Spring from another perspective?

We are familiar with Western poetry about the Spring but English speakers may be less familar with the following poem which has been sensitively translated by TC Lai:

Spring - Chun Kwan (1049 - 1100)

Spring has sprayed the paths with flowers
As scores of thrushes
Rishing from the bushes
Burst out like fireworks to announce their joy.

I lie in the shade of an old oak, drunk.
The clouds overhead race;
Tigers, dragons and bears
Changelings each other chase
Till the evening sun steals in and bathes
In the quick-gold of the lake unawares.

I love the contrast between the poetic flights of fancy which are punctured by the prosaic description of him being"drunk." He goes from this simple statement of condition to musing even more complex imaginings. The juxtaposition of the literary and mundane reminds me of Oscar Wilde's "we are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars"

This poem is a glorious snapshot in time which will come back to you as you look at the Spring sky, wherever you are in the world.

Happy Easter

Revision Planning - IGCSE, Pre-U, A Level, Common Entrance

The exam content may differ but the basic premise is the same; you study for a period of time, assemble the facts and techniques and attempt to distill your learning into a few short hours. One of the common consequences of this situation is a month of blind panic during which you know that you should be revising and can't think where to start. So here is an idea:

1; Acquire a copy of your syllabus

2; Go through the above, dividing content into three columns marked "confident I know this," "need to go over it," "not the faintest clue"

3; At this point, you will need to seek help with anything that falls into the latter category

4; For the remaining topics, start allocating revision time. Clearly, your focus is on updating your knowledge of the familiar but consecrating more time to the unfamiliar

5; Break down your time into realistic blocks (seriously, are you going to cane through a topic a night?) Factor in time-cushions for unexpected delays

6; Get on with it!

Alternatively, come to a Brandon Learning Centre revision course!

Let me know if you would like ideas for any aspects of revision or study skills.