I have an English class at 8 in the morning. This class is soley based on poetry, which i don't really like, but i respect. But today in class we totally salughtered the meaning of this man's poem, and i am left feeling disgusted.
We work in groups a lot, and for some reason 8 people didn't show up, so when we worked in groups today each group had about 8 people and each group had to analyze a poem. We got a poem called "Photograph of my father in his twenty second year". I thought it was an awesome poem, and i had found so much symbolism out of it. But the group destroyed the poem. I mean the came up with this generic universal theme of the things our parents do in the past, are what we will also do. Like our parents partied once so we will also. My mouth was agape.
Here is this wonderful poem about...well read it sometimes it's good, and all they had to say about was that. I mean to say they slaughtered the poem would be an understatemenrt. At first i was the only one throwing idea's out. I had to like start the group off cause we sat there in silence for like 5 minutes staring at each other. So i interjected:
In this moments i hate having to take charge, but i can't sit around and just watch everyone nod off into dream land, so i decide taht someone had to said something though i didn't really want it to be me.
ME: What do you guys think the poem is about
Group:[blank faces, and one drooping head]
Me: So lets look at the poem.
We look at the poem and then stare at it and each other for another awkward 5 minutes.
Me: Does anyone have a thesis statement
Boy:[i assume is he very nice, but he came up with this on the surface thesis statement] maybe it's about how his dad was a partier and he never knew that before and now he sees it.
Group:[seem to clamor to this idea b/c maybe it is the only one anyone provided]
Me: but what about the imagery of lack of courage on the fathers part, the image of yellow, no spine, october.
Boy: Well that can all play in to the idea.
It was sealed right then, the group would just go with this idea. I was so disgusted. This man had written this good poem about preceptions and lost idealism in your parents and all they got out of it was his dad was a partier and the son would be one too.
It's a crime i tell you, to take such good work and in 30 minutes turn it into garbage. I felt so dirty. Like we had spit on the work and meaning that the speaker was trying to convey. I couldn't even look at my group. I was like "can't you see what we just did". "don't you feel as i do, completely mortified."
But of course i said nothing, and moped the rest of the class period. Now we have to present this to the class on thursday, and i'm completely embarassed.
3 comments:
I don't know how to put in english all i want to say, but i can tell you that i would have end up mad too and when i was in high school, that happened a lot and i was like: people, talk !! well...Have a nice day, and i think that when you present your work, you could say what YOU think about the poem =)
small groups are the bane of my life. when/if i am a teacher/professor i will NEVER put my students in small groups to slaughter and misread good works of literature.
who wrote the poem? i'll read it tonight if i can find it online.
the poem is Photograph of my father in his twenty second year by Raymond Carver
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