![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I'm making my seniors read a poem each day in class since it's National Poetry Month. We take the first few minutes of class to read the poem, briefly discuss what it's about, and then to express what we think about it or how it makes us feel.
Today's poem was Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ozymandias." For your edification (and/or enjoyment), find the text of this poem below the cut:
( Look upon my works, ye mighty... )
Of course, I had to explain it to them. I don't mean that I simply had to fill them in on the historical context (Ramses II and all that). NO. I had to tell them that, within the text of the poem, you read that the author meets a traveler who tells him about a broken statue of arrogant expression. And that the traveler reads an inscription that proves very ironic, given the shattered statue and the encroaching barren sands.
As I was explaining these basics to them, they interrupted me no less than twice to tell me they didn't understand. I became vexed and spoke over them, quite loudly, and somewhat caustically. All this before I even got to the historical aspects.
I weep for the future of America.
Meanwhile, in my Film Studies class, we've been watching Casablanca. At least 1.5 students actually got into it. I was so pleased and I didn't mind at all having to stop the movie multiple times to explain quips, plot points, or context to them. They were interested and wanted to understand. That was so refreshing.
Casablanca is one of my favorite movies of all time. It comes from an era when movie-makers didn't assume their audiences were stupid or possessed of 2-minute attention spans. I love the clever wordplay, the characters, and... yeah, it's just awesome.
I am clearly too tired, yet I said I would finish watching Van Wilder with my brothers. Obviously this is a far cry from the film I was just describing, but it's still amusing. Ryan Reynolds cracks me up.
P.S. For an awesome post on the myth of the medieval knight, please see this post on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sirandrew's journal!
Today's poem was Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ozymandias." For your edification (and/or enjoyment), find the text of this poem below the cut:
( Look upon my works, ye mighty... )
Of course, I had to explain it to them. I don't mean that I simply had to fill them in on the historical context (Ramses II and all that). NO. I had to tell them that, within the text of the poem, you read that the author meets a traveler who tells him about a broken statue of arrogant expression. And that the traveler reads an inscription that proves very ironic, given the shattered statue and the encroaching barren sands.
As I was explaining these basics to them, they interrupted me no less than twice to tell me they didn't understand. I became vexed and spoke over them, quite loudly, and somewhat caustically. All this before I even got to the historical aspects.
I weep for the future of America.
Meanwhile, in my Film Studies class, we've been watching Casablanca. At least 1.5 students actually got into it. I was so pleased and I didn't mind at all having to stop the movie multiple times to explain quips, plot points, or context to them. They were interested and wanted to understand. That was so refreshing.
Casablanca is one of my favorite movies of all time. It comes from an era when movie-makers didn't assume their audiences were stupid or possessed of 2-minute attention spans. I love the clever wordplay, the characters, and... yeah, it's just awesome.
I am clearly too tired, yet I said I would finish watching Van Wilder with my brothers. Obviously this is a far cry from the film I was just describing, but it's still amusing. Ryan Reynolds cracks me up.
P.S. For an awesome post on the myth of the medieval knight, please see this post on
sirandrew's journal!