sábado, 22 de agosto de 2009

Shakespeare

When TFLA was just a room on the second floor of a house, the book chosen for the upper-intermediate students had a Shakespeare's poem called All the World is a Stage.

Those who belong to this time will recognize it. I still know it by heart. My teacher drilled it so intensively that I could do nothing but memorize it. Like everything else from Shakespeare, it's a treasure.

All the World is a Stage
William Shakespeare

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

7 comentários:

  1. Ola Christiana,

    "You have good taste in poetry. I am a Chartered Accountant but my first degree was in English. Shakespeare and Dostoevsky are my favourites. I like Machado do Assis too.

    And Pushkin -

    So that was happiness and that was delectation
    Enjoyment, sweet and calm delight and consolation,
    Where now is pleasure's fleeting day
    A dream that fades as we are gazing, a charm that palls as we are praising,
    And once again the world is tiresome, grim and grey.

    Maravilhoso !!!!!!

    Ate logo

    Rod

    Sempre Flamengo

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  2. Cristiana,

    Can you tell me which part of Brazil you are in ? I like this site. I want to learn more portuguese before I return to Rio in February. Everyone in Rio speaks so fast.

    Eu disso fala devagar !!!

    Rod

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  3. Rod!

    Nice to see you here too. You're everywhere! Here you can write English and people will understand it.

    We are all in Belo Horizonte - Minas Gerais. It is next to Rio. Get a map to check it later.

    This is TFLA's blog. The English school where I teach. Cristiana is my boss. She is amazing and she is also atleticana! Come to BH and I'm sure you'll forget Flamengo.

    Kisses.

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  4. Hi, Rod.

    I think Luana has answered all your questions.

    And, please, don't believe everything she says. Someone said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". She's the amazing one.

    Se você preferir, podemos nos comunicar em português, para que você possa praticar.

    Talking about poetry, have you ever heard of Carlos Drummond de Andrade? He's a very well-known Brazilian poet. More than amazing. I'll bring something from him soon. I also like Thiago de Mello and Rudyard Kipling. "If" is one of my favorite poems of all times. It's been translated into Portuguese as well.

    See you around.

    Flamengo JAMAIS!!!

    Cristiana

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  5. Julie, my teacher was the best one ever: Renato.

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  6. I guess I'll start poetry classes with you two guys. Great!

    Cris, desculpa por ter respondido quase tudo. Sabe como é: comigo é sempre resposta completa! E a pergunta sobre o teacher foi só pra ter certeza. Por qual outro motivo decoraria um trem gigante daquele.

    Beijo.

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