By the Waters of Babylon (1937) by Stephen Vincent Benét | Short Story Narration

[@TheHansoost]

I taught grade 11 and 12 English for more years than I care to remember and sometimes used this story as a vehicle to discuss theme and so on. However, I had the most fun getting students to mimic the tone and style of the story. The responses were often delightfully entertaining. One student had me rolling when he set the whole thing up around learning to play golf. Students were permitted to use phrase from the text but had to make them fir the new context. Hence in the context of golf it would be "forbidden to so strike your stone as to have it come to rest in the place that is sand, or off the narrow, verdant path that so many old ones have trod before." Another fun activity involved using short one or 2 page comics ( think Archie, Dennis the Menace) in order to get them to tell the story in words. This forced them to use quotations marks as well as select a point of view. (1st person, omniscient, limited omniscient, objective). Students were expected to provide a setting, illustrate what was happening to move the plot and to add tags reflecting how words were spoken: "Yes!" he cried happily. Thanks for this. It's been awhile and I always enjoyed this story. Seems to say something about our not learning and just repeating history. Definition of stupid, I believe. Also, just wondering too whether AI isn't coming on too fast or our own good.

[@The_Mimewar]

In 1993, in Jr. high, we read this short story, and it has been with me ever since. Are we the gods, or are we the people of this priest? Have we lost our history, or are we the history to be lost?

[@PoetryETrain]

Thank you... Great Reading...

[@verbumdictum3956]

Thank you!

[@PoetryETrain]

@@verbumdictum3956 Welcome...

[@alexandriashetler2920]

Thanks for this, I really didn't want to read this myself, listening is easier. I am using this for my English class. Your voice is also oddly calm, it helps me focus. I'm just following along with my paper packet.

[@verbumdictum3956]

Thanks for the kind words! This was actually the first recording I made for the channel on a not great mic. I’m glad it was of use, and good luck with class!

[@alishanicole3887]

I teach this story to my students. We watch clips of “Life After People” to give them an idea of what a city would look like. This story, like several of Ray Bradbury’s, warn of the consequences of nuclear war.

[@verbumdictum3956]

That’s a great idea for an instructional aid! Hope your class is going well

[@The_Mimewar]

That’s a fantastic idea!

[@The_Mimewar]

“We do not even say it’s name, though we know it’s name”

[@therocknroller184]

Look at the events of 9/11, then look at the events described here, the similarities are uncanny.

[@verbumdictum3956]

Thanks for your interesting insight!

[@stevebratten6592]

I live west of the great river. Though I am free to I do not need to go to the place of the dead. I choose not to follow their broken path. ☠️

[@its.muadh_]

great!

[@johnhewston8569]

A possible inspiration for the adventures of Jonny Goodboy Tyler in the novel BATTLEFIELD EARTH?