Do you remember any poems from your school days?

@Fleura Natural science subjects have certainly changed over the years and pupils have to learn more in physics, chemistry and biology. Computers entered our lives during the last years of my teaching career. Pupils believed everything they found on computers and sometimes doubted that the teacher was right. Yet, a computer can't think. For example, languages can't be translated correctly by a computer. It can only offer words but doesn't know if they're correct in a certain context. At the moment I can't think of an English example. Let's take the German word 'Schloss'. You'll find two translations in a dictionary, namely 'castle' and 'lock'. If you don't already have a solid knowledge of the language, you may write, "The king put the key into the castle and entered the lock" to give you a silly example. I used it for my pupils because some tried to argue with me. Who was I to tell them that what the computer offered was not correct?! I had to hammer the idea of 'context' into their brains.

Do you think they learn more? It seems to me they learn less because with a phone in their pocket they can just look up everything they need to know - at least until there's a major power outage or some sort of cyber attack!

I think you're right. There is only so much the brain can retain.

@JudyEv I also had some poems in French and others in English and those were mainly Shakespeare.

I'm pretty sure Hiawatha was another one that Mum learnt. That was long too.

@LadyDuck I think every English student got saddled with some Shakespeare. We studied Macbeth in high school.

She loved poetry and often recited it while trying to go to sleep.

@JudyEv sweet!

Yes, that is the boab tree. the older ones are bigger and fatter. This one was once used as an overnight jail.

@JudyEv woahhh!

Some things stay in our mind, don't they?

Those were the same ones my Dad (and my Mum) learned! Also 'The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck' I remember!

Good for you.

@Fleura I don't really remember Mum mentioning this one.

@JudyEv Because all of them are in our native language.

That's interesting that you remember the poems.

@Sreekala I'm sure that would make a difference.

@JudyEv my dad started me on poetry at age 8 and then I wrote short verses in both English and Latvian, I write poetry and post online, I read poetry, and I have two books of poems published on Amazon.

@RasmaSandra That's great that you have two books published. My friend finds it easy to write poems but me not so much.

And you and your father wrote poetry too, didn't you? Do you ever read poetry now?

@JudyEv Some of the best poesy has been written on the grape I’m told.

@xFiacre I'll try to remember that next time I'm having a wee sip. Maybe I'll put pen to paper and write a mistresspiece.

@JudyEv So what exactly was that?

@Fleura Art of Speech? Rounded vowels, the King's English, pronouncing stuff correctly, not leaving off ends of words - I'm not sure what else as I didn't go to the convent - except for piano lessons.

The convent school taught 'Art of Speech' but I don't remember it ever being an item in our eisteddfods.

@JudyEv All things bright and beautiful All creatures great and small

Oh, that's an old one. I know that well.

They'll come back to you in the middle of the night.

@RubyHawk I remember reading that at some stage. I'm not sure Fiacre didn't quote from it recently.

@JudyEv Probably I’ll think of half a dozen by tomorrow. In fact now I remember The Raven by Edgar Alan Poe

Did you enjoy poetry? Do you ever read poems now? A B (Banjo) Paterson wrote poems about outback Australia and some bits of those I remember.

@JudyEv I have read a lot of poetry and still enjoy it when I take the time. I will look that name up. Thanks.

@CarolDM I think every Australian knows, or has heard of The Man from Snowy River. It became a film too.

Old people seem to remember things from the childhood and youth but the later events get forgotten sometimes. I can imagine your grandmother had some very interesting tales.

@JudyEv Yeah maybe because I like history so anything about past stories I'm very interested to know.

@JudyEv Probably not unless one might be majoring in English Lit

I don't think poems are taught so much any more.

@JudyEv They were some nursery rhymes.Cant remember the end parts.

That sounds like something you'd write in an autograph book.

@JudyEv That would help. I never really got it

I guess because my mother loved poetry so much she found it easier to remember..

@JudyEv

I guess if you loved the subject and/or the subject matter, you might be more inclined to remember it.

@JudyEv We had actions for the words.

I remember doing exercise-type stuff and folk-dancing to those.

Was French a national language there?

@JudyEv no.