A Little Latin if you please

What good did Latin do for me?

Amo, amas, the love verb learned.

We'd practice tenses frequently

when I was thirteen, schooled in rules.

Ad nauseam for six whole terms,

translating lines from dusty books.

"Not needed in the modern world",

of course I may have been mistook.

"Correct your grammar careless child",

I'd hear our batgowned master say.

In future years he guaranteed

that Latin had a part to play.

How right he was, five decades gone,

along comes Fido, (yes a dog)

and all that vocab floods my mind.

I've found a Latin word I know

without a doubt, cheer out and shout,

make no mistake that word translates

(I am faithful) the whole extent of my Latin knowledge

Reviews

[AYVID N]

You asked such a pertinent question here. What good did it do? Perhaps, just brought a bit of discipline to the mind and exercised it's outreach in some way. I think hard but I can't come up with anything other than. But there's Fido giving you a reason to smile about it. Sometimes, I do not understand the system of education. Just like your Latin, we have Sanskrit here. I always appreciate to my core how you take a subject or theme or a scene and make us feel absolutely connected to it. Loved picturing the batgowned master in my head!

[Chris Shaw]

Oh those masters and mistresses in their batwing gowns and mortar boards. Strict discipline in my grammar school in those days. Times have changed DIVYA . I thank you for reading this old poem dear friend.

Chris

[AYVID N]

It was loved. You're always welcome.❤

[andrew mitchell]

Latin a dying language just like the teachers who taught it who should have been put to bed or all those didn't know the word retirement.No room for latin in modern life but necessary if translating old church manuscripts.

[Chris Shaw]

A very specialist language Andrew. No good for the day to day. A complete waste of time. Thank you for stopping by.

Chris

[Neville]

Tho not used as much today, there is of course, still an awful lot of it about ............ a bit like Covid, I guess but I get your drift Chris .. a well poemed point of view .. Neville :)

[Chris Shaw]

Yes, in the medical world there is Latin still. I remember far more about the young man teaching it, than the language itself:)I think my two years would have been better spent improving my maths. Thank you Neville for stopping by on this old write.

Chris

[Jimmy Yetts]

A lighthearted, entertaining piece.
Took two years of Latin in high school--though I enjoyed it, seemed like enough.
Great read!

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks Jimmy.

[dead letter office]

lol, that's cute! I never took Latin but know a little bit due to study in the sciences and my interest in etymology.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Christos, just a little bit of humour :))

Chris

[Lyn Anderson]

Very clever. It is my feeling that everything we learn has some benefit, however obscure. I love the quirky sense of humour in this one

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Lyn, pleased you enjoyed the humour in this write. I appreciate your response.

read moreThank you Lyn, pleased you enjoyed the humour in this write. I appreciate your response.

Chris

[Crowley]

We just can't see it when we are young, but the beauty and knowledge of other languages and how they connect to our own is fascinating. Glad you kept yours now that you can enjoy it!

[Chris Shaw]

Well at least it came in useful for writing a poem Crowley :))

[Norman 223]

The only time that Latin was useful to me was when I became a Medical Photographer and learned that
"sic transit gloria" did NOT mean "It's wonderful being seasick".
Reading your apt poem Chris, gave me a giggle by reminding me that I personally found history was the most useless topic, when even struggling with Shakespeare fulfilled the same purpose more graphically. :-)

Normanus

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks Normanus for your fun response. When I reflect on my grammar school education, I find that in the main most of it has served a purpose, but alas, latin is not one of those subjects.

Chris

[Wild Rose]

Never did Latin in our school > Picked up what little I do know in knocking (and being knocked) around in life

Tara > See yah >

[Chris Shaw]

Waste of time. It would have been better spent doing something else. You haven't missed much Wild Rose.