Philosophy Lessons, or The Teacher's Tale

[Ca ne fait rien]

"Mr Ntini", the Master began, while wiping the chalk from the board,
' You were, I think, to read and compare, our favorite Arrian
With Hegel and Kant- the whole Germanic horde."

All the ancient lawns and grasses prismed in the teacher's glasses;
For as the boy expounded all that he had learnt and stored,
Through them he saw another place, with other boys and classes.

There, the brightest and the best had said, the reason he was snorin'
Was because it was all fucking stupid
And that wanker Soren was borin'.

" Thus, I would contend" puffed Mr Thirteeny
Holding his lapel like his Dad
'That Epictetus and Nietsche, are somewhere in betweeny".


Everyone at High Table knew, as they passed around the port,
That Mr Ntini, and Mr Cholmondely-Ponsonby de Tomkyns
Would rule the world; because they were among the right sort.

Yet a young half-blue, and a damned good oar
All new to School and its ways, asked was it fair?
"No", the High Master sighed, "and it's a bore; but

They're poor, they're poor!"



NB 'Cholmondely' is pronounced 'Chumley'
.

Reminds me of that bit in Stephen Fry's autobiography where he 'goes up'
to Cambridge and contrasts those who are there through privilege to those 'poor' people who were not quite the right sort, and felt guilty for thinking so. It is a bit of an indictment on our education system that things still don't change all that much, and those barriers are still there. The playing fields of Eton and the eye-poking out playing fields of Fettes still rule the world whether Ntinis or Cholmondelay- Farquarsons.
As for the technixal aspects , what can I say? What do I know? Of course I like the sounds of the fisrt line second stanza, same as everyone else does. I like all of the second stanza, almost smell the plimsolls and fresh cut wickets. There is something about the word 'Prism' that is just special.
'Thirteeny makes me think of Adrian Mole ( in this context)- are Masters the boys who never got away? I like that thought. I do hope they passed the port to the left.
A sophisticated little number, indeedy.