THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 7, 1995 TAG: 9504050240
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEAN GEDDES, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Marcella Rust's 20 sixth-graders at Brandon Middle School sat spellbound listening to the poetry read to them by guest lecturer, Dr. Robert Christin.
He spoke tenderly, caressing the words as the students grasped the images in their minds: the baseball game, the death of a little girl, the small boy being waltzed off to bed by a father with whiskey on his breath.
Through his reading of the work of poets as far back as 1000 B.C. came wisdom of the ages: ``Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams go life is a barren field frozen with snow,'' wrote poet Langston Hughes.
Then Christin paused, as a hush fell over the class, and explained: ``Poets love words that have to do with feelings.''
Still later he said: ``Poetry shakes your vision so that you see things more clearly. It gets under your skin more than anything else done in words. It answers so many questions.''
When he finished reading, he turned the tables and asked the class members to try their own hand at poetry. ``Write as much as you can in images, in words or phrases that can be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, touched and try to use as few words as possible,'' instructed Christin.
Demonstrating a poem packed with feelings, he read from ``High Flight'' by John Magee, an American who flew with the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II and was later killed while in service. `` . . . and while with silent lifting mind I've trod the high untres-passed sanctity of space, put out my hand and touched the face of God.''
According to Christin, ``If students work on writing poetry, they learn to write anything better, using only words that are necessary. It's a great discipline.''
He has appeared before more than 100 middle and senior high school and college classes and has lectured at numerous national forums and conventions. He has appeared before middle school classes in Virginia Beach and elsewhere throughout Virginia, both reading and teaching poetry.
The father of 10 children himself, his love of young people is apparent. He has published short stories for children as well as articles for adults. Currently he is at work on a book of poetry for those who don't read poetry but are curious about it.
According to Rust, ``The class was so thrilled that a college professor took the time to read not only to them but to read their individual work and write comments on each paper.''
Christin grinned when he explained that a course he had been asked to teach at the University of Notre Dame had been an elective course with 10 students enrolled. By the end of the semester, 40 students had signed up for the next class.
Throughout his academic career, which has included being president of Marymount College in Tarrytown, N.Y., he has continued writing his own poetry and has received many awards and honors for his work. He was awarded the Thomas Madden Award for excellence in teaching while at Notre Dame.
After his retirement he came to Virginia Beach where he lives with his wife, Dorothy, in the Kempsville area. Besides his lecturing at various schools, he is also co-chairman of the AIDS Ministry at Ascension Catholic Church and has worked with the National Upward Bound program. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Robert Christin, a former professor at Notre Dame now living in
Kempsville, checks over a poem written by a student in Marcella
Rust's sixth-grade class at Brandon Middle School.
POETRY READING
Dr. Robert Christin will read 20th century ``Poems of Love''
today at 7:30 p.m. at the River Bend Book Store on Great Neck Road
with an emphasis on contemporary poets. On May 1 at 7 p.m. he will
lecture on James Jones' novel, ``From Here to Eternity,'' for the
Kempsville library discussion series. Call 479-3304.
by CNB