Chapter Four | What Will Your Verse Be? |

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It was the next day, and the group were now in English, which has quickly become Elles new favourite subject. She was curious on what the odd Mr. Keating had planned for today.

"Gentlemen, ladies, open your text to page twenty-one of the introduction." Mr. Keating addressed the class.

Elle slightly frowned, hoping they weren't stuck with textbook work all day, wanting another interesting lesson from the teacher. Nevertheless she, and the rest of the class, obeyed opening to the requested page.

"Mr. Perry, will you read the opening paragraph to the preface entitled 'Understanding Poetry'?" He asked, flipping to the page.

" 'Understanding Poetry' by, Dr. J Evans Pritchard, Ph. D," Neil started. "To fully understand poetry, we must first be fluent with its metre rhyme, and figures of speech."

Elle sighed, leaning her chin on top of her hand, quickly losing interest as Neil continued to read.

"Then ask two questions. One, how artful has the objective of the poem been rendered?" All the students grew bored.

"And two, how important is that objective? Question one rates the poem's perfection, question two rates its importance, and once these questions have been answered determining a poem's greatness becomes a relatively simple matter."

Mr. Keating stands from his desk as Neil continues reading, walking over to the chalkboard, staring to write.

"If the poem's score for perfection is plotted on the horizontal graph, and its importance is plotted on the vertical," he continues to read. Mr. Keating draws the graph on the board, Cameron quickly copying it in his notebook.

"Then calculating the total area of the poem yields the measure of greatness." Neil pauses looking up to Mr. Keating. He nods for him to continue, turning back to the board.

"A sonnet by Byron might score high on the vertical, but only average on the horizontal." Mr. Keating then marks the results on the graph he's drawn.

"A Shakespearean sonnet on the other hand, would score high, both horizontally, and vertically. Yielding a massive total area, thereby revealing the poem to be truly great." Mr. Keating continues marking the graph.

"As you proceed through the poetry in this book, practice this rating method. As your ability to evaluate poems in this manner grows, so will your enjoyment and understanding of poetry."

Elle huffs, she was one hundred percent sure she wouldn't enjoy poetry more when forced to draw a graph to rate each, and every single one.

Neil finishes reading, taking his glasses off. Mr. Keating stops writing on the board looking back to his class.

"Excrement." He says, gaining confused looks. "That's what I think of Mr. J Evans Pritchard." Elles eyes widened in amusement.

"We're not laying pipe, we're talking about poetry." Cameron starts to scribble the graph he drew out.

"I mean, how can you describe poetry like American Bandstand?" He asks rhetorically. "I like Byron, I give him a forty-two, but I can't dance to it." He mocks, earning a few chuckles from the students.

Charlie sits in the back, looking lost in thought, smiling, finally starting to like Mr. Keating.

"Now, I want you to rip out the page."

Everyone pauses in shock, thinking they heard their teacher wrong. "Go on," he encouraged. "Rip out the entire page."

No one moves a muscle, fearing this was some sort of trick he was pulling. Charlie looks around the room.

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