of poetry. Remember, poetry is not like prose. It is a feeling-based discourse.
Thanks again Mustapha for enlivening our forum with your interesting worth-reading postings.
Stay well,
Rachid
Sat, 03/14/2009 - 12:50
#15
Great ideas around and I particularly liked when Rachid suggested inviting poets to read their poems. I suppose when a poet is not at hand, it will be up to the teachers themselves :) or use mp3 recordings. I believe poetry was most written for the ear and listening to it can improve our students' poetic language awareness and listening skills ;)
BritLit has a good collection of poems read by poets and the mp3 files are all available for downloading at the Teaching English website http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk
I'm not sure I got the full meaning when Rachid says, 'Being the sole concern of the elite and intelligentsia, poetry is and shall remain a sublime literary genre because it remarkedly hints to the pinnacle of creativity.'
Do you mean that this is the way poetry is usually seen? Or that poetry can only be fully appreciated by and restricted to a *cultivated elite*?? Looking forward to your comments.
Cheers - Chris
Sun, 03/15/2009 - 12:47
#16
Chris,
Thank you for such generous cool ideas hinting to your open-heartedness and mindedness. Thank you also for furnishing us with some links that can help us get the materials we need in class. Sorry Chris if I was a bit not clear when talking about poetry. What I meant exactly is that only people upholding special tastes that can taste and thus love poetry.
The cultivated elite has a strong affinity for poetry for sure because all the wisdom is there, I mean all the eloquence is there, too. This of course does not mean that other literary genres are valuless. No, at all! because literature englobes fiction, story telling and drama..ect. Every literary genre therefore has its properties and serves a particular purpose. Our duty as intellectuals is to help poetry survive nowadays because there are some people who are trying to devalue and devaluate it.
My best regards,
Rachid
Mon, 03/16/2009 - 04:09
#17
Hi Rachid and everyone!
Following the opinion you expressed, Rachid, I believe certain people have been favoured with the gift of experiencing poetry, and some haven´t. In that case it is up to us, teachers, to give our students the chance to get to knowi it, taste it and enjoy it. It means enlarging their possibilities of appreciating a form of art, which they will be grateful for. AND increasing our possibilities of teaching memorable classes too.
Best,
Graciana
Mon, 03/16/2009 - 15:40
#18
Hello Graciana, Mustapha and all,
Certainly, we seem, three of us, to agree upon the fact that poetry is what can nurture our souls and the souls of our dear students, most of whom need this break to come back to their egoes in order either to flatter a lost lover / a dear friend or to approach a certain phenomenon with which they are obssessed.Graciana, you 've raised another question which has haunted the momories of great poets and thinkers along the centuries. Is a poet born or made??? Graciana says a poet is born,, what about you Mustapha and Chris and others?
I can smell a sweet answer that makes of poetry an art not accessible for all. This leads me to comment on Mustapha's viewpoint holding that poetry is a class-based art. Poetry, as I view it, relates to human life's experinces. It is not limited to one specific class because all humans seem to share some feelings vis-a-vis life and being. Maybe you misread what I was advocating with regards to poetry because my assumption has been that those people who love listening to / reading / writing poetry are actually classified among the elite irrespective of their lower or higher social classes. If you go back to the ancient history of Arabs for example, you shall find that great and outstanding poets were coming from lower classes and they were brought near the Califs thanks to poetry. Poetry has never been associated with social classes. Blessings on that person who taught me that inside us there is much poetry.
Cheers!
Rachid
Mon, 03/16/2009 - 12:53
#19
Hi all,
Once upon a time, only a privileged small elite had the right to learning, and because of this only the ice cream of societies did write and read. Such a social phenomenon was due to big hollow and a large breach between the rich class and the poor one.
It is my strong belief and conviction that appreciating ARTs in general is not to be viewed from a an-elite-oriented perspective.
- Do you think that appreciating ARTs (Belles Lettres) is social-class based?
- If so, can we approach this from historical point of view?
- As teachers, is not it our role to make ss (from all social classes ) appreciate Arts?
cheers
Mon, 03/16/2009 - 15:24
#20
Hi everybody!
To join Mostafa and Chris, I'm giving my opinion as follows:
I'm not much of a poet but I love poetry as much as I love painting or music.
writing poems doesn't have to do with one's socio-economic status as far as I know. Maybe the opportunity to publish one's poems necessitated some financial means in the past. With the availability of Internet, I believe that everyone can make his/her voice heard.
I hope you enjoy reading a poem that was written by a 16-year-old female student ( this dates back to 2001- if my memory isn't betraying me) The point here is that she belonged to the lower-class- a poor cobbler's daughter! I am sure Mostafa ,who has been my colleague at work Since 1999,knows her very well, as he was her teacher too.
I'm copying the poem as it was handed in to me (nothing is corrected/altered)
Keep Your Joke
Do you talk about child's rights?
Before telling me your joke,
Remember,
In a horrible calm,
Innocent child is killed every moment.
