Friday, October 3, 2014

Joy of Learning

Coursera has opened up my life to so  much, and I must say, I enjoy learning.
I thirst after it, I can lose myself in it
I am doing a course now on Modern Poetry. It is just AMAZING.
I read poetry, I watch discussions on it, I read what poets have to say about other people's poetry, then I answer quizzes, and write essays, and peer mark other essays and read others' responses to my essays, I write my queries to the instructor directly and am honoured to have him respond to me directly....

can you see what is happening? It is a world unto itself, A world I can disappear into and it is not a solitary world - it is a world peopled with folks like me who love poetry and are discussing it and understanding the world differently through our encounter with words.

When I do this - I write and revise my essays, and give peer reviews of others essays, I do it not wanting to do anything else! I don't feel like working, I just feel like doing this.

I read and listen to poems and discussion while breast feeding or while travelling, but the writing and reviewing, I do it at my desk in the office during lunch hour! (maybe eating into office hours too of course)

sigh. I guess I am lucky to be able to know what I love and do what I love

the question I have is though, if that is what I love, what am I doing here at work?

I have always maintained -  my first love is Literature, second love is Teaching and now I am... doing admin work for teaching of literature - its kind a middle ground. I feel perhaps, I am fulfilling some 'calling' in getting the support for lit straightened out. but I must remember, I am not indispensable, I should not make myself indispensable either. I need to leave successors so I can continue with what I love and not get stuck on a middle ground that touches on my loves but doesn't allow me to dive into it.

well, that's it for now. just wanted to record my joy in discovery of poetry. I am now a fan of: Emily Dickinson and William Carlos William. I like Allan Ginsberg, have encountered the works of H.D. and Stein - Stein is hard work I tell you, not quite my cup of tea - a bit too abstract for me. and  my favourite poem so far - Dance Russe - Who is to say I am not the happy genius of my household? ! also love the two line poem about the subway - such an elation I felt when I thought I cracked the poem - the image of petals on a wet bough - pretty colours slick against a dark shiny background, and the apparition of faces - the reflection of many colours on the windows of the subway train - wow - what an image.

I also get the red wheelbarrow and the this is just to say - about plums, finally. I appreciate them now that I am learning about imagism and the imagist manifesto!

There is so much I don't know, that I need to learn!  

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