The poem, “The History Teacher,” could be describing a teacher that is giving a lecture on historical events to students. The teacher would be speaking of the past and what major events affected today’s society. Even so, the poem could also be about the history of a teacher and what s/he has taught students and how s/he changed their viewpoints.
PARAPHRASE
Attempting to shield students from reality, he changed the Ice Age to the “Chilly Age,” where for a long time, the people wore pullovers. The Stone Age turned into “the Gravel Age,” from the over extended paths leading to a house at the moment. The Spanish Inquisition became an era of asking questions similar to “How much distance is between here and Madrid?” and “What is the name of a matador’s headpiece?” The War of the Roses were one that was in vegetation and Enola Gay only discharged something small on Japan. After the lesson, the students would go bully the other kids by making them look disheveled or taking away their utilities while the teacher took his lesson plans and walked along the flowers and the common suburban fence, thinking if the children are so gullible as to conclude that in the Boer War, the fighters told tales intended to bore the other side.
CONNOTATION
The beginning starts with the teacher’s purpose and then tells of the lies that he is feeding to his students. He alludes to several historical events such as the Ice and Stone Age, The Spanish Inquisition, The War of the Roses, and the bombing of Japan. Because at least one of these events would be recognized by the reader, the reader is able to see how the history teacher changes reality just to protect the children. Changing “Ice Age” to “Chilly Age” and saying that it was just a time period in which everyone “had to wear sweaters” is completely different from the real Ice Age. Even the “Stone Age” changes names to the “Gravel Age.” The teacher’s history deeply understates each historical event. Irony then presents itself when the children go out to “play.” They are tormenting “the weak and the smart” being the opposite of what the teacher or the readers would have expected. His attempts to protect them has failed and has also put them in his version of the world. When the teacher is packing up to leave the school, he walks “past flower beds and white picket fences” which is typical of the American dream where everything is perfect and cheerful. It shows that he might be also living in his own reality where there are no wars and devastating natural disasters.
ATTITUDE/TONE
Initially, the tone of the speaker is quite amusing. The fact that the Ice Age became something “when everyone had to wear sweaters” was light hearted. The “Gravel Age” and “The Spanish Inquisition” also presents itself as one of either humor or a play on words. This is continued until the readers are shown the true nature of the history teacher’s students. The attitude becomes more serious and dark. Their aggressive nature causes a distasteful feeling but in the end, when it is known that the teacher does not see the children, the whole mood shifts to one of sadness for the blindness and ignorance that the teacher holds. This despondency that results from the teacher’s attempt to protect the students ends the poem and shows the naivety one can have without knowing it.
SHIFTS
The poem contains two shifts, each one showing a different perspective in the lessons of the history teacher. The poem begins with the speaker describing the methods of the teacher. He changes major historical events to ones without violence and despair, such as creating the “Chilly Age” as opposed to the Ice Age. This continues on until the fourth stanza where the first shift occurs. The readers are able to see the repercussions of the lessons on the children. Instead of being students that refrain from violence, they still “torment the weak and the smart.” Then, the scene switches to the teacher “gather[ing] his notes” peacefully as he ponders if his students actually believe him showing a complete difference between the children that are outside “breaking… glasses.” The teacher is shown to truly think that his teachings have been of use even though it hasn’t. The speaker through these shifts tells how one person can think they are doing the right thing even though they are doing the opposite.
TITLE
“The History Teacher” is about more than just a teacher who teaches history. It is about a teacher trying to shield the future generation from the worse parts of the world. He changes what is to something seemingly better. He is a teacher just not of history. Because of this, there is irony in the title of the poem. The title is able to encompass what the teacher is in addition to what the teacher isn’t.
THEME
The poem revolves around the idea of protecting the innocent. While the teacher attempts using his ways, it is shown that he is still unable to and even worsens the situation by making the real world seem as innocent as the children should be. The theme is that it is impossible to prevent children from seeing the harsh world and as an alternative of never telling them, we should teach them about it. “History repeats itself” is a common saying and by teaching them history, we can prevent it from happening again. If we do not, the children will end up making the same mistakes and learning the same things over and over again. Instead of “torment[ing]” the smart, we should be learning from them and only then, would we be able minimize the tragedies mentioned.