With students of Carmel Margaret, are you grieving / Over Goldengrove unleaving…? It was one of my first days in the eleventh class of Carmel Public School in Kerala, the last school of my teaching career. One girl, whose name was not Margaret, was in the class looking extremely melancholy. I had noticed her for a few days. I didn’t know how to put the matter over to her. I had already told the students that a smiling face was a rule in the English class. Since Margaret didn’t comply, I chose to drag Hopkins in. I replaced the name of Margaret with the girl’s actual name, however, when I quoted the lines. Margaret is a little girl in the Hopkins poem. Looking at autumn’s falling leaves, Margaret is saddened by the fact of life’s inevitable degeneration. The leaves have to turn yellow and eventually fall. And decay. The poet tells her that she has no choice but accept certain inevitabilities of life. Sorrow is our legacy, Margaret , I said to Margaret’s alter ego in my class. Let
Wow..That is so intense and I really have no words..It teaches so many things in this 3 simple sentence..hats off to you Sir.. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Harsha. You give me some kind of a reassurance.
DeleteTouche!
ReplyDeleteTouch, let me say!
DeleteYou better ask the teacher to send that student to me, i promise he will spend rest of his lyf in bending position.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha
DeleteFunny and sad.
ReplyDeleteTeaching has become a ridiculous profession, Sid.
DeleteIts the devoted nature of a human which makes him/her a teacher. Now a days ask students want to become an engineer , doctor, CA and what not but teacher. And unfortunately these fellows blame teachers !
ReplyDeleteThe system is responsible for it to a large extent. Students are given too much liberty and too many rights without making them aware of their responsibilities and duties. Teachers do more work nowadays than students!
DeleteSo precise and intense ! the actual scenario :-(
ReplyDeleteYes, it is actual! But i must not forget that there are many, many wonderful students too as a consolation for the teacher.
DeleteOh that was a lump in d throat tale....excellent writing there
ReplyDeleteSociety makes th tales, Ritesh.
DeleteWhat to say about today's students! And now I am sounding like a very very old lady :D
ReplyDelete