Nude in the Gymnasium, Dressed in Modesty at Home
“For the ancients, poetry socialized people; for the moderns, it reflects or promotes
alienation.” ~ Michael Schmidt, The First Poets, 10
The ancient poets, epic poets, taught
Their boys to find the maleness meant for men.
The ancient poets, lyric poets, sought
The truths of women for their girls, and when
And how to be that beauty, and what strengths
That wives and mothers want. The warriors grew
Beside their fathers, brothers, cousins, lengths
Of swords and spears, and javelins they threw
In nakedness before their peers. The girls
Grew up in quietness behind closed doors,
Beside their mothers, sisters, cousins, curls
Among the courtyard trees and swept stone floors.
The poets sang to boys and girls the songs
Of rightness, where a girl or boy belongs.
Assassination of Culture
Today the poets teach us nothing—since
We do not read them. Now instead thugs rap
And grind out rudeness in crude rhythms, mince
Across the stage, and teach the boys to slap
And rape their women. Girls strut their stuff
In underwear in front of cheering fans.
They always fail to take off quite enough
To please crowd. There are not any bans
On dress or words. The parents of these youth
Have never heard of poetry. At least
They’ve never read their kids a Shakespeare truth
Or taught them that some thoughts should be policed.
When boys are in their rooms they do not read
The poets. No, they play Assassin’s Creed.