Stone,fire, blood are everywhere.
Before telling me your joke,
Remember again,
Birds pay the price of their freedom.
They die with a smile on their lips.
But they are still alive, still strong.
Before telling me your joke,
Let me remind you of,
All those affectuous mothers
Who offer their hearts,
For the liberty, for the peace.
Before telling me your joke,
Come on and see,
In this saint garden,
Flowers with a grey colour
Are growing up under the fear.
Before telling me your joke,
Listen!
A tearful voice is calling you...
To your knowledge dear colleagues, this student was studying English for the second year (in Morocco at the time, students used to start learning English in public schools at Grade 10 !) And know what? This student was a "Sciences Mathématiques" Stream student!!!
The conclusion here: poetry doesn't have to do with class nowadays or with a student's specialty. yet, the onus is on the teacher to instill the thirst/love for poetry in his/her students.
Cheerio
Tarik Boussetta - Global Issues Forum moderator
Mon, 03/16/2009 - 16:17
#21
Hi Tarik and all,
Sweet Sounding poem betraying a very strong feeling wherein this cry for justice, peace and tolerance are all at play. We don't disagree because I think sufferings and misery and sometimes joy is what can trigger off poetry. What is poetry, this probably should have been the point of departure before we reflect on the appropriate and effective strategies of how to teach it. If poetry is this noble feeling that you are feeling towards a given matter, why shall we worry then?
Also, if we assume that poetry is truth and beauty, then "Keep Your Joke" is for sure an authentic piece as it has successfully portrayed the world in a very truthful and beautiful manner. Thanks go to that 16 years old student for illuminating the forum and our minds with this witty and original poem.
My best regards,
Rachid
Mon, 03/16/2009 - 22:59
#22
Hello Rachid & All Poetry Lovers,
Thank you all for your opinions on this challenging but enjoyable topic - Poetry in the classroom.
Rachid, I've been impressed with your views on poetry, your suggestions and proficuous comments. I entirely agree with you:" Poetry always nurtures our souls." If you allow me, I'd like to tell you that my passion for writing poetry has certainly contributed (to some extent...) to often sharing and using poems in the English classroom. I think it has also influenced my students to start enjoying and creating their own poems. I treasure a great deal of those that different generations have produced in our English classes.
Inviting students to observe and reflect on their surrounding environment might motivate them to interpret and freely express their views, feelings and emotions. A unique experience is to create the possibility of inviting a Poet to read or perform his/her poems. By the way, our school in Portugal was very lucky to have welcomed the outstanding Rastafarian Poet, Levi Tafari. Students and teachers who attended the live sessionadored every second of it. Our students dedicated the poet some poetical lines they had produced before the poet's arrival.(They based on some research about the Author). I even wrote some lines you all can read at TE - TeachingEnglish Website.
Now I have the pleasure to share with you "The Heart of Nature" (written by 15-year-old students in 2003)
The Heart of Nature
The days are passing by me/ And I'm still here. /I want to fly away / Like the birds I hear.
See Nature and all its beauty/ Flowers blossoming / Trees being touched by the wind/Rivers running to the sea.
I want to be free like the fox / I want to be strong like the bear/ I want to be there in the Heart of Nature.
*****
Warm regards,
Maria do Céu
Mon, 03/16/2009 - 20:06
#23
Hi Chris, Maria, Rachid, and Tarik,
I feel that our debate is getting more and more exciting and difference in viewpoints makes it more exciting. As teachers we don't think it is necessary to theorise on poetry more than to try to assume ways and methods of implementing it in classroom situations. As Rachid put it "sufferings and misery and sometimes joy is what can trigger off poetry". Right, this is the spirit "état d'âme" before creating a poem, but from a technical point of view our students should be aware of the craft of poesy ( rhyme,rhythm, assonance,consonance,versification...); because when the craft and the Muse meet, beauty comes true.
Cheers
Tue, 03/17/2009 - 11:09
#24
Dear Mustapha, dear Maria, dear Graciana, dear Tarik, dear all,
Let me start from where Mustapha ends and here I quote him softly saying "when the craft and the muse meet, beauty comes true". Of course, you are right because we need to teach the poetic requisites for our students to enable them come up with some genuine pieces appealing to the ears and touching the feelings. True poetry is what comes as such. With no planning. A passing feeling you 've felt at one moment in your life. So, you want to openly share it with your fellows. This is how I personally perceive and conceive of poetry. It is this moment of purity with one's inner self that makes the piece powerful, noble and likewise free from any trace of artificiality. This feeling is and shall be eternal because it is lived only once if we postulate, as Mustapha has claimed, poetry has to do with "the state of one's spirit / etat d'ame if I'm right". My advice is never to force students write poetry because they won't enjoy it. Make it fun, why not a habit as Maria did!
