Not sad so much as a tribute to the quality of instruction and, yes, the quality of the listener. In fact I've taught Wyatt a couple of times to freshmen at this community college where I sit now, and I discovered I have a high tolerance for misreading (you'd be amazed at what 19 year olds can do with and to "They Flee From Me.") Harold Bloom might love me, but don't tell me if he would. In fact Wyatt I rather liked, but Surrey I remember as a blank. This is unquestionably unfair.
The hard part of any of the English "classics" is getting the kids to hear the language. I had this same issue with Browning.
I've not had occasion to watch a Shakespeare play in years. My favorite was and remains a BBC production of Titus Andronicus that was so graphic it was stomach-turning. What else would you do with Titus, after all?
ken
----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas Barbour" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 10:47:47 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: 'Day' a new work by Kent Johnson
Geez, that's so sad, Ken.
I admit that I did read The Fairie Queene (for a grad course, yes, & I
chose it), & actually enjoyed some of it, although I haven't read it
again. But to have lost Wyatt!? Im very glad that didnt happen to me,
& I 'taught' his poems with great delight (whether or not the students
felt it, I admit).
Are you able, at least, to watch Shakespeare's other plays? That's
what theyre meant for, after all...
Doug
On 28-Sep-09, at 11:52 AM, Kenneth Wolman wrote:
> I had to read all of Shakespeare's plays, esp. the Histories. Since
> 1976 I have read one play again: King Lear . I want to learn about
> growing old from someone besides my endocrinologist. I learned via
> total immersion to despise Shakespeare because I HAD to read him.
> The same way the entirety of the English so-called Renaissance from
> WyattandSurrey (isn't that one name?) through 1642 long ago lost its
> appeal. Spend a semester studying one freaking book of The Faerie
> Queene: I double-dare you.
Douglas Barbour
[log in to unmask]
http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/
Latest books:
Continuations (with Sheila E Murphy)
http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=664
Wednesdays'
http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-from-aboveground-press_10.html
Take away my wisdom and my categories!
Phyllis Webb
|