Using Poetry in ELT: Happiness and A Song in time of Depression

Michael Berman, UK

Michael Berman’s published work includes The Power of Metaphor for Crown House, The Nature of Shamanism and the Shamanic Story for Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Shamanic Journeys through the Caucasus and Shamanic Journeys, Shamanic Stories for O-Books, Journeys outside Time for Pendraig Publishing, and Tales of Power for Lear Books. A Bridge to the Other Side: Death in the Folk Tradition and Georgia through Earth, Fire, Air and Water are both due to be published by Moon Books in 2012. ELT publications include A Multiple Intelligences Road to an ELT Classroom, In a Faraway Land (a resource book for teachers on storytelling), On Business and for Pleasure (a self-study workbook), and English Language Teaching Matters, written with Mojca Belak and Wayne Rimmer. For more information please visit www.Thestoryteller.org.uk, E-mail: berman.michael@rocketmail.com

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Happiness by Arschag Tchobanian
Notes for teachers 1
A Song in time of Depression (from the Paiute)
The treatment for depression
Steps you can take as a patient to help yourself
Notes for teachers
Key

Happiness by Arschag Tchobanian

WEARY of vainly seeking Happiness
In city alleys full of sound and strife,
I hastened from the noisy human press,--
The labyrinth of this dark, grovelling life.

I said, "The mountain knows its place of rest,"
And clambered up above the level plain;
But the bald Titan answered me distressed:--
"Dullness alone doth Time for me ordain."

I left the mountain and approached the winds--
Those infinite, proud spirits, ever free;
"We are the sighs of griefs that to your minds
Must still remain unknown," they answered me.

And then above the winds and clouds I rose,
Soared to the skies, and asked the stars of Heaven.
"We are the tears that flow from countless woes,"
The answer by those eyes of darkness given.

Above the stars, in the lone fields of space,
I saw God musing, sorrowful and mild.
"Father," I cried, "where is Joy's dwelling-place?"
He said, "I also do not know, my child."

From Armenian Legends and Poems by Zabelle C. Boyajian, published in London by J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. in 1916, and scanned at sacred-texts.com June 2006. Proofed and Formatted by John Bruno Hare. This text is in the public domain.

Happiness by Arschag Tchobanian

Pre-listening: The poem you’re going to read or listen to was written by an Armenian poet. What do you know about Armenia and its people and, based on this knowledge, what would you expect the poem to be about?

While-listening: While reading or listening to this poem, see if you can work out the rhyme scheme

Post-listening: Where do you think happiness is to be found in life? Tell the person sitting to your left. Some people would argue that we have no right to be happy while there is still so much poverty and suffering in the world. What do you think? Tell the person sitting to your right. The poem suggests that even God does not know where happiness is to be found. To what extent do you agree with this? Tell the person sitting in front or behind you.

A Song in time of Depression (from the Paiute)

Now all my singing Dreams are gone
But none knows where they are fled
Nor by what trail they have left me.
Return, O Dreams of my heart,
And sing in the summer twilight,
By the creek and the almond thicket
And the field that is bordered with lupins!

Now is my refuge to seek
In the hollow of friendly shoulders,
Since the singing is stopped in my pulse
And the earth and the sky refuse me;
Now must I hold by the eyes of a friend
When the high white stars are unfriendly.

Over sweet is the refuge of trusting;
Return and sing, O my Dreams,
In the dewy and palpitant pastures,
Till the love of living awakes
And the strength of the hills to uphold me.

Taken from Cronyn, G.W. (ed.) (1918) The Path on the Rainbow: An Anthology of Songs and Chants from the Indians of North America. New York: Boni and Liveright, Inc., and in the public domain.

The treatment for depression

Find the missing prepositions:

Various forms of treatment are available depending 1 _____ the nature of your problem. Counselling helps you to talk 2 _____ your feelings 3 _____ private 4 _____ a sympathetic professional. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, 5 _____ the other hand, can help sufferers to overcome the powerful negative thoughts that are part 6 _____ depression. Interpersonal and dynamic therapies can help if you have difficulties getting 7 _____ with other people, whereas a relationship counsellor might be helpful if you’re having difficulties 8 _____ your partner. Finally, if you have a disability or are caring 9 _____ a relative, a self-help group may give you support. As 10 _____ medication, antidepressants can be effective if depression is severe or goes 11 _____ for a long time. They may help feelings of anxiety and help you to deal 12 _____ problems effectively again. The effects of antidepressants won’t usually be felt straight 13 _____ - people often don't notice any improvement 14 _____ their mood for two or three weeks.

As an alternative 15 _____ allopathic medicine, a herbal remedy called St John's Wort is available from chemists. There is evidence that it’s effective 16 _____ mild to moderate depression. It seems to work 17 _____ much the same way as some antidepressants, but some people find that it has fewer side effects. You should discuss taking it 18 _____ your doctor, particularly if you‘re taking other medication.