Maria, thanks for such straighforwardness of your feelings. Isn't poetry that has combined and fraternized between all of us to impart to our learners the poetic knowledge we do have? You've done a great job while inviting the outstanding Rastafarian Poet, Levi Tafari. I hope my students and I will have the privilege to meet him ,too, to get from him the maximum with respect to poetry composition. That's what we call involving all the community in the learning process because this student on him we are investing a huge amount of money ought to contribute himself in his country even with poems. When you write, you feel that you are doing something. With writing, you do exist. People can know you. Read you. Always think of you. That's my conviction.
Maria, Chris, Mustapha, Tarik, Graciana! You May agree that we can not sometimes change the CIRCUMSTANCE. Things we don't want to see. But through poetry, we can show / display our stances and consequently let the world hear our calls and cries in the words of that young 16 years old child whose "Keep your Joke" is still hammering in mind, in your minds too sure.
Maria, "The heart of Nature" adumbrates to this hidden poetic talents students possess. I liked it from the depth of my heart because I do feel that this student is DEFINITELY involved in a process of meditation over what s/he sees from beauty manifest in green trees, running water in rivers, flying birds chirping, blooms blossoming, all attesting if not certifying to this beauty surrounding us all. S/he is inviting us to reckon. Besides, this poet-student is seeking another life so long as human life has been tainted by bloodshed, by violence and by repression. Maybe, if he /she comes one with nature, he /she can meet this joy for which she is hankering. Nature has been destroyed to meet man's needs and here the poet-student is finding another way of how to console and to condole her. Let the Satan of poetry haunt us all to write poetry again and again and to encourage our students to write their own.
Thanks for sharing.
Rachid
Tue, 03/17/2009 - 13:58
#25
Doing my moderator's job and trying to summarise some of the main issues brought to the surface so far, so that we can have some main routes to follow and also help people that are joining us here this week. So far we have discussed:
- Poetic language as a means to communicate feelings and emotions and to convey deeply rooted human ideas, beliefs and concepts about 'life, love, the universe and everything' :))
- Poetic language as a way to improve learners' language awareness through the study and analysis of figurative language, versification and sound patterns
- Different sources of poetry, from chlidren's rhyms and song lyrics to canon poets
- Access to poetry and poetic language - who should be able to read and benefit from poetry?
Please, if I have forgotten something in my summary, feel free to add to my list :)
Cheers - Chris
Tue, 03/17/2009 - 14:23
#26
Now, wearing my participant's hat :) I'd like to comment on the last item of my list: Who should be able to read and benefit from poetry?
Earlier last week there were some ideas of poetry being only really accessible to a cultivated elite. Rachid and others made it clear later that by this did not involve any idea of class and that it didn't mean that only upper middle classes would be able to have access and/or appreciate poetry.
However, I still feel very uncomfortable with the idea that only people who considered themselves intellectually superior, with 'more refined tastes' are the ones who can enjoy poetry. Who can judge that? Who can say if a person has or lacks the capacity to make cognitive and affective connections between the text on the page and their own reading of it? Moreover, I confess that I cannot digest this idea of a self-labelling *intellectual elite*.
We should only remember that Shakespeare did not write his plays, which are full of songs and poetic language, for the cultivated elit of the Court. On the contrary, they were written mainly to the groundlings, largely illiterate apprentices and prostitutes who frequented the infamous and disputable theatre houses out of the City. When Wordsworth came out with his Poetic manifesto he didn’t target the intellectual elite of the time – this ones were well-provided by Dryden and Pope. He intended to bring poetry back to life and speak ‘the language of men’ - language that could be understood and appreciated by everyone. I think it is this sort of elitist thought that is in part responsible for the alienation of poetry from our everyday lives and from the ELT classrooms.
Hot issue indeed :)
Chris
Thu, 03/19/2009 - 16:06
#27
Dear Chris and all,
Thanks twice. First for taking the initiative to sum up all the points we've discussed up to now. Second, for making of poetry an art that targets all people's feelings and emtions no matter how their intellectual and mental capabilities are. Poetry is like music, both of which have mauch healing powers. When you read a verse by Pope, Wordsworth or Shakespeare or their likes, you feel that language is much powerful and the words settle in your still heart.
Poetry, I am here to emphasize again and again, is associated neither to class nor to one specific group of people. It is an art which all share and which for which all the masses yearn. However, there are some fertile hearts that taste the beauty of the poem and, contrary to that, there are others who do not know what poetry is and what purpose can it serve. I am here just trying to show you how this network of people apprehend and approach poetry. We must consecrate the efforts in order to give to poetry the value it deserves-in and out of the class. We must encourage by the means we have poets because their number is decreasing. If a poet dies, then believe me many poems and many verses and many feelings have died. Now, I guess only two days are left for the worldly Day of Poetry. A blessed day indeed where students should be encouarged in order to read their pieces and to share their friendly feelings with their co-disciples and to bring into the open the couple of experiences which they've undergone. Where are Graciana? Where are you Mustapha? Where are you Tarik? Where are you Maria? Today we want to read some poems aloud in our blessed forum. We want to all the other moderators to share with us this unforgetable and memorable day. Poetry Day!
