The Village Schoolmaster by Oliver Goldsmith - a commentary on the poem Notes and questions with each slide. Steve.neal@marrasouk.co.uk http://www.marrasouk.com

“The Village Schoolmaster is an extract from a longer poem - “The Deserted Village.” The common land was fenced off by the rich Villages were deserted The poor had nowhere to graze their animals or collect fuel Many historians believe that enclosure led to the reduction of small landholders in England. Enclosure was when the common land was fenced off by act of parliament. This was resisted by small landowners and landless labourers. Common rights had included not only the right to graze cattle or sheep, but also the poor were able to graze geese and let their pigs forage for food. They could also collect berries and fuel. Many people who had previously been able to live off the land, were now forced into the towns where they became worked in the factories. So a ‘deserted village’ was a common sight. The poor were forced to work in towns in factories http://www.marrasouk.com

The poem is a portrait of a village schoolmaster The first 2 lines sets the scene of a deserted village The village was where he taught “unprofitably gay” The fence The fence “straggles” because it hasn’t been repaired. The gorse is “unprofitably gay” because it has been left to bloom, rather than cut and burnt for fuel. The gorse ashes would then be used to fertilise the land. All signs of a deserted village. “Straggles” The gorse http://www.marrasouk.com

Goldsmith shows us the different sides of the schoolmaster He mentions his strengths Suggests he was strict with those who missed school. “Skilled to rule” But also his more intimidating side “and every truant knew” “stern to view” “severe” http://www.marrasouk.com

The pupils could guess his mood for that day by the expression on his face Well had the boding tremblers learn'd to trace The day’s disasters in his morning face; But “boding tremblers” is comic - it’s exaggerated These words suggest it wasn’t a good mood Can you judge mood by the expression on the face? http://www.marrasouk.com

The pupils laughed at his jokes Did I tell you the one about.. “counterfeited glee,” Their laughter was faked And then there’s the one about.. “, the dismal tidings when he frown'd:” Why do people laugh at jokes that aren’t funny? “for many a joke had he:” What does this suggest about the schoolmaster? What is the village schoolmaster like on the basis of the evidence on this slide? “for many a joke had he,” But his mood could change http://www.marrasouk.com

examples of his kindness but goes on to tell us.. “Yet he was kind” Goldsmith doesn’t give us any examples of his kindness but goes on to tell us.. “Yet he was kind” anything strict “or if severe in aught, The love he bore to learning was in fault” How can loving learning too much be considered a fault? The rest of the poem gives us some indication. The schoolmaster loved learning too much, until it became a fault. http://www.marrasouk.com

The village all declar'd how much he knew; All useful skills in the eyes of the uneducated villagers but not evidence of great learning write cipher measure terms and tides presage Do maths Predict the dates of religious festivals and holidays More complex maths- calculating liquid in a barrel or rainfall “the story’ suggest it’s difficult to believe Goldsmith appears to be building up the schoolmaster’s knowledge, but it is only impressive to the villagers who would have had little or no education. Why would the skills and knowledge listed be useful in the life of the village? And e'en the story ran that he could gauge. http://www.marrasouk.com

In arguing too, the parson own'd his skill, This appears to be a compliment about the schoolmaster The vicar - a man with education But it’s a very particular type of skill defeated For even though vanquish'd he could argue still; Why would someone carry on arguing after he had lost? Stubborness? Did he not realise he had lost the argument? It’s a gentle, humorous criticism from Goldsmith. He carried on arguing after he had lost http://www.marrasouk.com

The schoolmaster tries to impress the villagers with.. Sounds impressive words of learned length and thundering sound I’m amazed He’s held in high regard by the villagers, who are impressed by his knowledge. I gaze How can that “small head” hold all that Knowledge? Goldsmith uses “gazing”, “ gazed” and “amazed” close together - the repetition emphasising the rustics’ wonder. It’s an affectionate poem where Goldsmith gently mocks the limits of the schoolmaster’s knowledge and is ironic at his expense’ “ that one small head could carry all he knew.” The “small head” suggests that there can’t have been that much knowledge in there. In the context of the poem “Deserted Village” Goldsmith is lamenting the loss of a character because of the changes in agriculture. The next two lines of the poem read: “But past is all his fame. The very spot 
 Where many a time he triumph'd is forgot.” My wonder grows http://www.marrasouk.com

A quick note on the form of the poem: Rhymes with the following line: aa, bb, cc etc 10 syllables in each line Full well the busy whisper, circling round, Conveyed the dismal tidings when he frowned. Are there any couplets in the poem that are not closed couplets? Read it through. A popular eighteenth century verse form These are closed couplets; each couplet is a unit of sense It’s a heroic couplet http://www.marrasouk.com