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

War VS Peace : Reeta Tiwari

* The Inner Conflict: Unpacking the War and Peace Within

Have you ever felt like you're engaged in a fierce battle within yourself? A war that rages on, testing your resolve, courage, and determination? This internal conflict is a universal human experience, and it's precisely this war and peace within that we'll explore in this blog.

*The War Within:*

The war within is that internal dialogue that questions our abilities fuels our fears, and ignites self-doubt. It's the voice that tells us we're not good enough, that we'll fail, or that we're just not capable. This inner critic can be relentless, making it difficult to take that first step, make a decision, or pursue our goals.

*The Battlefields:*

The war within can manifest in various aspects of our lives, including:

1. *Fear of failure*: The fear of not meeting expectations or making mistakes can hold us back from taking risks or pursuing our passions.

2. *Self-doubt*: Negative self-talk and self-doubt can erode our confidence, making it challenging to make decisions or take action.

3. *Procrastination*: Putting off tasks or decisions can be a coping mechanism for the anxiety and uncertainty that comes with the war within.

*The Path to Peace:*

So, how do we move from a state of war to one of peace? 

Here are some strategies to help you navigate the battlefield:

1. *Mindfulness*: Practice mindfulness techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing, to calm the mind and reduce anxiety.

2. *Self-compassion*: Treat yourself with kindness, understanding, and patience. Acknowledge that it's okay to make mistakes and that you're doing the best you can.

3. *Reframe negative thoughts*: Challenge negative self-talk by reframing negative thoughts into positive, empowering ones.

4. *Take small steps*: Break down daunting tasks into smaller, manageable steps. Celebrate your successes along the way to build momentum and confidence.

*The State of Peace:*

The state of peace is that sense of calm, clarity, and confidence that comes from overcoming our internal struggles. It's the feeling of accomplishment, pride, and satisfaction that follows when we push past our fears, doubts, and limitations.

*Conclusion:*

The war and peace within are ongoing companions on our life's journey. By acknowledging, accepting, and working through our internal conflicts, we can emerge stronger, wiser, and more at peace. Remember, the battle is not won overnight, but with each small victory, we move closer to a state of inner peace and tranquility.

Reeta Tiwari 

Sunbeam English School Bhagwanpur Varanasi 

Simplicity and Trust - Jitendra Suthar

The term 'Simple' means something without any complications, something which is very clear, and something which is sorted out.  A person who is very clear with his thoughts, who always stands by the truth and who is always ready to help others can be said as the simplest person. Anyone who is a simple person in life will make some or the other path to come out of tough conditions. 

When we have faith in someone then no matter what the situation is he will always stand by. He will never let anything go out which is to be kept secret is Trust. We all have someone or something in our life that we trust the most. We like to share everything either it is a person or a non-living thing. Now non-living things means, Consider a blind person who is the most challenged person, has a great trust on his stick with the faith that this stick will never let him fall down and will show the correct path to walk.

Trust is the most important value in a human’s life. A baby has a feeling that whichever side he turns on the bed, mother will not let him fall down. Staring from a baby till an old man who trusts his stick that will help him walk properly. Everything relies on trust.  

When a person is simple, he automatically gains the trust of others. Let us remember, Father of our nation “Mahatma Gandhi” – He himself is the definition of simplicity. He played a very vital role in India’s Independence and with very clear thoughts of non-violence. He never ever changed his aim according to situations.  Due to his attribute of being simple everyone trusted him, joined hands with him, walked with him, fought with him and came out with glorifying colors at the end.

Jitendra Suthar

The Fabindia School

jsr@fabindiaschools.in

Hope and Friendship - Shivani Rao

Hope is the feeling of expectation and a strong desire for a certain thing to happen. It is

a belief that a positive thing will happen out of the harsh circumstances and situation in someone’s life. Hope is the strong feeling that is desired and expected out of circumstances will be that things will turn up for the best. Hope is the essence of life. Many of us could not even live a life of peace without having hope deep inside the heart. Life is unpredictable and goes out of our hand and beyond our control many times. Hope helps us keep the fight on and improves the chances of making our life better.

It helps to keep our eyes wide open for an improved future. I know it’s very hard keeping up with the inner faith during the most critical times, but, those who never leave hope, actually make it till the end. Hope not only gives you the strength to overcome pain, but it also makes the journey for the future easier. Let’s not worry about the fact that today is bad. Hope keeps us telling that tomorrow will be better than this.

Hope keeps us to stay positive. As you know, our mind has lots of effects on our actions. If your mind tells you to stay strong on a path and not to lose courage, you will do so. Hope gives a positive mind power.

Hope will always be the essence of life. It helps us to ignore the sufferings of the present. When we stay positive about our future and feel that we have to fight to win the problems, our probability to succeed increases.

Hope is a belief. You believe something good will happen. With its help, you can make an impossible possible, or win a war. Ask yourself – what you believe. If you believe to have something good in the future and expect it to happen, that is hope. When you keep telling yourself that there will be no more pain and suffering soon, you hope for it. Hope will give you the courage and inspiration to stick to your dream as long as you breathe. If you have a strong aspiration, hope and faith, nothing can bring you down. It let you aim at the sole purpose of your life.

Friends make our life joyful and hopeful True friends do not only share things but also share feelings, emotions, love, etc. Good friends are always there to help us no matter what happens. Sometimes they risk their lives for us. They make us feel comfortable with them. We cannot choose our relatives but we can choose friends. Good friends are great pillars of our lives. It can make us or can break us. Their support can lead us to success or doom.

Shivani Rao

The Fabindia School

sro@fabindiaschools.in

Role of an Educator in Student's Life - Monika Vaishnav

An educator is not only the person who teaches in the class, but he is also the one who gives shape to the future of the student and shows him the right path. He does more than just being an employee. He becomes a teacher while he teaches in the class, he becomes a parent outside the classroom as he always takes care of the children whenever they are with him and he also becomes a friend when something needs to be taught apart from the studies or curriculum. He indirectly helps the parents to make their foundation stronger for life.  He prepares his lesson to teach in the class every day. He has to think about the performance of every child.

The educator has to build trust in children for himself because without trust he can't deliver the knowledge how much he wanted. He is always ready to help and guide the children whether it's about academic or non-academic. He always wants to enter the class with a small to make children happy. 

Sometimes, he has to be strict with them or scold them but as an educator I know he would choose this only if it is the last option. He too feels bad if he does that but sometimes, he has to correct them at the right time, if he doesn't, the child may have to face more than just being scolded by the educator. He is the person who will be more than happy on their success and progress and will be proud of them. His every action in the school is always in the betterment of his students. He never expects anything in return from them. 

I would like to add a quote, " Teaching is the profession that teaches other professions". Every student has one teacher in life who taught or guided him to be what he is today. He always wants his students to achieve their goals and make everyone proud of him. The school years get over one day but the bond and trust the educator and student build remains forever.

Monika Vaishnav

The Fabindia School

A Teacher is more than a Traffic Policeman

A teacher shows the right path to the students in all areas of life, in additon to the classroom. She/He shows the right direction to get proper subject knowledge and for getting better outcomes for the future and even provide moral duties and basic guiding values of the life. So we can say that a teacher is more than a traffic police man.

Our learning from:  ‘Can you teach a Zebra some Algebra’ -by Debashis Chatterjee.
- Aysha Tak, Kusum Sherma, Sharmila Vijayvargi & Suresh Singh Negi, are Educators at The Fabindia School. Aysha will be happy to receive your comments via email atk4fab@gmail.com