I pooh-poohed Latin until won over by Winnie in translation
Virginia Orrey recalls how her Latin teacher grabbed the class’s attention in 1973 with Alexander Lenard’s Winnie Ille Pu As a callow 17-year-old in 1973, I and one other classmate had the distinction of being the only pupils in the sixth form at our grammar school to study Latin as an additional O-level alongside our A-levels. Our – in retrospect very young, newly qualified – teacher was at her wits’ end to engage us in the joys of verbs that are passive in form but active in meaning, and the class was more often than not 50% empty.
Virginia Orrey recalls how her Latin teacher grabbed the class’s attention in 1973 with Alexander Lenard’s Winnie Ille Pu
As a callow 17-year-old in 1973, I and one other classmate had the distinction of being the only pupils in the sixth form at our grammar school to study Latin as an additional O-level alongside our A-levels.
Our – in retrospect very young, newly qualified – teacher was at her wits’ end to engage us in the joys of verbs that are passive in form but active in meaning, and the class was more often than not 50% empty.
However, in what can only have been a moment of divine inspiration, she brought in two copies of Alexander Lenard’s Winnie Ille Pu, a Latin translation of AA Milne’s timeless book (Letters, 23 October). Our attention was grabbed – and lifelong. Job done. Virginia Orrey Cowes, Isle of Wight
- latin
- winnie
- translation
- teacher
- class
- form
- level
- pooh
