“Truant no more”

Having to walk into the knowledge of death, or pain, or any of our other shortcomings as human beings is also the avenue into gaining compassion and hope in the world. The classic Cycle of Redemption notes that we may start out as innocent of any of the world’s ills, but we lose that innocence as we grow, as we go through rites of passage to adulthood, as we metaphorically take a bite from the apple of knowledge of good and evil. What results from our “Fall” from innocence may well determine the trajectory of our lives – we can become bitter and angry with the world or we can come to terms with its very real dangers and hurts and can turn these into opportunities for reaching out to others in compassion and offering hope that there is transcendence and transformation in the abysses of life. Both Aristotelian Tragedy and the archetypal journey motif share this notion; there is potential good that comes from our pain, essential redemption in the triumph of the human spirit and our capacity to change and grow, in our capacity to love. A selection of poems from William Stafford’s first two volumes of poetry outline the power of the Cycle of Redemption and the corresponding Assurance we have as human beings that the hope the cycle offers is viable for our daily lives. In his poem Circle of Breath William Stafford recalls the trip home from the CO camp to attend his father’s funeral – and the moment before he enters the visceral knowledge of this death. He says, “Truant from knowing, I stood where the great dark fell.” Then he recalls a vivid image of standing by his father in darkness as a storm goes by, reassured in the knowledge that they could leave the darkness together and “knowing we could go home.” After this recollection, he is steeled and ready to be “Truant no more,” ready, he “stepped forward and learned his death.” This is a classic example of the loss of innocence and the realization of knowledge that will change us dramatically. It is a perfect example of that stage of the Cycle of Redemption and illustrates this stage far better than a technical definition.

Thus, to “define” the Cycle of Redemption/Coming of Age/Archetype of Seasons etc the proposed unit will start with the following poems – as a microcosm of the entire semester’s approach:

Assurance, Circle of Breath, Things We Did That Meant Something, At the Bomb Testing Site,

Representing Far Places, As Pippa Lilted

Sample Discussion Questions tying Circle of Breath to Cycle of Redemption: What have you had to learn? A time when you knew you were leaving innocence behind – paused – took the step into the light to know What is the pause before the step? What image sustains/explains (both/either) or would you summon during that pause? Why a circle? Opposite images in the poem – what and why How is it to be cut off in the dark alone? Is there hope embedded here or not? Can we practice for the real darkness?

Can we practice for the real darkness? (with a nod to “Terrence this is Stupid Stuff!)

Weekly poems and exploratory writing to follow the semester (18 weeks), with both sophomores and seniors following the focus of each course for Fall Semester. The same poems used with different ages/students – the spiral of the cycle itself reflected in “where” seniors are in comparison to sophomores.

Sophomore Fall: Archetype of the Journey/Cycle of Redemption/Coming of Age Senior Fall: Tragedy and Comedy – Classic Literary and Philosophic Notions

Stafford poems/lines used as catalysts for student writing and discussion Two groups will talk to each other across their writing Pose questions to each other “from” (beyond/below) the poems This I Believe essay at semester end These essays distilled to poems during second semester and transformed to digital storytelling A public performance opportunity for digital storytelling

As Pippa Lilted

Assurance

Earth Dweller Circle of Breath

Allegiances Listening Fall Wind

Representing Far Places Learning

The Well Rising Level Light

Sayings From the Northern Ice Things We Did that Meant Something

In the Museum At the Salt Marsh

In Response to a Question The View from Here

At the Bomb Testing Site

Phrases to use as writing prompts throughout the 18 weeks that embody elements of Cycle of Redemption: it’s too late now for earlier ways you never can get back rocks in the wind know their place: down low it is people at the edge who say things at the edge good things will happen it is all right to be simply the way you have to be but it can be regrettable sometime the world may be hit like this only the grass will know I fall penguins we can’t help you broken parts can be wrong but true the rage without met by the wings within I place my feet with care in such a world places the rest of us have never been like them, dark by dark, by dark let the sun casually rise and set that’s what the silence meant: you’re not alone but safe, quiet, grateful under a sky that never cared less your job is to find out what the world is trying to be in the autumn of my hands but it is late, it is always late he will drown without a ripple our errors will dance I leased a place to live with my white breath

Line sources from Stafford poems: Level Light In the Museum Sayings From the Northern Ice Sayings From the Northern Ice As Pippa Lilted Representing Far Places Things We Did That Meant Something Things We Did That Meant Something The View From Here At the Salt Marsh In Response to a Question The Well Rising Listening Hail Mary Earth Dweller Assurance Allegiances At the Bomb Testing Site Vocation Fall Wind Learning Daily writing for At the Bomb Testing Site As Pippa Lilted Circle of Breath