Wipe the Slate Clean

By luigi_pagano

Thu, 02 Apr 2020
  • 915 reads
4 comments
 
Oxford University's Classics department is talking about removing Homer and Virgil from its compulsory syllabus.
 
I grew up with the works of a poet who was blind,
the bard of epics about Odysseus and Troy,
whose wonderful adventures fascinated my mind.
They are classic verses that everyone will enjoy.
 
But now Oxford Uni are talking of removing
Virgil and Homer from the requisite syllabus
despite students and academics disapproving
with remonstrations that are strong and vociferous.
 
The feelings of poetry admirers are bitter
and they are expressed forcefully in the media.
These reactions are mostly prevalent on Twitter;
objections could fill up an encyclopedia.
 
Those two are outstandingly skilful versifiers;
it would be a disgrace to accept their removal.
Some aficionados thought to ask the town crier
to inform all and sundry of their disapproval.
 
 
© Luigi Pagano 2020
Certificate U
Poem
Mutevoli pensieri
Rant

Comments

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Don't worry soon you'll know everything about freedom and women emanciation and racism and freedom fighting humanism and all free struggle hero politics politics and discrimination opppression and all the junk in the book and kinds of sin and wickedness and Archie comics and Spooky. We don't need no education.

Give us the lowdown give us dirt!

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Thanks Tom.

Best, Luigi

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Neat versifying, Luigi!

If you are having a study of Latin and Greek and their classics, you need to include the main authors of the period, don't you? Rhiannon

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Indeed one would, Rhiannon.
I am at a loss to understand why such a respected university should consider such a crass proposition unless -anything is possible - it was an April Fool. The article seemed genuine enough. Here is the link:
https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2020/02/28/proposed-classics-syllabus-chan...

Luigi x