My fascination to “The Village Schoolmaster”

Art has something that transcends logic as I know it. As I grew up, few poetries have stuck with me without me realising it. I wasn’t a good student and found my literature teachers intolerable. However, I did manage to read a bit of poetry in English and Tamil, two languages which I understand.

As I reflect on my fascinations, interests, admirations, I am intrigued by how these relate to Oliver Goldsmith’s village schoolmaster. Here is the poem for people who don’t know or want to enjoy the lyrical beauty. I will then write about lines which meant a lot to me.

”
Beside yon straggling fence that skirts the way
With blossom’d furze unprofitably gay,
There, in his noisy mansion, skill’d to rule,
The village master taught his little school;
A man severe he was, and stern to view,
I knew him well, and every truant knew;
Well had the boding tremblers learn’d to trace
The days disasters in his morning face;
Full well they laugh’d with counterfeited glee,
At all his jokes, for many a joke had he:
Full well the busy whisper, circling round,
Convey’d the dismal tidings when he frown’d:
Yet he was kind; or if severe in aught,
The love he bore to learning was in fault.
The village all declar’d how much he knew;
‘Twas certain he could write, and cipher too:
Lands he could measure, terms and tides presage,
And e’en the story ran that he could gauge.
In arguing too, the parson own’d his skill,
For e’en though vanquish’d he could argue still;
While words of learned length and thund’ring sound
Amazed the gazing rustics rang’d around;
And still they gaz’d and still the wonder grew,
That one small head could carry all he knew.
But past is all his fame. The very spot
Where many a time he triumph’d is forgot.
“

Admiration for comedy

Comedy is a natural healer, an involuntary reaction and something which pushes boundaries. Comedy requires some special skills where you have to think deeply about an incident, exaggerate it to the right proportion and deliver it well to the audience. It is hard to be a dumb comedian especially if you writing your own scripts.

Love for learning

Life is a losing struggle from the time we were born. This is true for species to the stars. If I am going to lose everything that I get, I would rather gain happiness through knowledge than economic wealth. The truth is always deeper and more fascinating than what is apparent to our senses.

Arguing for life

Every new discovery requires our DNAs to reprogram. It isn’t easy. The best way to learn is by winning the war of ideas. The war of ideas is won by winning smaller battles like debates. Debates are inherently interesting and challenging.

Fascinated by people with knowledge

I can’t emphasise more on my fascination towards people with knowledge of multiple subjects. The people I admire, my father, Christopher Hitchens, Karl Marx, Professor Steven Hawking, Noam Chomsky and list goes on, were all people with knowledge on diverse subjects, with the ability to connect them and articulate a well thought out point.

In conclusion, art transcends generations and pushes boundaries. As I see growing intolerance towards art, communities taking offence and curtailing their free spirit, I wonder if we will slowly limit the pervasiveness of this wonderful subject. That is exactly why it is important to fight for liberty and freedom.