Thoughtful Thursdays: Sonnets, Lyrics and Music

Our Thoughtful Thursday sessions in the last two weeks have taken on a different dimension. They have helped us explore the deep-rooted connection between poetry, music, and all art forms. Therefore, we call it a MAP, focusing on Music, Art, and Poetry. The integration of these art forms has brought depth and meaning to the interpretation of the different genres and styles of art. 

When we spoke about poetry inspired by war and connected it to music by songwriters and performers like Bob Dylan, we could clearly see how music became a medium to take poetry to the masses. Lyrical poems have been composed, sung, and passed down through generations in ancient India and many other countries, like the Rhapsodies of Greece, Tanka of Japan, Shijig of China, etc. The folk singers of our country, like the Bauls of Bengal or the Pandavanis of Chattisgarh, create memorable poetry,  set it to music and make an invaluable contribution to Literature. 

Similarly, history proves that great works of art have inspired great poets, giving rise to Classic works like the famous Ode to a Grecian Urn by John Keats and Landscape with the Fall of Icarus by William Carlos William. In fact, Ekphrastic Poetry is a genre of poems written by poets inspired by works of art. This experience probably made Leonardo Da Vinci proclaim, ' Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt and Poetry is Painting that is felt rather than seen".

Brinda Ghosh
Host for Thoughtful Thursday Webinar and Mentor The Teacher's Academy.
With extensive experience in educational leadership, she now serves as the Director of Training at Gyanshree School (formerly the Principal) in Noida. 

How the session unfolded 

📧 Echoes in the Inbox: The Challenge of Engagement

Sandeep Dutt and Brinda Ghosh addressed the concern of low email open rates among teachers, which hover between 7-19%. Recognizing the digital clutter teachers face, they explored ways to enhance engagement, including structured messaging via WhatsApp and Telegram for better accessibility.

📜 The Melody of Poetry: A Journey Through Time

Brinda Ghosh introduced a fresh format blending poetry and music, tracing the roots of lyrical poetry from Greek 🇬🇷, Sanskrit, and Hindi 🇮🇳 Literature. She emphasized the enduring magic of rhythm and rhyme, highlighting the ballad as a timeless lyrical form.

🖋️ Sonnets: A Dance of Words and Rhythm

Brinda Ghosh illuminated the beauty of sonnets, explaining their 14-line structure and iambic pentameter 🎵. The discussion celebrated Shakespeare's mastery 🏰 while acknowledging modern poets like T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound, who embraced free verse. The session also explored Indian lyrical poetry, particularly the Ghazal and Geet 🎤.

🌼 Verse in Bloom: Shakespeare & Wordsworth in Harmony

Through an analysis of Sonnet 18 ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"), Brinda Ghosh highlighted themes of eternal love ❤️ and poetic immortality. The discussion then turned to Wordsworth's Daffodils, exploring its song-like quality, rhythmic flow, and evocative imagery.

📖 Lyricism Across Cultures: Dickinson, Ghazals, and Beyond

The lyrical depth of Emily Dickinson's Because I Could Not Stop for Death was examined alongside the rich heritage of Indian poetry. The discussion extended to translations of Indian poems, emphasizing their significance in modern education.

🎵 Harmonizing Words and Notes: The Art of Musical Poetry

Jatin Soni introduced the concept of art songs, where poetry and melody merge seamlessly. Using Franz Schubert's Erlkönig 🎻, he demonstrated how emotion, melody, and storytelling intertwine in music. The role of voice, accompaniment, and animation in enhancing poetic depth was also explored.

🎭 Art, Music, and Poetry: The Fusion of Expression

Brinda Ghosh and Sandeep Dutt emphasized the profound integration of art, music, and poetry in education. They highlighted the irreplaceable human touch in teaching and the value of time ⏳ in fostering creativity. Ethical concerns regarding the misuse of voice data by AI were also discussed.

🔮 Looking Ahead: The Canvas of Thoughtful Exploration

The session concluded with a commitment to further artistic exploration, previewing an upcoming session on art appreciation. The speakers emphasized the interconnectedness of words, music, and art, reinforcing the teacher's role in cultivating holistic artistic sensibility.

🌟 Thoughtful Thursdays continues to be a beacon for educators, illuminating the path where Literature, melody, and creativity converge. 🎶✨

We invite you to share your thoughts, reflections, or poetry in the comments below. Let's celebrate the beauty of words, music, and art together! ✨📜🎶

Manisha Khanna
GSA Ambassador

Freedom and Peace - Jaspreet Kaur

Freedom means we can do anything according to our abilities and inner potential. There are numerous instances where I felt that my potential was not encouraged during my school period. Here I would like to write about 3 Instances as a student where I felt that more freedom at my disposal would be allowed me to realize my potential in a better way: - 

1st Instance- During my school Sports Meet, my teachers always selected a few students who were their favourites in various games. They never gave me a chance to explore my skills in badminton. Although I played with my friends and brother in the evening and always won, my sports teacher never gave me a chance to show my talent in school. My parents also requested them, but they always ignored their pleas. I still think I might be a good player if my teacher showed trust in me and if they gave me the freedom to play on the ground. I knew many of my friends too, who were very good and never got a chance to play at State or National level.

