CMP Review 2024-04-11

April 11, 2024

Looking back towards the end of her life, Charlotte Mason wrote, “Over thirty years ago… it occurred to me that a series of curricula might be devised embodying sound principles and securing that children should be in a position of less dependence on their teacher than they then were.”

Mason could only propose such a series of curricula because of her presuppositions: “I believe that all children bring with them much capacity which is not recognized by their teachers, chiefly intellectual capacity.” Because children have such unrecognized power, they do not need so much help from teachers. In fact, Mason says that we educators are apt to “drawn” this power “in deluges of explanation.”

When it comes to poetry studies, perhaps I took this principle a bit too far; if I did, however, it was only because of my limitations. One term I handed my son a book of Shakespeare’s poems and required him to read it. The next term, I handed him a book of Wordsworth’s poems and required the same. I offered no biography, no history, no commentary, no analysis. I offered poems.

Halfway through the Wordsworth term, my son called me over. “Shakespeare is like London,” he explained to me, “while Wordsworth is like the countryside. Shakespeare is very formal, while Wordsworth tells us about going on a walk.” My son had educated himself, and he wanted to share his learnings with me.

The moment that struck me the most, however, was when we were listening to Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor near the end of the term. We had listened to it together several times, but I had never lectured or taught him about Clara Schumann’s composition style, place in musical history, or artistic contribution. I did, however, briefly express my admiration for the music at a particular point in the concerto.

“Yes, and we are coming up to the part I like the most,” he said. “The part that reminds me of Wordsworth.” Oh what hidden reflection and connection had been going on that I knew nothing about. A link between poetry and music that I could never have taught. A link that can only be the product of self-education.

@artmiddlekauff