Best wishes,
Rachid
Fri, 03/20/2009 - 20:29
#28
Hi Rachid & All Poetry Lovers
Firstly, I would like to congratulate you for your collection of poems "Tunes on My guitar". Shall we have the chance to read one of those poems here on this Forum? We would certainly appreciate it very much and benefit from your creativity.
Many thanks for your generous words while considering our activities poetry-related.
Well, I entirely agree with you when you say " We must consecrate the efforts in order to give to poetry the value it deserves - in and out of the class." From my experience poem writing has always been part of my English class main approaches. Through it we have been able to motivate learners for achieving language improvement and developing their thinking and critical skills. And how exciting it is when we jointly recognise the effective learning outcomes!
To celebrate the World Poetry Day (tomorrow) we would like to dedicate you and all Colleagues and poetry lovers gathered here this 16-year-old student's poem written in the 2005 Spring. So, let us give voice to Carla from the 11th J class.
Nature's symphony
When the sun rises/ The day has just begun/ All life wakes up / Nature is having fun
With all the sounds / Life is given to Nature / The wind is whispering / The sun is smiling
Grass is moving / Trees are dancing / Water is
singing / Birds are flying
In this bucolic picture / Sounds and colours are getting alive / And all trees keep dancing / At the rythm of life!
*****
Note: All learners in that class were really happy when we handed out a small bookmark displaying this poem
Cheers.
Maria
Sat, 03/21/2009 - 01:42
#29
Dear Maria and dear all,
I am writing to you to tell you that I am so stuck once reading Nature's symphony. Sweet images meticulously depicting sunrise and the life the sun of the day brings to all, from trees dancing and brids chirping and chanting the everlasting symphony of Nature. Maria, thanks for implicating your students in the forum. This is one way of acknowledging their efforts, their hardwork and their adventures with poetry composition.
Thanks Carla for paying tribute to Nature for such innocent pure feelings. Maria, Have you ever thought of compiling all your students' products and publishing them. Other students will wish to have an idea of what their peers' experience with poetry is like to tread on the same path. If you did, that's good. If not, please think seriously of it.
Maria, to cater for your taste, let me tell you that Tunes on my guitar are down to earth poems. That is to say they are not fictional because every poem was lived by me / personally experienced and I can secretly confess to you that I suffered a great deal in order to finish / complete some poems, all of which tackle some human issues and values such as love, justice, tolerance, fairness, diabolism, fraternity, time, teaching, to name but a few. Now, let you all read this tune which two students of mine have triggered in me as I sent them to represent our school and to participate in one local contest...just to come complaining injustice, unfairness and inequal opportunities for me, for none but me. Imagine the situation please!
N.B: Maria, Mustapha and all, please let us read aloud our poems and let us sing joy, love, justice and harmony in all their multifold forms. Let us listen then to our students-would be poets-read, write poetry tomorrow because poetry is dear to us and so are the poets.
The Contest
What a shame!
What a confidence game!
The pupils upshots become a crafty frolic
A tricked and a trafficked game
Unfair opportunities enacted
Under innocence name
Below knoledge cognomen
O my teacher and sole preacher!
Tell me whom I should rebuke
Whom I should blame
Many empty minds get to such wordly fame
Though not for them
Nor for their likes
We should clap with alacrity
And we should warmly acclaim
Their excuses are unsound and lame
Their whole contest is but a wily foxy game
Just put yourself in the fox shoes
If you desire to reap a good harvest
And to make for yourself a chimerical name
Maybe few can climg to my claim,
Anyway suffice me
Most people went in a dreadful frame
O my teacher and sole preacher!
Tell me whom I should rebuke
Whom I should indict and blame
Today sucess and failure are akin
Yes they are to me all the same
Practically none is honest or earnest
The speakers are shallow
Their words are dull and hollow
Truth is lost
These folk want to win the contest at any cost
Alas!
Is everyone worthy of his status and post??
I don't think so
So I decide to give up the ghost
O my teacher and sole preacher!
For which purpose serve all these billboards
They're like a bride stretching her legs in our roads
I can see her wherever I go
Never think I'm an anomaly in my class
Not that breezy bridegrrom
Not even that jackass
Not that flamboyant fanfaron
Not as eloquent as the Prophet Aaron
Maybe I'm mistaken
But bear in mind
I'm outspoken
All the time plainspoken
Whenever a thing turns me downcast
Crestfallen and chopfallen
O where is the brightest pupil!
That can content his teacher with his sucess
And with his blessed arrival!
Mon, 03/23/2009 - 16:38
#30
Dear Rachid & Dear All
I am deeply grateful to your knowledgeable criticism as well as for your poem "The Contest". We do feel it has really been experienced, and it is a heartfelt relief!
I have realised it has been a follow up to some complaining injustice, unfairness experienced by you and your learners with the local contest. Some circumstances went wrong, we think. "The pupils upshots become a crafty frolic/ A tricked and trafficked game".