2nd Instance- I was not very good at Art as my art teacher never encouraged my artistic skills. It is the moral duty of every teacher to give equal chances to every student, whether they have some incapabilities. Real teachers always teach from the heart, not from any book. Whenever I did something wrong in my drawing book, my teacher scolded me and said, “Never try to do art; you can’t do it”. Gradually, I lost interest and still couldn’t draw anything confidently.

3rd Instance- As a student, I always hesitated while speaking in mike as my teachers never motivated me to speak in morning assemblies or functions. Mostly they have chosen monitors of the class or some favourite learners.  Today’s scenario has totally changed. Now teachers give a chance to each and every student. They give freedom to everyone to explore their hidden potential. In our school, we also give the whole class chances and help them be confident. We are promoting SDG goal number 4, Quality Education.

Causes people to give us peace and adopt violence: -

Peace is a situation or period in which there is no war or violence in a country or area. There are numerous reasons that people adopt violence and give up peace. The primary reason for the violence is now people have less patience than before. Young people can’t tolerate any suggestion given by their parents.

The next reason is work pressure and frustration; when people feel overburdened, they adopt violent methods. Moreover, disagreements in opinions also play a vital role in adopting violence and giving us peace. Teachers play a crucial role in the classrooms and in society. When there is any conflict between students, teachers must counsel them by giving real-life examples where small conflicts lead to violence. In this way, they can understand the significance of peace in society. Teachers must share meaningful folktales related to freedom and peace in the classrooms. During Assemblies, teachers can share keywords and names of persons who receive Nobel peace prizes. The biographies can be shared, for instance – The biography of Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. Teachers must connect some lessons with peace. In our school, we connect our lessons with SDGs. We are promoting SDG goal 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institution.

Jaspreet Kaur 

Kamla Nehru Public School, Punjab

Quality and Love - Engaging Minds BHIS

To Teach 

Is to

Touch 

Lives

Forever

Ms Patricia’s life always revolved around her connect with her students. She enjoyed each day laughing, enjoying, sharing her teaching and learning with her students. The new academic session had begun. She was given a middle school class this time. It was a big leap for her as she was a primary teacher. It was a challenge but she was ready for it.

The class had a blend of students. Smart, brilliant, artistic and creative learners. Ryan, a bright child but was very notorious. He was an energetic cricketer. Tall, good looking and always took pride in challenging any new teacher that would teach them. Not only his teachers but his family members too would yell at him for all the trouble he caused.  This time it was Ms Patricia that he decided to pick on. He displayed his arrogance on the first day itself. Ms Patricia did not take it seriously and ignored as they were all children for her.

In the few days that came, it was getting difficult for Ms Patricia as Ryan would disturb the class by asking questions not relevant to studies, making fun of his peers and trying to create chaos while the class would be on.

Ms.Patricia decided to speak to Ryan on a one-to-one basis. One day she told Ryan to stay back after school. Ryan was not worried about this. He waited. Ms Patricia sat in front of him. She did not speak for quite some time and just looked at Ryan. Ryan was confused not sure what was happening. He asked Ms Patricia about the reason for this meeting. He behaved as if nothing had happened.

Ryan was waiting for Ms Patricia to bellow harsh words on him as this is what all did to him. But to his utter shock and surprise, Ms Patricia smiled and took Ryan’s hand in hers. She had the school organizer in her hand that had pictures of Ryan and his performance. Ryan looked at them and looked back at Ms Patricia puzzled. Ms Patricia now came out with only a few words. “Why?”

She reminded Ryan of his qualities, the quality that not everyone had. She evoked his love and passion for his sport. Then why was he displaying a negative side which is not helping him but is ruining his image as a good sportsperson. Ryan was deeply touched and was speechless. He had nothing to say at all. For the first time, he felt truly ashamed of all his deeds.

Ms Patricia appreciated this good quality with all her heart. Ryan had tears in his eyes. He promised Ms Patricia that he will change for the better. He fell to Ms Patricia’s feet for the trust and love she showed to him instead of the harsh words which he was always gifted with.

From that day on, Ryan was a completely different individual and when he won his first Man of the Match in the cricket series, this time he requested Ms Patricia to come on the stage and give him his trophy.

Listen to the podcast

Love has the magic to bring out the true n good quality in a person.

The well-being of a mind depends on the quality of the thoughts.

Engaging Minds @ Billabong High International School Thane 

- Ginny Franklin, Yojana Suryarao, Ishita Thakkar, Kiran Pandey, Nilka Gandhi, Geeta Mali, Meenaz Khan.