In 1970/71 I had one of my many conversation with my senior English teacher, Mr. John Herrmann. My point this time was that Bob Dylan deserved to be ranked among the poets we read, such as Shakespeare and Whitman.
There are teachers who talk to you only to get their point across, and those who actually listen. Mr. Herrmann was the latter kind. "I know you want him to be a poet, Art, but..." He had heard me speak, and then he replied, explaining about rhyme,meter, and the like.
In my preface to Places and Times, I pay tribute to this teacher because he turned me loose int he library and actually had me in the classroom around a third of the time. That year turned me away from politics and law school hopes, and inspired me with literature and writing.
When I saw the news about Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize for Literature, I thought of my teacher. Tonight I will post a link, and in subsequent posts, share what I think are some of Dylan's most poetic lines.
And I only hope that years later, one of my students will think so fondly of me.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/books/bob-dylan-on-the-page-poetry-and-prose-to-match-any-american-writer.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
P.S.- The blog has averaged around 180 hits a day! Thanks, everyone!
There are teachers who talk to you only to get their point across, and those who actually listen. Mr. Herrmann was the latter kind. "I know you want him to be a poet, Art, but..." He had heard me speak, and then he replied, explaining about rhyme,meter, and the like.
In my preface to Places and Times, I pay tribute to this teacher because he turned me loose int he library and actually had me in the classroom around a third of the time. That year turned me away from politics and law school hopes, and inspired me with literature and writing.
When I saw the news about Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize for Literature, I thought of my teacher. Tonight I will post a link, and in subsequent posts, share what I think are some of Dylan's most poetic lines.
And I only hope that years later, one of my students will think so fondly of me.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/books/bob-dylan-on-the-page-poetry-and-prose-to-match-any-american-writer.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
P.S.- The blog has averaged around 180 hits a day! Thanks, everyone!
No comments:
Post a Comment