It is clear, to some extent, there might have been some injustice, unfairness, disrespect or so, aggravating self esteem, confidence, true efforts, dedication and hardwork both from teacher and students. Circumstances have generated this reflection on (lack of) values like honesty, truth, fairness, respect, understanding.
For me, the three last lines of the poem evoke a strong, desirable call from the teacher who always aims at his/her students' success. After all,their success is also ours, it always works as a "blessed" reward towards the teacher's inexhaustible work.
I hope we all at this forum can influence positively every reader so as to encourage them for singing "Songs of Harmony". We count on your ongoing inspiration , sensitivity and wisdom, Rachid. Many thanks for your Tunes.
Cheers,
Maria
Fri, 03/20/2009 - 00:36
#31
Hi Rachid,
By this "blessed" occasion I dedicate to you a poem of mine; Iwish you would appreciate it.
This is my poem which i feel is no longer mine:)
Words wouldn't tell my feelings;
Language is as lame as most of me,
My me is not the usual I,
For this world has split my entity.
So please don't think that me or I is me!
It may be you, she or even we.
Don't jump to conclusions when you see me
Or read me.
Be sure you traverse the luring light of appearence,
Don't give heed to the sirens' lethal sweet voice,
Your heart is your guide,
Your mind is your friend,
The other is not a wolf;
Rather another emanation of yourself;
Sorry Sartre, I love the other
For with him or her
We are made to live together.
And you Huntington or Lewis,
Who told you the world is apart-poralis?
"Clash of civilizations"?
Why not marriage, fusion of theirs?
Some so-called "untellectuals"
Do but add fire to oils.
You see Why my I is you or he
Cause my poem is no longer mine.
Mostafa MOUHIBE
18 February, 2009 ,around 2 :23 pm
Fri, 03/20/2009 - 20:55
#32
Hi Mostafa!
How nice of you to share with us this very altruistic poem we have already had the pleasure to read before at the ELT e-Reading Group, where all dedicated members count on you!
I promise to comply with your warning/ appeal ... "Don't jump to conclusions when you see me or read me." I said altruistic poem because it really portrays the love and respect for "the other"; " For with him or her/ we are made to live together."
Many thanks for reminding the world these key values: love, respect, altruism.
Best regards,
Maria
Fri, 03/20/2009 - 23:09
#33
Dear Mustapha,
What shall I say and you have blessed me and privileged me with this sweet dedication on this sweet occasion where the souls of poetry lovers and the spirits of poetry fans are meeting to celebrate the beauty of the word, the a andof the verse. Mustapha, when we finish a poem, you shall agree with me, we find a great incomparable joy because you feel that you are doing SOMETHING in your life. No easy job, believe me, to jot down your feelings, a feeling after feeling, to delineate it in a poetic way to the potential readership. What I am saying is that true poets taste their poems before the others can taste them.
By this, I am not claiming that I am a poet and I even do not believe in it. What interests me is that I taste poetry and I love to read it, listen to people reading it and get out of this box in order to live with the poet the moments of joy / sadness s/he is relating to us. In this connexion, a very revealing French saying comes into my mind at the moment an I'd like to share it with you and is as what follows: "La pauvrete fait des voleurs mais l'amour fait des poetes (while poverty gives birth to thieves, love gives birth to poets."
This quotation suggests that poetry is something exclusive to human emotions and the more one loves, then the more poems s/he can come up with. Forms of love differ from one person to another and here we can speak of the love of the student towards his /her teacher, the love of nature, the love of the Other, the love of the mother or one's wife or friend. When you are full of love, you see life with two binoculars not akin to those of the commonplace man. New truths emanate and new dimensions appear touching on the ethical or on the aesthetic side in all humans with no exceptions. Last year for example, I fell for my teacher of Translation Course, and this teacher, to your knowledge is the daughter of the dean of the faculty of humanities in our hometown Beni Mellal. The love I displayed for her culminates in poetry as I friendly offered her a poem which has not found any response from her. Poor Teacher took the poem and she did not give me any feedback. I am sure if she reacted kindly, such reaction can undoubtedly foster much inspiration in me to write more poems not necessarily for her, but for you, I mean for all.
Back to Mustapha whose poem has really touched me due to the philosophical issue it raises. It is this sweet voice, this human calling to love, to peace and to coexistence that make of your piece tuneful and much appealing. The ears are meeting much comfort and the hearts are really being pacified by the noble message the poet is transferring affectionately and lovingly to his reader. No to Sartre because the Other is I and I is also the other. the latter is my mirror and how well I may happen to see him, I am ctually seeing but myself. Better for me then to borrow the eyes of my dear friend Mustapha because they see with beauty and with purity the Other in an unselfish way (remember the human adage: "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder". Self-abnegation is something required and it is a quality which is as rare as gold today. In a nutshell, the poem is so much powerful in that it contributes to this sort of harmony between the I and the Other.
Thanks so much my dear friend Mustapha for sharing with us this nice and agreeable piece.
