Reviews from

An Elementary School Memory

I think I was in sixth grade at the time.

22 total reviews 
Comment from Marilyn Hamilton
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An excellent entry for the Non fiction Writing Contest. This was a lovely story and very nostalgic. I can remember memorizing poetry to recite as well. It's wonderful that you gained a life-long love of poetry from that experience as a young child. What a gift. Very well written. Good luck in the contest.

 Comment Written 15-Mar-2024


reply by the author on 16-Mar-2024
    Thank you so much for your kind review. I appreciate it very much. I had to correct the year I was in school I was in the sixth grade and the third grade grade.
Comment from lyenochka
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That's a wonderful memory, Patricia! And you were so diligent to put that long poem to memory! And only in third grade - that's impressive! Thanks for sharing this!

 Comment Written 15-Mar-2024


reply by the author on 16-Mar-2024
    Thank you so much for your kind review. I had to go back in correct the year of school that I was in. I was in the sixth grade and not in the third grade.
Comment from Wendy G
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A lovely memory, and that was quite an accomplishment for a small girl. Learning poetry by heart doesn't happen any more, and not even times tables are learned by rote, as children are taugt to use calculators. I am sure our memory span is diminshing because of it. A very enjoyable story, so thank you for sharing it.
Wendy

 Comment Written 15-Mar-2024


reply by the author on 16-Mar-2024
    Thank you so much for your review. I had to go back and change the grade that I was in. When I memorize this, it had to be the sixth grade not the third grade.
Comment from davisr (Rhonda)
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Hi Patricia,
How are you doing, first of all? I haven't checked on you in a while.

Secondly, you picked one of my favorite poets to highlight. I don't remember this poem, but I used to have a book of his poetry, so I'm sure I read it.

I'm very proud of you for having memorized it's entirety. What a big girl you were!!

Your story was well written and engaging. Flawless!

Hugs,
Rhonda

 Comment Written 15-Mar-2024


reply by the author on 16-Mar-2024
    Thank you so much for your kind review. I appreciate it very much. I had to make a correction on the grade that I was in. I had to have been in sixth grade.
Comment from Liz O'Neill
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What a wonderful teacher you had teaching poetry not just little poetry but some serious poems. This is delightful: "As I'd be walking home from school, on the long walk of 2 1/2 miles, I would be reciting line after line of the poem." There was probably no praise for all the work you did memorizing a poem because tragically, poems don't really mean that much to a lot of people. Thank you for sharing this. It was delightful and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But as you said there's always some trimming if darkness when we were children. As they say it's made us who we are today.

We had in second grade a poem that was very meaningful to me. It was a turtle who's image was only half visible and we were supposed put a mirror up against and I saw the other half the turtle. For me that was very emotionally significant because I pretty invisible. I identified with the turtle who wasn't complete.

 Comment Written 15-Mar-2024


reply by the author on 16-Mar-2024
    Thank you so much for taking the time to review my work. I enjoyed your comment about the poem that you memorized about the turtle.
reply by Liz O'Neill on 16-Mar-2024
    It's fun to be able to basically identify with what the person has posted here
Comment from jim vecchio
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I probably would have done the same as you, but Longfellow wasn't born when I attended elementary school. In college Poetry class, I learned a lot. The professor assigned a Shakespeare sonnet and our assignment was "write what this means to you." I did and got an "F". I asked if I could take it over. He allowed me. I wrote down every single word he said in class, repeated it all on paper, and I jumped to an "A". I learned how to succeed in college!

 Comment Written 15-Mar-2024


reply by the author on 16-Mar-2024
    Thank you so much for your kind review. I appreciate it very much. I had to go back and make a correction. I was not in the third grade at the time I was in the sixth grade.
reply by jim vecchio on 16-Mar-2024
    And I forgot to say Aesop wasn't born when I went to school.
Comment from barbara.wilkey
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I am positive your parents were very of you as I know you were. It's a great accomplishment. Thank you for sharing this contest entry with us. I enjoyed reading and wish you luck with the contest.

 Comment Written 15-Mar-2024


reply by the author on 16-Mar-2024
    Thank you so much for taking the time to review my work. I appreciate it very much. I had to correct the grade that I was in. I was not in the third grade I was in the sixth grade.
Comment from fm wright
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What a wonderful memory to have. I unfortunately don't remember the lines to or the poet who penned my favorite poem, which happened in junior high, but it was entitled "At Grass." You have written a beautiful piece of non-fiction. Thank you for sharing it along with the picture of the poet who inspired you.

 Comment Written 15-Mar-2024


reply by the author on 15-Mar-2024
    Thank you so much for your nice review. I appreciate it very much. I only remember a few lines of the poem that I remember I so many years ago but to try to recite it today I cannot. I?ve always had a very good memory, especially when it comes to remembering birthdays, it seems I have a real talent for remembering peoples birthdays.
reply by fm wright on 15-Mar-2024
    Then you do better than I, though I do remember the ones of those closest to me. Really enjoyed your walk down memory lane.
Comment from royowen
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I don't think parents were forthcoming in those days, I've always been so proud of my girls and tell them so, better than that they get a poem for their birthday every year. Beautifully written Pat, blessings Roy

 Comment Written 15-Mar-2024


reply by the author on 15-Mar-2024
    Thank you so much for taking the time to review my work. I appreciate it very much. I do not have very much memory still of the poem, but I remember other things quite well.
reply by royowen on 15-Mar-2024
    Well done
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
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I was intrigued by your post Patricia so I read this poem and it is quite long and there was a lot to remember, and you did well to remember it all. This poem is well rhymed and entertaining and than you for introducing us to this great poet. This is quite a great accomplishment for a young girl and I wonder if you can still recite it? Love Dolly x

 Comment Written 15-Mar-2024


reply by the author on 15-Mar-2024
    Thank you so much for your kind review. I appreciate it very much. No, I do not know how to recite the poem today I only have a few lines that I even think about when I?m thinking of it. I don?t remember how the teacher taught me to understand the words that are in the form because they were some very difficult words even for adults to understand but apparently she did take a lot of time with me to do it. One of the reasons I was able to do it was because I was in a one room, school house, and all grades were being taught so I was able to spend my time in the classroom remembering and reciting the words to myself.