Poetry and literature (was Re: Eighth Grade Education circa - 1895 - - (long)

[potioncat]

Carol:
> identify the title and author of the poem:
> 
> O WILD West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being	 
>   Thou from whose unseen presence the leaves dead	 
> Are driven like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing,

snip 
	 
> Or an easier one, at least in terms of author and title:
> 
> Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
> Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
> While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
> As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
> " 'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door;
> Only this, and nothing more."


Potioncat:
All I could have told you about the first was that it was a Romance 
Poet. Which I guessed because I remembered you had written about 
Romance poets before.

I knew Poe and the Raven at once.

My school district names most of the middle schools after American 
authors. Poe Middle School has a raven as the mascot. Not sure mascot 
is the best word. There are no sports teams or anyone dressed up. 
Symbol or image might be a better word.

My son goes to Washington Irving Middle School. He's been very 
annoyed that "some mother" was offended by the violent image of the 
Headless Horseman and caused the school to change its mascot. 

I asked if the new mascot was Rip Van Winkle. (Not a good idea in my 
opinion.) It became the rock because there's a large rock on the 
front lawn that is regularly painted by the art class. "Who wants a 
rock for a mascot!" my son complained. So he was very happy to 
announce that the student body president had managed to get the 
school to reverse its policy and to return the Headless Horseman as 
the symbol. I guess Headless had been out for about 4 years.

At Mark Twain Middle School, so my son says, someone complained about 
the "hoboes" who were the image, and had it changed to the panthers 
from the official "travellers."  It makes me think the parents who 
complain must not understand the connection between the image and the 
name. Sad, isn't it?