Rachid
Sat, 03/21/2009 - 19:24
#34
Hi Maria and Rachid,
I am very happy you responded to my poem. In fact I like to write poems that deal with universal values, because as teachers/educators we are doomed to teach through the WORD. And the effect of the word may sometimes be stronger and more effective than the sWORD ;)
Your reaction to my poem is but an emanation of me...!
Cheers
Sun, 03/22/2009 - 19:18
#35
Hello Mustapha,
The word has a magic power. It was a great pleasure reading your poem. I hope you could continue sharing with us your poetic adventures. Expect more reactions from me because I like reading others and showing my stance vis-a-vis their writings. I will take the initiative again and send you a poem much dear to my heart maybe it can urge some speak. We have a longing for hearing from Graciana, Chris, Maria and Tarik. We hope they are doing well.
Thanks.
Rachid
Sun, 03/22/2009 - 20:40
#36
Hi Rachid, Mostafa, Maria and Everyone
Thanks for your poetic lines :) We are really lucky here to have so many talented teachers. My poetic skills however are limited to the appreciation I can give to your talents. :)
I would also like to invite other forum participants to share your lines with us and also perhaps some activities you use in class to bring poems to the lives and hearts of your students.
Cheers - Chris
Tue, 03/24/2009 - 00:43
#37
Dear Maria, Chris, Mustapha and all,
Maria, I am so much thankful to your noble person for reading between and beyond the lines and for furnishing me with this healthy feedback. You got the gist for sure!
If you give your students the questions before the contest and you tell them what they are required to do in order for others to clap and applaude with alacrity for you, to glorify you and build a thrown in vacuum for you, then you are laughing at your students and at yourself. Maria, I am so impressed by your sweetly-woven heart-touching words. Aren't you a poetess? Tell! It is hightime. We want to read your noble feelings because those students who are cherishing poetry writing (The heart of Nature, Nature's Symphony...etc.) have a good model to blindly follow. You are the model Maria. My advice is to make students write more because writing is like cooking. The more you cook the product, the more delicious it becomes. Again, thanks for interfering in an enlightening way in this forum. We are really having joyous moments talking to you, sharing with you our teaching experiences of poetry. Stay well tuned!
Chris, I am sure you do uphold some poetic talents as well. They may be hidden somewhere in the well. Just dig up if you aspire to reach fresh cool water that can water barren feelings of those hostile to poetry and (re)vivify them. Appreciating others' works, commenting on them and constructively criticizing them point out that you internally possess a spirit of artists, poets and dramatists. This is clearly shown in your postings, all of which have as I said this poetic touch.
Mustapha, I was pondering upon what you said about the tremendous power the word exerts on the listeners. Back through the years when the Sultans and the Califs would throw a bunch of money at all poets praising in a poetic way their attributes amongs the tribesmen. A word which comes from the recesses of one's hearts settles as such in the others hearts. Whereas, a word which comes from the mouth don't trespass the borders of one's ears. Poetry is experience. With no experience, we can't write poetry. The question I would like to ask here in this respect, are teachers allowed to teach their products to students-be these products stories, poems or whatsoever? Please, have a break reading this poem whose heart is dedicated to moderators of our forum, all forums and to CONFERENCE online teamwork that made our encounter that feasible.
Tears and Smiles
Within this aristocratic family
Lived two pert pretty girls
Both girls were very extrovert
The young was named Tears
She was ninteen years old
Often cried with a painy fear
About the throes of war
Her lone incubus and nightmare
By toil,
This innocent blossom would swear
And to all her lovely teachers
She'd strongly endear
Tall and thin as she were
Tears possessed a long black hair
Elegantly brushed in the German fashion w
With much precaution and gentle care
Such cool hair
Was softer than silk
As for her white front teeth
They were hale and hearty like milk
Both her eyes were light brown
On her countenance,
I remember,
There was neither grimace nor frown
On her these stupid school boys would fawn
Save this one in this tawny gown
Honestly and earnestly fetched her
Maundring from city to town
Many girls were jealous of her
By making and dressing up
They believed they'd match her beauty
Reach her dignity and nobility
But what they didn't know
Was that Tears' inner beauty
Was beyond any passing beauty
The older one was named Smiles
Big clothes were her favourite style
Though she was twenty years old
The second blossom was jovial and juvenile
Like a giant star in the Southern Sky
Smiles eyes were radiant and ebullient
Thedy betrayed her inmost purity and integrity
Two traits coming from the way she used to smile
From her being spry, plain and also agile
After the old she looked
With these little urchins of her quarter
She jested and sometimes she joked
Towards all the people lenient and clement
By strong faith rich and opulent
With all these good properties
Not only salient but prominent
Amidst the other blooms
She was certainly the queen
Always cheerful, lighthearted and sheen
As on sowing good was keen
From afar,
Her smile could be seen
So, God endowed her with much esteem
Setting alone in this disarranged room
I thought deeply of their mother
A prolific tree in full bloom
To strip me of my gloom
To be not below but over the moon
Without Tears and Smiles
Know that I'm nothing
A boat flickering amidst the waves
lost in this colossal oceans we call life
Sailing with no compass and no oars
Without Tears and Smiles
The butterfly would feel frail and fragile
And never dare compile these tunes on file.
