There was a series of events in my highschool days that I still remember fondly.
One year we were doing german poets in our literature class and Rilke‘s poem about a panther was the subject of discussion. We were supposed to analyse the poem by a certain key: motives, themes, … And then come to the conclusion, that it was an analogy for man imprisonment in an industrial world. A schoolmate of mine argued instead that the poet could just as much have made a visit to the local zoo and described an inhabitant of the cages. The teacher said that was silly and argued 15 minutes with us about the right interpretation, and at the end settled it with a veiled threat, that this will not fly on a test. Good; matter settled. A year latter our german teacher took that same poem, this time in its original. We read it and she asked what it meant. Another of my classmates learned the previous lesson well and regurgitated the correct answer. „Ok.“ the teacher said. „Does anyone have a different interpretation?“ „But teacher that is the correct interpretation.“ And the teacher went into a rant: „What do you mean the correct interpretation! Have you asked the poet?! Why couldn‘t he have visited a zoo and described one of the inhabitants there?!“ What proceeded was a two lesson break from the program, that included disscussion on literature and its interpretation. :-) I do not think I give enough credit to my teacher for doing that.
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2023-09-24 07:13 am (UTC)One year we were doing german poets in our literature class and Rilke‘s poem about a panther was the subject of discussion. We were supposed to analyse the poem by a certain key: motives, themes, …
And then come to the conclusion, that it was an analogy for man imprisonment in an industrial world. A schoolmate of mine argued instead that the poet could just as much have made a visit to the local zoo and described an inhabitant of the cages.
The teacher said that was silly and argued 15 minutes with us about the right interpretation, and at the end settled it with a veiled threat, that this will not fly on a test.
Good; matter settled.
A year latter our german teacher took that same poem, this time in its original. We read it and she asked what it meant. Another of my classmates learned the previous lesson well and regurgitated the correct answer.
„Ok.“ the teacher said. „Does anyone have a different interpretation?“
„But teacher that is the correct interpretation.“
And the teacher went into a rant: „What do you mean the correct interpretation! Have you asked the poet?! Why couldn‘t he have visited a zoo and described one of the inhabitants there?!“
What proceeded was a two lesson break from the program, that included disscussion on literature and its interpretation. :-)
I do not think I give enough credit to my teacher for doing that.
Mood: fondly nostalgic
V