The Opposites Game

Not everyone is a poet but through their work, we may just know a bit more about ourselves.

This past week the group has been playing this game as the title reads. It's a fun exercise from Ted-Ed which is basically one sentence from Emily Dickinson, "My life had stood a loaded gun". As the author, Brendan Constatine, demonstrates with his class, we did the same.

There are different levels in the group and let's not separate them. First, we made sure that everyone understood the meaning of "opposites" and tried several examples such as bright & dark, young & old, big & small. Then the line needed to be understood. People all have different interpretations and that's the best part. Some have said that the writer, assuming that it isn't someone else, is stressed, ready to do something, and Andy's personal favorite- feeling squandered.

Here's the interesting part. None of the players last week knew what the sentence really means but was all taking guesses based on the word cues. Why do some of us come up with more negative words and some more positive? The game itself isn't just an intellectual learning gig but a reflection of our state of mind. In order to guide, learners must be honest and willing. There's nothing easier to help people achieve both of them than "playing a game".

Why would the writer feel that life had been wasted?

had- past

stood- stayed, remained, not moving, rotting

loaded- full, ready, equipped

gun- power, talent

The writer mourned for the loss of time, not having been able to live to the fullest potential and when the right time appeared, it had already been too late. There's no telling whether that is correct but it's nevertheless an analysis worth practicing.

After a few rounds of discussions, the group and 1 on 1 learners managed to come up with some inspiring interpretations.

"Other spirits will exist all over heaven.

"You murder will lie in light water"

Do these sentences make sense? They're grammatically correct but the meaning requires imagination. That's the fun part.

As the pandemic continues, life is could be extra boring. It isn't though. The virus merely makes us realize how it is when more fear is upon us. Now is not the time to panic; now is not the time to exploit. If there's anything we could all learn from and do is that the opposite of fear isn't courage; it's tranquility. What better way to stay calm than picking up a hobby perhaps drawing, gaming or anything fun. As teachers or anyone who has dealt with children would know, an empty mind is not always the best one; it seeks trouble or is influenced by troubles.

Why not pay attention to the words/sentences you found recently and play the opposites game? Who knows? You may even discover the poet in you!

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