Saturday, April 22, 2006

23rd April is marked for World Book Day. This reminds me of the rich literature we use to learn in earlier schooling days. Today's generation are aware of 'Shakespeare' but ask them to recite a poem or narrate a story - Who's got the time to read! I think, schools should make Literature a compulsory subject.

Well, here's a Shakespeare Poem and I remember too well, Makrant Shukla (Kash movie child artist) use to recite this poem and children just called for a 'Re-repeat' as he always had a flair of reciting so unique with an expression to match what the poet said.

All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms;
Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel And shining morning face,
creeping like snail Unwillingly to school.
And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad,
Made to his mistress' eyebrow.
Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth.
And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lin'd, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part.
The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side, His youthful hose, well sav'd, a world too wide For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble,pipes
And whistles in his sound.
Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion; Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans every thing.



Hmmm...An English Poet and Playwright, Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, a collection of sonnets and variety of Poems. The kids in my class recently did a Literature Project - Aayushi, Shaimi, Aashini, Gucci and Parav. Each selected their own Author Profile:William Wordsworth, Robert Browning, Percy B Shelley, John Keats and Lord Alfred Tennyson. It's an effort to motivate but nevertheless, its creating awareness to jumpstart for an action.


- ilaxi

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