Back in AP English with Mrs. Zinn we read Greek Tragedies. We read Aristotle’s Poetics, too, so we understood the philosophical and critical background of these plays. I loved it. Then I learned that Aristotle had also written about comedy but the book had been lost. That led me to want to read some Greek comedies.
They’re low brow and ribald; full of lasciviousness and farts. The one I remember best (and that’s not well) is The Frogs by Aristophanes. It’s a parody of what Aristophanes thought was bad theater. But, I didn’t really understand what he was parodying, so I’m pretty sure the humor went over my head. Still, I can’t hear frogs without thinking of my (hopeless) attempts to understand the play.
It was a tempestuous day out at our Happy Place. The sky all around was demonstrating pretty much ALL of its tricks. There were small flurries of snow over the mountains, each moving rapidly toward then across the northern edge of the San Luis Valley. Fluffy clouds like kids draw hung around in the south-east quadrant, and the light changed rapidly over the Sangre de Cristos. Yesterday we had thunder-snow followed by thunder-graupel. It was great.
Bear and I got to welcome two cars today, one of which had a Siberian husky hanging it’s head out of the back window. It was a good day for hawks and I believe I have identified a mated pair of red-tails. A guy told me about them a month or so ago, but I hadn’t seen them until today. I love them. They were my companions on hikes in California all the time. I watched the male circle higher and higher and higher until he was a dot far up in the blue sky. His wife flew low over the grassy fields looking for lunch or dinner. It would seem they do not yet have eggs. I haven’t seen the nest. The man told me where it is, but I haven’t been that way yet.
It was soothing and comforting to be out there in the wind and the changing light. With temperatures forecast in the high 70s next week, we might begin our early-evening journeys.
Bear had a nice time. What interested her most, though, was the clump of grass on which Teddy urinated last Friday. Dogs.
Frogs!
“Summer is the season of inferior sledding” - Inuit proverb 
sounds like a very pleasant day and i wasn’t aware of ‘the frogs.’ how interesting.
It’s been a lovely day. 🙂
One thought leads to another, doesn’t it – I heard all the frogs – never read the Greek tragedies or comedies, but they probably would have gone over my head to. I can sure see why this is your Happy Place.
I taught one of the Greek tragedies to an inner city college English class. They got TOTALLY into it. I had the chance to teach Oedipus a couple of times, too. It all depends on how you focus. They are pretty exciting if you can get around the weird stuff that’s just so culturally alien. 🙂
Interesting. Maybe someday I’ll tackle it 🙂
I’ve read some of the tragedies but not the comedies. Read Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and was lucky enough to finally have gotten hold of an annotated version. The first time I read it was when I found it on the book case at home (12 yrs old)… It was at the library but you had to be 21 to get your hands on it. Lucky for me I found a copy at the used bookstore that had been a college text. Not only annotated but had student notes in the margins. I was scandalized! Hehe! I am trilled that the spring peepers are singing!
It was a different less prudish world through most of history, I think. I love those little frogs. That whole little wetland area is full of birds and frogs right now. But the most beautiful thing of all about it is that the 1/2 mile trail around it is a wheel-chair accessible path and I have more than once seen wheel-chair tracks on it. ❤
Love these transitions between seasons, getting to hear the wildlife reawaken! Thanks for sharing your frogs; don’t have many here.
You’re very welcome. I saw a dog who reminded me of Conall, but he was a husky, one of the fluffy ones. 🙂
If only our biggest worry in our lives was who peed on the grass last, right? Oh, to be a dog. 🙂
Right! Teddy is my other dog and I have a hard time believing Bear is surprised to smell Teddy’s pee out there, but she really seems to be. 😀
Favorite Greek tragedy was always Antigone. Lysistrata probably my favorite comedy. Don’t try yo make me choose between them. They press different buttons. 🙂
I LOVE the sound of frogs and could (should?) fall asleep to that each night! I didn’t know the term “graupel,” so have learned something new.
Graupel is a word I’ve always known. I was surprised to learn fairly recently that it’s a Swiss/German word. It’s always been in my vocabulary for that kind of sleet/snow/hail. Pretty weird how we know the words we know.