(Rachid ACIM, Tunes on My Guitar, 2007.)
With much love and care from Morocco,
Rachid
Tue, 03/24/2009 - 02:02
#38
Dear Rachid
Thanks a lot for your kind words and the encouragement, but believe me, I'd rather leave the task of writing poems to you. Thanks for sharing your Tears and Smiles with us.
Cheers - Chris
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 19:36
#39
Hi Rachid!
The heavy flame of your magnificent poem "Tears and Smiles" has certainly illuminated all those gathered here. I have already treasured it, and will be reading it aloud. We all have for sure learnt from your thoughts and well crafted images.
Let me tell you that we will not feel "frail and fragile" like the butterfly... but stronger and more confident instead, thanks to your deep thoughts, lovely images, and all that you have so elegantly pictured here! Tears and Smiles really complement each other and seem to evoke a harmonious family (in my view) who you celebrate so strongly because you recognise their fruitful origins, even feeling grateful to their mother: " ... a prolific tree in full bloom / To strip me of my gloom / To be not below but over the moon".
Well, dear Rachid, you have been extremely generous towards me! I am not a consecrated poet. I would just describe myself as one more poetry-lover and poem-writer for the sake of Life and everything it provides us with. I enjoy writing, and whenever I do it I feel blessed! I promise to post something soon, accepting your kind invitation.
Warm regards,
Maria
Sun, 03/29/2009 - 10:40
#40
Hi Maria,
muito obrigado querida Maria. Você inculcar muita saudade em mim para começar a escrever poesia. Quando o experince não está lá, então, o poema não é lá também. Eu gostei da maneira pela qual você enfrentar e saborear o poema. É necessário defender estas poética talentos, os quais evidenciam claramente em sua mente iluminante e perceptivas.
Maria, I think that you uphold this kind of wit and ability to make the poem speak and thus communicate to you the said and the unsaid, the explicit and the implicit. This is something normal for a witty and awake person like you. Your feedbacks serve as a light touching the poem, the author of the poem and the subjects of the poem.
Of course."Tears and smiles" are but two daughters of one wonderful lady whom I revere and love so much. With poetry, we feel that life is beautiful and that the world is also beautiful, that the fire of separation and the pains of ardent pure love can be easily surmounted only through and thanks to poetry, i means thanks to Tears and to her sister Smiles. All fade away, but what remains in the end is this cry embedded in the poem, that poetic experience this or that poet(ess) endeavours to divulge to the reader. Much love and madness is in poetry. Do you agree?
Hope we could soon read a poem of you, dear Maria!
Rachid
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 09:31
#41
Hi Rachid,
I apologise for this delayed reply.On the 29th I travelled to Prague where one of my dearest sons is living and working. I have currently been following the Online Conference works but not so regularly ...
I was very much honoured with the Portuguese words you addressed me. How did you get that language learning level?... Have you used any e-tools for translation?
Today I am posting some of my lines as you have requested. Please feel free to comment. Your criticism and the poetry lovers' one would be welcome. Many thanks for your attention to exchanging viewpoints and offering the IATEFL community so much interesting "food for brain" !
Warm regards from your Portuguese friend in Prague. (Despite being April Fool's Day, it is true about my stay in the Czech Republic)
*****
From Destruction To Reconstruction
From images of devastation,
deep pain, and sometimes even revolt,
come before our eyes living tokens
of humanitarianism, solidarity, cooperation -
noble life lessons encompassing courage
springing from all those who truly act
with deep respect for Nature
and for the human being dignity.
Children's eyes are sad and distant-looking
as if they were still feeling the unlimited strength
of the giant waves moving!
Brave young people keep projecting their dreams
as though those ones were being offered
to their parents and other beloved ones
who left for good!
Men and women bent in their weary bodies,
desperately wanting to honour past memories,
they keep struggling...
so they can prevent pain from spreading.
Now time has come for union, mission, and pardon,
to continue its course even though harder,
and accept at every moment the unexpected disaster!
December, 2005
*****
Tue, 03/24/2009 - 21:05
#42
Hi poet, Chris, Maria & all,
I am starting to feel this forum is reminding me of the film " Dead Poet Society" in which Robin Williams excelled as a teacher who taught his ss to be real poets. Did you see the film?
Rachid! Chris and I will be muchhappier if you join us in the E-Reading Group Chris has beautifully made into life.
cheerio
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 01:29
#43
Hi Mostafa & All
Brilliant film, isn't it? One of my favourites of all times. One way of exploring the film is to work with the script.
Cheers - Chris
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 20:32
#44
Hi Chris!
