We are finishing our fifth week of school, which means it is a good time to take a breath and reconsider some of the stuff that has come my way. While I share similar material with students from year to year, there's always something new, whether generated by them or me. Here are three statements that had me wondering over the last month.
"We are gods in ruins"--R.W. Emerson
This is a statement I had not heard before. It came up in a video I showed about Emerson from the YouTube Channel,
"The School of Life." I paused on it in class and asked students to contemplate its meaning. And it has stuck with me since. For Emerson, it had to do with his pantheistic worldview: we all have a "divine spark." However, I think about it in less of a religious sense and more as a metaphor. I think about "god" as a being with the potential to be a powerful creator. Yet, we constantly undermine our potential by not taking creative risks or being honest with who we are and what we believe.
"Kneading Culture as Bread"--Kevin Coval
This line is from Coval's poem about Jane Addams, called "How Down She Be." I used it in class last year. It does a fantastic job illustrating how a poem can shine a light on significant people and events. And it illustrates the way a poet can use a minimum of words to coney layers of meaning. In this case, we understand that through her work with Hull House, Addams nurtured culture for people who typically did not have access to it. The idea of "kneading" is very physical. It is a hands-on approach. This was Jane Addams. At the same time, "kneading" is a
homophone with "needing," which extends the metaphor from a person nurturing culture to the necessity for culture in this area. It is a great example of an artist making the most of language. And I imagine him having fun while doing it.
"The most radical division is that which splits humanity into two classes: those who make great demands on themselves and those who demand nothing special."--Jose Ortega y Gasset
This statement was quoted by a different writer, Louis Beres, in his essay, "The few, the proud, the individuals." Talk about being counter-cultural. I feel like our culture stresses superficiality, finding the easiest ways to get things done, and being a consumer above all else. These have nothing to do with embracing challenges or accepting that struggle is a part of life. When I read these words, I know which "class" I want to belong to. I know which group offers something of value. I know which side will lead me to a more fulfilling life. Perhaps this is one that I need to write on walls and windows and sidewalks. This is one to remember.
As I look back at these statements, I think about what I'll encounter in the coming weeks. I wonder what ideas I have within me and if I will have the courage to share them, to make them known. In the meantime, I will continue to be open. I can at least demand that from myself.
This line is from Coval's poem about Jane Addams, called "How Down She Be." I used it in class last year. It does a fantastic job illustrating how a poem can shine a light on significant people and events. And it illustrates the way a poet can use a minimum of words to coney layers of meaning. In this case, we understand that through her work with Hull House, Addams nurtured culture for people who typically did not have access to it. The idea of "kneading" is very physical. It is a hands-on approach. This was Jane Addams. At the same time, "kneading" is a homophone with "needing," which extends the metaphor from a person nurturing culture to the necessity for culture in this area. It is a great example of an artist making the most of language. And I imagine him having fun while doing it.
