Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson

As a callow college student long ago, I served my time in Mrs. Robinson's English literature class. I despised Mrs. Robinson for reasons that had nothing to do with literature, but at long last I can admit that the professor had a real passion for her subject and she did her best to pass that passion along to her students.

 She was particularly passionate about early English literature. She introduced us to Piers Plowman and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. She tried innovative ways of getting us involved in literature. When it came time to study Shakespeare, she had us list the plants that were mentioned by the bard in his works and then we planted a "Shakespeare garden" on the grounds of the college.

 She was also a great believer in memorization of poetry. And so, when we got to Chaucer, she had us memorize the prologue to The Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English. Each of us then had to recite the prologue before our classmates in our best ME accent. I memorized it so thoroughly that even now, when I can't always remember what I had for breakfast yesterday or why I walked into this room, I can still recite that prologue.

 So as April begins, here's to you, Mrs. Robinson, and thank you for giving me Chaucer. 

Comments

  1. Judy KruegerApril 1, 2016 at 12:39 PM

    I love this! I had a really mean, ex-Marine sargeant math teacher in what was called junior high in those days. He liked to pick on girls particularly. But he got me through pre-algebra-probably spite on my part because I was not going to let him win-and I became quite good at math. Unlike you I have blocked out his name. Now that I am reviewing the Shakespeare retellings that are coming out, I have a new appreciation for teachers who tried to let me in on the goodness of the bard. The Shakespeare Garden! What a great idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersApril 1, 2016 at 2:34 PM

      Sometimes the teachers who have an impact on us are not necessarily exemplary citizens, and yet we can still appreciate the gift they gave us and maybe forgive them in retrospect for some of the things that we found deplorable at the time.

      Delete
  2. CarmenApril 1, 2016 at 1:01 PM

    What a great tribute to Mrs. Robinson! The teaching world is full of them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersApril 1, 2016 at 2:35 PM

      Yes, the teaching world is full of flawed human beings who have a passion for their subject and try to pass it on. Thank goodness for them.

      Delete
  3. Pam's English GardenApril 1, 2016 at 7:23 PM

    You said it all, Dorothy, in that last comment. As a former (flawed) teacher I hope someone believes I made a difference. Excellent posting. P. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersApril 1, 2016 at 10:28 PM

      Well, we are all flawed. As some wise person once said, without my flaws there would be no me!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...
Read more

The Investigator by John Sandford: A review

Image
  I have read a few of John Sandford's books in the Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport. This book is a literal offspring of that series. It's the first in a series featuring Davenport's adopted daughter Letty Davenport. Letty is in her mid-20s and a graduate of Stanford. She works for a U.S. senator named Christopher Colles in a desk job but she's bored with her assignments. Then the senator offers her a chance to go into the field as a liaison between his office and the Department of Homeland Security.  In her first assignment in that position, she is sent to Texas along with DHS investigator John Kaiser to try to find out what is happening in regard to thefts of crude oil. The senator is not so concerned about the lost oil but wants to know where the money from its sale is going. Who is selling the oil and what they are doing with the profits? The suspicion is that a particularly nasty militia group led by a woman is involved. Letty and Kaiser head out to Texas, de...
Read more

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try. ...
Read more