Last Class

Theodore Roethke's Last Class was a piece of prose that flirted with verse so hard she got turned on and helped lead the prose to the bedroom.

What I'm saying here is that the language used by Roethke to give the reader images as well as ideas was simply phenominal. For example, the description of the Faculty as "a community that so honors the creative it just sucks it right up bones, blood and all." This is very interesting, considering the paradoxial nature of creativity being taught in the first place. This creativity is "honored" within the school by those who teach it, by destroying it, bleeding it dry.

We go on to read about who comprises the faculty, descritptions such as "Bonwit Teller tough guys, drama boys...fugitives from the loony bin...toads, second-cousins" give the reader something to think about. The images are not immediately recognized. You don't see a toad, you get an idea of a person who is like a toad. The reader has to slow down to absorb this particular kind of language. My personal favorite descritpion of faculty: "poops and prophets."

The reader then goes on to receive descriptions of some of the faculty, such as The Creep. More poetic verse is used here to describe the Creep as being from the "Waltz-me-around-again-Heine-I-Hear-You-Calling-Cleanth school." Just typing that emphasizes how Roethke wants the reader to slow down and absorb his conveying verses.

This was an interesting read and gives good ideas (mind the pun) to apply to our future works.