A TEACHER
Just a few lines of poetic prose.
About a teacher nobody knows.
Many pupils meet him in the course of a day.
Each interacts briefly then goes away.
Seldom stopping to know him.
Helping out others is his main aim in life.
Assisting, where possible, to alleviate strife.
Reaching out a hand to those in great need.
Raising their standard is his oft-stated creed.
Yet still they don’t trust him.
Some students resist his efforts to aid.
Alone they believe they can still make the grade.
Various ways they devise but just make things worse.
Ignorance and independence – both are a curse.
Left to themselves they might just get it right.
Learning at last – but , Oh! what a fight.
Easier if they’d accept him.
Author notes
Written at the end of a hard day at the chalkface.
Written June 3rd, 2005
In a list
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I love the ways you rhym your poetry. it's really cool! i liked this. very very good write!
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Thanks again for reading. Now you know my name AND my nom de plume.
Jim
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As you will have seen this was a very personal piece. Thank you for reading and writing.
Alas I am no longer in the teaching profession unfortunately.
Jim -
Above Professionalism
Hi! Jim'
You have the rhythm
Smoothly, there it goes with cadance
It seems you don't search for the words
They are right there on your papers
So Professional
You are something else
I have no word to say
So precious to find you here
Amazing!
Take care!
Edited on Sep 28, 7:39 because ''. -
Thanks for taking the time to respond in rhyme.
Jim -
Dear rhyme master,
You sure pass muster,
I like your style,
Full of simple guile. -
Hi, Ellis,
Thanks for reading and writing. I must confess I am now an ex-teacher. I can no longer stand the stress and am looking for other work.
Jim -
Outstanding
Teachers here in the U.S. are overworked and VERY underpaid. --Ellis -
Well, I wasn't exactly talking about the tense, it's more the word choice, the word "meet" vs maybe "encounter" or something similar. It would have an impact on the rhytm to change it though.
I think I just have my own meaning attached to "meet" and in reality it has a broader meaning than that.
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Hi S.W.
Now you know who I am
The tense is acceptable because I am still active and therefore they still meet me. If I changed that part then -goes away- would become -went away- and so on...
Maybe when I retire I'll change it but I'm lazy so I'll probably not bother. Especially as it will soon (I hope) be published.
Anyway you are the first to check out that point. You're language skills can't be that bad can they?
Jim S
Edited on Jan 02, 7:52 because ''. -
I really like acrostics and you handle this really well.
I just have one question, in one line you say: "Many pupils meet him in the course of a day."
My first language is not English, but as far as I understand it, "meet" is more generally used for the first time you see/interact with someone.
I think this is why it sounds really funny/strange to me to use it here.
Is there an alternative that could be used?
And also is this gramatically correct? (I'm questioning my own knowledge here as well as yours I guess, but most ly because I am not certain) -
Thanks for reading and writing.
I like the challenge of an acrostic but don't often get them right.
Jim S -
omg this is soooooooooooo awsome! i love how you used the acrostics way and also how you used the couplets in them. the last line of each stanza (name) ends with the same word "him" and that is really neat how you worked it in. great job!
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well being on the otherside i have sympathy, i know how much greif we teenagers give teachers. i have slowly got to know my french teacher as a person and not the troll she is percieved as and i'm glad shes can be lovely, when you hand your course work in on time. but i bet you've really touched someone who will remember you forever as a great teacher. thanks for commenting on my poem!
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I feel sorry for you Jim.
Teaching must be a thankless task.
I LOATHED school, and dropped out just after starting A-Level.
John Milton finished me off. I chose English, French and Geography, and 2 hours of Paradise Lost, books 4 and 9 were enough to put me off education for life.
I believe we should go to school in later life.
I'm now fascinated with many subjects (particularly History) whereas I had little or NO interest at school age.
Having said all that, teaching was droll in the fifties and sixties.
EG For History at O-Level (from 11-15), we studied the period from the French revolution up to the time of the Industrial revolution.
What about EGYPT, the Mosopotamians, the Aztecs etc?
I knew NOTHING of them until I started to take an interest recently after a trip to Egypt.
Any road up, sorry for waffling.
VERY good poem, I'm adding you to my FAVS.
R. -
Though I am not a teacher, I have empathy and respect for every man and woman who has not only the patience but the courage to take on a career that makes educating my children a priority in their lives. I've alays been one that attracts kids (I think it's becuase I'm a sucker) and it doesn't take long before I am frayed and worn out and just want to hide under a big rock somewhere far away from them. Oh, I love my kids yes... but to take on a class full of everyone elses kids... I'd snap before a month was through!
As for myself as a kid, I was one of the attentive kids, I paid attention and stayed alert but did not ask questions. If I had a question I sought answers on my own, which I can now contribute much of what I know as accidental learning
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An excellent Acrostic poem.
Best wishes and
s... ~genielassie~
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