Why Isn't Milton or Chaucer Taught in Schools Nowadays?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We read a lot of Chaucer and Shakespeare in my high school and inevitably only like 3 people in the class actually read the works and everyone else just did Cliffs notes. Maybe teachers pick more modern work to try and avoid this?

Are you in high school now? Not too many adults will say "only like" and "invariably" instead of "inevitably" but regardless, I understand your point. A solid mixture of contemporary and past authors would certainly help improve writing skills and possibly show a correlation between the new and old writers of yesteryear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Dumbing Down of America has been going on since WWII. Go figure.

Yes, indeed!

[Anonymous]

Are you in high school now? Not too many adults will say "only like" and "invariably" instead of "inevitably" but regardless, I understand your point. A solid mixture of contemporary and past authors would certainly help improve writing skills and possibly show a correlation between the new and old writers of yesteryear.

I don't know that this is fair, I think plenty of adults under 40 speak like this. Including my cousin, who even though he is a professional engineer, married with a kid, living the midwest still thinks he's a surfer bro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Are you in high school now? Not too many adults will say "only like" and "invariably" instead of "inevitably" but regardless, I understand your point. A solid mixture of contemporary and past authors would certainly help improve writing skills and possibly show a correlation between the new and old writers of yesteryear.

I don't know that this is fair, I think plenty of adults under 40 speak like this. Including my cousin, who even though he is a professional engineer, married with a kid, living the midwest still thinks he's a surfer bro.

Heck, I'm 45 and and editor, and I've been known to speak like that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We read a lot of Chaucer and Shakespeare in my high school and inevitably only like 3 people in the class actually read the works and everyone else just did Cliffs notes. Maybe teachers pick more modern work to try and avoid this?

Are you in high school now? Not too many adults will say "only like" and "invariably" instead of "inevitably" but regardless, I understand your point. A solid mixture of contemporary and past authors would certainly help improve writing skills and possibly show a correlation between the new and old writers of yesteryear.

LOL you sound like a total prick. Or wait I don't want to sound too young, maybe just jerk would suffice?

[Anonymous]

I wish students would read Jonathan Swift or Voltaire, and study logic and learn cursive in elementary school, but I accept that times are changing and the curriculum has to evolve. I often check to see what my 10th grader at Wilson is required to read and I can't say that I'm thrilled with the choices, but they are, at least, respectable. However, when my older daughter took AP English with a teacher with a (wholly undeserved) great reputation, I was appalled to find out that they didn't read a single book all the way through, rather they read chapters and excerpts from books. However, they mostly read articles and essays. I knew it was it was going to be a terrible year when the teacher explained to me that he had students read excerpts from Huckleberry Finn and that he taught it as an example of blatant racism. Oy!

[Anonymous]

These are taught currently in the IB program's advanced classes at George Mason High School in Falls Church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish students would read Jonathan Swift or Voltaire, and study logic and learn cursive in elementary school, but I accept that times are changing and the curriculum has to evolve. I often check to see what my 10th grader at Wilson is required to read and I can't say that I'm thrilled with the choices, but they are, at least, respectable. However, when my older daughter took AP English with a teacher with a (wholly undeserved) great reputation, I was appalled to find out that they didn't read a single book all the way through, rather they read chapters and excerpts from books. However, they mostly read articles and essays. I knew it was it was going to be a terrible year when the teacher explained to me that he had students read excerpts from Huckleberry Finn and that he taught it as an example of blatant racism. Oy!

Yep. I think I know that teacher!

[Anonymous]

I had a hard time with Shakespeare at first, but never thought Chaucer was particularly hard. I like how now there are adaptations of these books for kids. We read those and sometimes go to plays too so once our kids get bigger I'm hoping they'll like the stories more. Also remember reading Beowulf followed by Grendel by John Gardner. Are they still taught? I remember a lot of interesting conversations from those books.

[Anonymous]

Gee. And, I remember having to memorize Chaucer--"whan that April".......can still cite it--hasn't come in particularly handy. Wasn't even AP English.

[Anonymous]

LOL, me too,

Whan that Aprille with the showers soot and the draught of March hath perced the root....

[Anonymous]

At Deal Middle School in DCPS, they currently asking parents if it will be alright to let 12 y o 7th graders read the sweaty sex passages in Gilgamesh. I agree, wth is wrong with Chaucer? Milton might be too much for 7th grade (a waste, really) but what's wrong with Call of the Wild or White Fang or some passages from The Golden Bough or Old Yeller or Where the Red Fern Grows? Sheesh. It's insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish students would read Jonathan Swift or Voltaire, and study logic and learn cursive in elementary school, but I accept that times are changing and the curriculum has to evolve. I often check to see what my 10th grader at Wilson is required to read and I can't say that I'm thrilled with the choices, but they are, at least, respectable. However, when my older daughter took AP English with a teacher with a (wholly undeserved) great reputation, I was appalled to find out that they didn't read a single book all the way through, rather they read chapters and excerpts from books. However, they mostly read articles and essays. I knew it was it was going to be a terrible year when the teacher explained to me that he had students read excerpts from Huckleberry Finn and that he taught it as an example of blatant racism. Oy!

Yep. I think I know that teacher!

Not fair, Huck Finn is a tough one to teach when AA's in the classroom have to hear the n word repeatedly--yes, yes. I know, context. but no, don't expect black students to be dispassionate about racially inflammatory themes when they are in HS or MS for that matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cause it's boring

This made me laugh (and I have a master's degree in literature). But have you read The Wife of Bath's Tale?!

I saw that one (and several other tales) as a porno. I kid you not.

My answer to OP's question, was going to be "because Chaucer is naughty and Milton is scary as shit!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL, me too,

Whan that Aprille with the showers soot and the draught of March hath perced the root....

Too funny! I can ALSO still recite that opening... AND tell you what it all means!