My husband and I occasionally have a conversation about the fact that we are from the generation who were at school in the 1950s and 60s and we are probably the last generation to know the words of the hymns in 'Hymns Ancient and Modern'. We sang them every day. They are part of our mental architecture - as are the words from the Book of Common Prayer.
I read and re-read Collins Children’s Encyclopaedia when I was a kid. What sort of child does that now?
Yes! Me too. We sang hymns every day at school. I just don’t think any school outside of the private system does that now. It’s so desperately sad. Think of all the public occasions when hymns are sung.
I was having this conversation with my husband recently, after we found ourselves bellowing along on autopilot during 'Songs of Praise'. Hymns every single morning at school from ages 4-18 4-18.
The vocabulary of hymns such as 'Immortal invisible God only wise' or 'Hills of the North rejoice', which we learnt at 6 or 7 would be completely incomprehensible to kids these days. We had hymn practice with the headmaster once a week, where he'd explain what 'light inaccessible hid from our eyes' meant. Not that we got the theological context of course, but the words stuck, and we understood them.
The trouble is that you would be up against an ideology which despises the Western canon and wishes to eliminate it altogether, even before considering the effects of being constantly online on young brains.
This reminds me of a Max Beerbohm line: “Formerly the illiterate could not read.” Now they can, but choose not to.
The American writer and interviewer, Studs Terkel, found a real hunger for knowledge and education among working class families a century ago. Now the attitude seems to be that anybody can find knowledge online, with the result that few bother to do so.
As someone who went to school a bit later than you (2000/2010’s) I’ve definitely experienced this. As a keen reader now though, I am constantly reminded that there is so much I am still missing out on because I don’t have the familiarity with certain myths, stories, and vast parts of the Bible. If you were going to set a course for adults aimed at rectifying this, what would you put on the curriculum?
That is an excellent question! For personal study, I would always advocate going straight to the source materials, so The Iliad, The Odyssey, books 1-5 of the OT and at least the Gospels. But also I think there's no harm in starting slowly: so Robert Graves' book on Greek myths is very helpful, and even something like David Kosoff's Bible Stories can be useful. And there are countless "introductions to..." that you can get. If I was running a course for adults - that's a question that requires a longer answer... I'll come back to you!
David Kosoff - there’s a name from my childhood. He was always on the television. His son Paul was part of my generation, and was the guitarist with the band 'Free'. He died of a heroin overdose, which makes their greatest hit "All Right Now" very poignant.
There's a bit of a paradox, here. You go to school and university in order to learn, but once there you're constantly asked why you don't already know all of this.
Also, most modern editions of Milton include explanatory notes - those in the Longman Annotated Poets are practically a separate book. Perhaps we should turn the narrative round and instead say to students that this is their chance to mug up on their classical and biblical allusions? As one of my more helpful teachers said, 'You'll never get full marks - how can you know everything?'
I think the point is that students going to university to read Eng Lit should have a basic grounding in the Classics etc which they should have picked up at school (and through wider reading of course).
Picked up at school how, when most schools don’t teach the classics in any shape or form? I was born in 1963 and went to good state schools but don’t remember ever learning anything much about classical culture (or indeed myths and legends of any culture) in school. Only the bare minimum that needed to be taught to enable us to understand the texts we were studying in English Literature classes. If I hadn’t been a bookworm who hoovered up all the children’s books on myths and legends and endless compilations of fairy stories and folk tales at an early age, I don’t think I would have known anything at all about the classical world when I left secondary school, even though I read voraciously inside and outside school (as I still do).
I have a feeling games - both digital and offline - play a greater role in disseminating mythology than you allow for. But bible stories? Way down the list these days.
Fantastic read! I completely agree and every year am seeing a decline in the contextual/literary knowledge of my GCSE English students. Had to explain "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" to one this year. I referenced Homer and one kid thought I meant The Simpsons 😂
My husband and I occasionally have a conversation about the fact that we are from the generation who were at school in the 1950s and 60s and we are probably the last generation to know the words of the hymns in 'Hymns Ancient and Modern'. We sang them every day. They are part of our mental architecture - as are the words from the Book of Common Prayer.
