[lit-ideas] Re: Sunday Poem
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:22:02 -0700
a history of examinations
what an extraordinary subject for a dissertation
yes i see what you say about the mandarins of the british civil service
and the parallel with the chinese
a bit sclerotic all of us
what
but their tests worked
and our o and a levels were interested in merit
deep knowledge of the subject
napoleon maker or breaker of the french revolutions
would show how a fellow thinks
connects dots
very useful when you're about to send a chap out
with no resources but his wits
to the ends of the earth
and lawyers in loincloths spinning
and going on strike
what put you onto this exactly
your daughter taking the baccalaureate and
having to write out things they call lines of inquiry
like agatha christy's miss marple presumably
sounds quite mysterious
can't see too much wrong with that
forbidden to use library sources or do research
'strawdin'ry
must show how historians are guilty of presentism
ajp taylor would have a thing or two to say about that
or carr
or anyone at past and present
why do they think it was called past and bloody present
very systematic those americans
but peculiarly interested in form
the mla and the chicago manual of style and all that
reminds one of the french
and their obsession with whadyacallit dramatic unities
oh and beefburgers
and henry ford
i wish you luck
will it be published d'ya think
may the next empire last longer than ours is what i say
churchill
bloody marvelous fellow
but totally wrong about india
i did like it when they gave him the order of the bath
shows whoever chose the gong
had a bloody good sense of humour
can't examine for that can you
no one ever gets top marks in being witty
David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon
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