I was delighted with this new resource you have suggested to us all.Thank you so much for your interesting idea. With IMSDb (Interactive Movie Script Data base) there's another way of tasting our favourite films, having the chance of appreciating the script, enjoying reading at our personal pace!
Cheers,
Maria
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 11:44
#45
Hi Mustapha and Chris and all,
Thanks for inviting me kindly to join the E-Reading group. I will be much happier to be there with you to know the activities you are conducting. Just please do provide me with link. Nice comparison, Mustapha!
Best wishes,
Rachid
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 19:37
#46
Hi Mostafa,
I really love your poem Words Wouldn´t Tell My Feelings you have already accomplished Keating´s goal: "...the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What would your verse be?"
Pilar
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 20:18
#47
Hi Mostafa!
Thank you for your words of appreciation here at this forum. We have been enjoying your viewpoints.
I would like to tell you I was glad to see you ... as a regular BBC viewer/ "Global Minds" contributor.
Look forward to reading one more poem of yours.
Best wishes,
Maria
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 20:47
#48
Hi all,
Thanks for sharing, Words Wouldn´t Tell my Feelings and Tears and Smiles are mine already . The encounter between and among cultures does take place thanks to you poetry lovers.
Pilar
Sat, 04/04/2009 - 16:34
#49
Hi dear Maria,
Maria-Costa! Yours feedbacks cost so much in this forum. Hope you did well enjoy your travel to Prague and your calling on your lovely son will give him-not you-much motherly love and much warmth. Nothing compares to the lap of the mother, Maria. Our mothers are so dear and near to us because they offer us that which we need, especially in times of depression and exhaustion. Motherly love is to me compatible with divine love and the more love you get from one or from both of these, the more relaxed you are and the more comfortable you feel. Blessed you are. When you write and when you don't write.
The Portuguese words aimed at conveying you those noble feelings you triggered in me while you reacted to last posting as I thought that communication in Portuguese won't make me fail betraying such altruistic human sensations laden with sense of friendship and amicality. To reach this purpose, I drew on an electronic device to have my words rendered FAITHFULLY into Portuguese.
Blessed we are now as we could read what Maria's feelings are like and how her emotional appartus operates. Of course I am going to comment because my conviction is that these comments nurture not only IATEFL community conferencing friendly but also nurtures the heart of the poem. Without feedbacks and without comments, I think the poem does not exist. the comment is the soul / the heart of the poem. It is its breath in other different terms.
Is it Derrida's theory on which you dwelt, Maria or another theory? Never mind. I won't use it in my analysis because I think it won't fit this hearty and lofty poem of yours. I'm not going to deconstruct or destroy the meaning to reconstruct it as Derrida claims. Rather, I will endeavour to dwell on my heart and on my sixth sense as they never fail me.
The picture we have now of the world is that picture of pain and misery and afflictions of all sorts. People voicing message of love and peace and tolerance to make us feel the real life which God ( May He be axalted and extolled!) wants us to live. Those who strive for human dignity are scarce because egocentrism and egoism seem to take over people's souls. Why should children not feel afraid and depressed and the world is witnessing a decline due to Man's loss of all virtues and human tenets he used to cherish. Thus, they left to [honour past memories] mybe this can alleviate the pains. It is hightime for love to speak and to hold a leading responsible role in the globe to help gladden the faces of the masses and changes those grimaces. It is this union or unison which we need because I think, and you may agree with me dear Maria, our essence is one. Our source is one. Yet, life has brought such awful difference into us and has made us suffer the pre-existing stories fostered by Lucipher. Many disasters are going to crop us any time and we need to set ourselves ready to courageously face them. I think the best weapon one can wield now is love and the sweet word. With these two in one's hands, one can live peacefully and get along with one's fellows, families. With the world.
Thanks so much dear Maria for giving us this moment of relief. You did release our souls from the chains of the matter to long for that moment of unity and purity with ourselves and, most importantly, with the world.
Thanks so much Maria.
Rachid.
Tue, 04/07/2009 - 18:39
#50
Hi Rachid!
Now I'm already posting from home where I arrived safe, happy, and grateful to the divine gift I was offered: the chance to visit my youngest son and see him healthy and happy!
We had some sunny days in Prague, which allowed me to discover the most popular venues, from the largest ancient Castle in the world, the Old Royal Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral, other Churches, Theatres, Concert Halls, and many mosts (bridges) across Vltava River.
I am absolutely grateful to you for your extremely generous words! I have immensely appreciated the way you read my simple poem, commenting on such a realistic picture of today's difficult times/hardships, people's selfishness, and pointing out the necessary path towards a more responsible role in the communities in which cooperation is crucial. With regards to this point I entirely agree with your thoughts, your feelings, which were voiced through a wise, knowledgeable way!
It has been a very interesting, enriching talk to you on these threads. Thank you very much indeed, Rachid.
Wishing you, your family & all Colleagues a Happy Easter!
Maria
hi Maria Graciana,
I believe in Literature as The Aproach, any learner group can benefit from the use of representational language.