I read and re-read Collins Children’s Encyclopaedia when I was a kid. What sort of child does that now?
Yes! Me too. We sang hymns every day at school. I just don’t think any school outside of the private system does that now. It’s so desperately sad. Think of all the public occasions when hymns are sung.
I was having this conversation with my husband recently, after we found ourselves bellowing along on autopilot during 'Songs of Praise'. Hymns every single morning at school from ages 4-18 4-18.
The vocabulary of hymns such as 'Immortal invisible God only wise' or 'Hills of the North rejoice', which we learnt at 6 or 7 would be completely incomprehensible to kids these days. We had hymn practice with the headmaster once a week, where he'd explain what 'light inaccessible hid from our eyes' meant. Not that we got the theological context of course, but the words stuck, and we understood them.
Exactly. I loved Hills of the North Rejoice. Such a belting tune.
Thanks for posting this. I was beginning to think it was just me.
I'd back you for Minister for Education!
The trouble is that you would be up against an ideology which despises the Western canon and wishes to eliminate it altogether, even before considering the effects of being constantly online on young brains.
This reminds me of a Max Beerbohm line: “Formerly the illiterate could not read.” Now they can, but choose not to.
The American writer and interviewer, Studs Terkel, found a real hunger for knowledge and education among working class families a century ago. Now the attitude seems to be that anybody can find knowledge online, with the result that few bother to do so.
As someone who went to school a bit later than you (2000/2010’s) I’ve definitely experienced this. As a keen reader now though, I am constantly reminded that there is so much I am still missing out on because I don’t have the familiarity with certain myths, stories, and vast parts of the Bible. If you were going to set a course for adults aimed at rectifying this, what would you put on the curriculum?
That is an excellent question! For personal study, I would always advocate going straight to the source materials, so The Iliad, The Odyssey, books 1-5 of the OT and at least the Gospels. But also I think there's no harm in starting slowly: so Robert Graves' book on Greek myths is very helpful, and even something like David Kosoff's Bible Stories can be useful. And there are countless "introductions to..." that you can get. If I was running a course for adults - that's a question that requires a longer answer... I'll come back to you!
David Kosoff - there’s a name from my childhood. He was always on the television. His son Paul was part of my generation, and was the guitarist with the band 'Free'. He died of a heroin overdose, which makes their greatest hit "All Right Now" very poignant.
Gosh I did not know that… David Kosoff visited my prep school.
Good heavens, I did not know that! Such a great song.
There's a bit of a paradox, here. You go to school and university in order to learn, but once there you're constantly asked why you don't already know all of this.
Also, most modern editions of Milton include explanatory notes - those in the Longman Annotated Poets are practically a separate book. Perhaps we should turn the narrative round and instead say to students that this is their chance to mug up on their classical and biblical allusions? As one of my more helpful teachers said, 'You'll never get full marks - how can you know everything?'
I think the point is that students going to university to read Eng Lit should have a basic grounding in the Classics etc which they should have picked up at school (and through wider reading of course).
Picked up at school how, when most schools don’t teach the classics in any shape or form? I was born in 1963 and went to good state schools but don’t remember ever learning anything much about classical culture (or indeed myths and legends of any culture) in school. Only the bare minimum that needed to be taught to enable us to understand the texts we were studying in English Literature classes. If I hadn’t been a bookworm who hoovered up all the children’s books on myths and legends and endless compilations of fairy stories and folk tales at an early age, I don’t think I would have known anything at all about the classical world when I left secondary school, even though I read voraciously inside and outside school (as I still do).
I have a feeling games - both digital and offline - play a greater role in disseminating mythology than you allow for. But bible stories? Way down the list these days.
I’m glad I read this this morning, now I know what to my tuition lesson on shortly
Fantastic read! I completely agree and every year am seeing a decline in the contextual/literary knowledge of my GCSE English students. Had to explain "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" to one this year. I referenced Homer and one kid thought I meant The Simpsons 😂
Oh dear… that is sad!