41: Hamlet, 1600–01, by William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
The first time that I read this play*
It made small sense to me.
“Who’s there?”—the first words of the script
Began the mystery.
But then I had to teach the thing,**
And so I had to learn
The history—that language stuff—
From stem to weiderst stern.
And—big surprise!—I loved the thing!.
Each year I taught the play
I made some new discoveries—
Felt—brighter?—every way.
I liked to read the play aloud
With students every year—
Just hearing it, I soon would learn,
Eliminated fear.***
I’ve seen it many times on stage—
And films, of course, as well.
And now I really have to say:
It’s caught me in its spell.
*Summer, 1967, at the end of my 1st year of teaching
**Western Reserve Academy, 1979-80, 2001-11
***Theirs and mine!
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