| Popis: |
Why do we not teach more poetry to our students of modern foreign languages? And when we do, why do we select so often a type of poem calculated to turn the taste of all but the most determined away from it forever? I speak feelingly, because when I first tried to dip into the field of French poetry, I was given Lamartine's Le Lac, Hugo's Waterloo, and other long descriptive poems of the Romantic School. Anyone with a good memory can easily continue the list and know almost to a poem what I tried to read. I remember feeling vaguely the grandeur of Moise, and being frankly bored by Lamartine, an impression which has stayed with me to this day and remains a subor semi-conscious obstacle to my rendering due honor to the Great Romantics. Why is there always a passage of poetry of the dullest and heaviest variety in the Cp4 section of the College Board French examination? Does this indicate, as it seems to, that poetry is set as a last hurdle to be leaped before entering the promised land? And does it mean, as the samples appear to show, that only stately verse of the grandiose style is ever touched on? This is apparently chosen to show how difficult French can be. In case the student has attained some proficiency in prose, we say, "Wait, do not deceive yourself; there is another awful branch of French to be mastered-poetry. It is difficult and dull, but it is the test of your accomplishments." Then there is another extreme attitude, that of super simplification, represented by Osgood's book, Poesies Choisies pour la Jeunesse. The jeunesse would have to be very young indeed not to be turned away from French poetry with the impression that it consists largely of childish jingles and patriotic verses. And yet the editor is a secondary school teacher and according to the preface evidently intends the book for the High School age. A third treatment of French poetry that I have observed is utter silence. As this attitude is not represented by any texts, I can not criticise it in detail. Is there no other attitude possible but one of these three? Are there only jingles or Alexandrines to choose from? And is it fair to the student or to the language to give him well chosen plays and stories, and blind him completely to one of the oldest forms of |
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