{"id":3355,"date":"2012-04-08T17:51:56","date_gmt":"2012-04-08T21:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/beginnersheart\/?p=3355"},"modified":"2012-04-08T17:51:56","modified_gmt":"2012-04-08T21:51:56","slug":"frost-ambiguity-grading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/2012\/04\/frost-ambiguity-grading.html","title":{"rendered":"Frost, ambiguity, & grading ~"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I like Robert Frost. He’s not in vogue w\/ much of the ‘Academy,’ those members of the ruling university class who decide which books\/ writers\/ thinkers\/ ideas are in or out these days. Right now, Frost isn’t ‘in.’<\/p>\n

I think it’s because he’s misunderstood. And popular — the Academy doesn’t care much for popularity. But most people who like Frost haven’t read much of his work. They know 2, possibly 3 poems: Stopping by Woods<\/em><\/a>, The Road Not Taken<\/em><\/a>, and maybe Fire and Ice<\/em><\/a>. I have the dubious distinction of having read all Frost’s work, including his work on writing poetry. And let me tell you — that man is DARK. Poet of the American daydream he is not.<\/em><\/p>\n

So I loved finding the poem of the day (from the Writer’s Almanac) was one titled ‘Robert Frost,’ by George Bilgere. It has far less to do w\/ Frost than it does w\/ my other passion, teaching.\u00a0 And of course it reminds me of some Buddhist something — in this case, \"\"<\/a>it reminds me that everything passes. Frost, grading, but especially the weekend. During which I should have graded (instead of it all looming over me still!), but instead managed to have a perfectly in-the-moment two days.<\/p>\n

I’m not repentant. Not to mention I got the following poem out of it, for National Poetry Writing Month:<\/p>\n

Dear George Bilgere[1]<\/a> ~<\/p>\n

and is there an accent grave over the first \u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n

George? Shouldn\u2019t poets bear names<\/em><\/p>\n

that channel craft & music\u2026?<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You\u2019re looking for insight, George ~<\/p>\n

I\u2019m seeking music. I\u2019m hungering<\/p>\n

for something there is that doesn\u2019t like<\/p>\n

a grade<\/p>\n

something that resists articulation.<\/p>\n

The evocation of a darkness in delight<\/p>\n

of roads that end in empty swings<\/p>\n

or doors that open only into absence.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m grading too, George. And I wish<\/p>\n

that we were reading Frost.<\/p>\n

That ambiguity<\/p>\n

and language rustled impatiently<\/p>\n

on the dented surface of my desk.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I wish just once that even echoes<\/p>\n

of the darkness shimmering beneath his lyrics<\/p>\n

filled the silence of my study.<\/p>\n

Instead, the asthmatic wheezing<\/p>\n

of a dog whose days brim with dreams<\/p>\n

of material poetry<\/p>\n

the fragrance of smoke<\/em><\/p>\n

the bob & weave of nestlings<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the scuttle<\/em><\/p>\n

of possible lives<\/em><\/p>\n

spirals from the floor beneath my feet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

No evaluation is occurring, George.<\/p>\n

Assessment still clouds the horizon.<\/p>\n

Sunday<\/p>\n

and the weekend curls behind me<\/p>\n

like the ribbon of a road trip<\/p>\n

almost finished\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kerouac not Frost<\/p>\n

While folders bloom like spring within<\/p>\n

the confines of my backpack<\/p>\n

and ambiguity<\/p>\n

feathers across paper like smeared ink.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

[1]<\/a> http:\/\/www.elabs7.com\/functions\/message_view.html?mid=1458247&mlid=499&siteid=20130&uid=981519c183<\/a> \u2018Robert Frost,\u2019 by George Bilgere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I like Robert Frost. He’s not in vogue w\/ much of the ‘Academy,’ those members of the ruling university class who decide which books\/ writers\/ thinkers\/ ideas are in or out these days. Right now, Frost isn’t ‘in.’ I think it’s because he’s misunderstood. And popular — the Academy doesn’t care much for popularity. But…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":398,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[216,319,22,43],"tags":[11,1181,1187,262,322,318,1263,321,1197],"class_list":["post-3355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-learning","category-poetry","category-teaching","tag-beginners-heart","tag-britton-gildersleeve","tag-buddhism","tag-buddhist-blogs","tag-george-bilgere","tag-national-poetry-month","tag-national-poetry-writing-month","tag-robert-frost","tag-teaching"],"yoast_head":"\nFrost, ambiguity, & grading ~ - Beginner's Heart<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I like Robert Frost. 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