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Monday 29 October 2018

Reading - Poem (Did I Miss Anything)

Did I Miss Anything?

Question frequently asked by students after missing a class

Nothing. When we realised you weren’t here
we sat with our hands folded on our desks
in silence, for the full two hours
Everything. I gave an exam worth
40 percent of the grade for this term
and assigned some reading due today
on which I’m about to hand out a quiz
worth 50 percent

Nothing. None of the content of this course
has value or meaning
Take as many days off as you like:
any activities we undertake as a class
I assure you will not matter either to you or me
and are without purpose

Everything. A few minutes after we began the last time
a shaft of light descended and an angel
or other heavenly being appeared
and revealed to us what each woman or man must do
to attain divine wisdom in this life and the hereafter
This is the last time the class will meet
before we disperse to bring this good news to all people
on earth

Nothing. When you are not present
how could something significant occur?

Everything. Contained in this classroom
is a microcosm of human existence
assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
This is not the only place such an opportunity has been
gathered

but it was one place

And you weren’t here

(Tom Wayman)


There are two ‘voices’ in the poem.
Who do you think it talking in the Nothing verses?
I think Nothing will be the Students.

Who do you think is talking in the Everything verses?
I think Everything will be a Teacher.

Choose 5 interesting words from this poem and explain what they mean.
  • Revealed - Revealed means that unknown or secret information.
  • Disperse - Disperse means that something is spretting out.
  • Significant - Having a particular meaning
  • Microcosm - Microcosm means a small group.
  • Existence - Existence means that something that exist or alive.

Take ONE of the verses in the poem and illustrate it.
Verse one -

Find out 5 facts about the poet Tom Wayman.

  1. He was born in 13th of August 1945 at Hawkesbury, Canada.
  2. He has published 21 poetry.
  3. He wrote a first poetry in 1973. (When he was 28 years old)
  4. Wayman’s father was Pulp Mill chemist
  5. He has written Poetry, Novels, Short Fiction, Anthologies and Criticism.

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For reading we read the poem about Did I Miss Anything. I learnt that this poem has written by Tom Wayman. I had fun doing this activity because question were quite hard and I need to illustrate the verse. For this learning I worked with Carl. 

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