Like all medicines, antidepressants have some side effects, though these are usually mild and tend to wear 19 _____ as the treatment goes 20 _____. The newer antidepressants (called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) may result 21 _____ nausea and anxiety 22 _____ a short while. The older antidepressants can cause dry mouth and constipation. Unless the side effects are very bad, your doctor will usually be 23 _____ favour of you continuing 24 _____ the tablets. Four 25 _____ of five people with depression will get better 26_____ help. The shorter the period of time you have been depressed, the better the chance that it will lift 27 _____ its own, without any need 28 _____ intervention. However, even 29 _____ treatment, one 30 _____ five people will still be depressed two years later.

I’ve got a problem and there seems to be no solution to it.
The problem is making me depressed
Depression affects a lot of people these days.
The depression you are suffering from can be treated though.

Use the indefinite article (A) with a singular countable noun to introduce something new, use the definite article (THE) to refer to something that has already been introduced or is already known. Use no article to refer to something in general. Use the definite article to refer to a particular example.

There are man forms of depression. It can be temporary, mild, moderate, severe or clinical. However, the fact that an adjective is placed in front of a noun does not necessitate the use of the definite article in English:

Temporary depression is something we all suffer from at one time or another in our lives.
Clinical depression is often treated with antidepressants.

In your first language, it might be different, though, so you need to make sure you only use THE in English when what you are referring to is very definitely specific. For example:

Unfortunately the depression my next-door neighbour was suffering from led her to take her own life.

Fill in the gaps in the following passage with a(n) or the. Leave gaps empty if no article is required:

1 _____ feeling of depression is deeper, longer and more unpleasant than 2 _____ short periods of unhappiness that we all have from 3 _____time to 4 _____time. This presents 5 _____ very bleak picture. However, it's important to remember that 6 _____depression isn't 7 _____ absolute - it's not simply 8 _____ case of either you're depressed or you're not. There's 9 _____ progression from feeling blue to 10 _____ full clinical illness. Even then, you won't suffer from every symptom.

Sometimes there may be 11 _____ obvious reason for becoming depressed, sometimes not. There is usually more than one cause and different people have different reasons. It may seem obvious why – 12 _____ relationship breakdown, bereavement or even 13 _____ birth of 14 _____ child – but sometimes it’s not clear. Either way, it can become so bad that you need 15 _____help.

Often 16 _____people don’t realise how depressed they are, because 17 _____ depression has come on gradually. They may try to struggle on and cope by keeping busy. This can make them even more stressed and exhausted. This can cause 18 _____physical pains, such as 19 _____constant headaches, or 20 _____sleeplessness.

Steps you can take as a patient to help yourself

Find the missing prepositions.

Talk to someone close 1 _____you 2 _____ how you feel as going 3 _____ a painful experience and crying it 4 _____ can help you come 5 _____ terms with it. Get some regular exercise. This will help you keep 6 _____ shape and hopefully, sleep better. Doing jobs around the house can help to take your mind 7 _____ thoughts that make you feel 8 _____ too. It’s important to eat well, even if you don’t feel like it. And whatever you do, don’t drink alcohol as this makes depression worse, although it might not seem to 9 _____ first. If you find yourself suffering 10 _____ insomnia, try not to worry 11 _____ it. Do something relaxing in bed such as reading, watching TV or listening to the radio instead. And if you know what is making you depressed, write it 12 _____ and think 13 _____ ways to tackle it, pick the best ones and see if they help. Finally, it’s important to keep hopeful, as this is 14 _____ no means an uncommon experience and you will come 15 _____ it, probably stronger and more able to cope than before.

Notes for teachers 2

Pre-listening: Read (or listen to) the poem to find out what the writer has lost, and how the writer now attempts to obtain what is missing from his/her life. Suggested Answer: The writer has lost the love of living and can only find it now, second-hand, through the eyes of a friend

Post-listening: What advice can you think of to help someone suffering from depression? Working in small groups, make a list of suggestions together to present to the rest of the class.

After the feedback stage, hand out the worksheets for the learners to work on in pairs of small groups.

Key

The Treatment for Depression: 1 on 2 about 3 in 4 with 5 on 6 of 7 on 8 with 9 for 10 for 11 on 12 with 13 away 14 in 15 to 16 in 17 in 18 with 19 off 20 on 21 in 22 23 in 24 with 25 out 26 without 27 on 28 for 29 with 30 in

Use of the Articles: 1 The 2 the 3 _____ 4 _____ 5 a 6 _____ 7 an 8 a 9 a 10 the 11 an 12 a 13 the 14 a 15 _____16 _____ 17 the 18 _____ 19 _____ 20 _____ Steps you can take as a Patient to help yourself: 1 to 2 about 3 over 4 out 5 to 6 in 7 off 8 down 9 at 10 from 11 about 12 down 13 of 14 by 15 through

Please check the Creative Methodology for the Classroom course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Teaching Advanced Students course at Pilgrims website.