Dawn

The Gods of the Copy Book Headings

http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_copybook.htm

Ok.  If you want to understand the commercial for Glen Beck's new book you are going to hear the phrase

"There are only four things certain since Social Progress began.
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire;"

In the promo.

Unless you were in Licther's English Lit class with me, I doubt you have read much Kipling, willingly.

Here's the deal. It's from a Poem called "The Gods of the Copy Book Headings"

A copy book is a book with common "truths and sayings" that English kids used to practice writing.   They would literally copy the heading of the page over and over down the book..  Thus a "Copy Book Heading"  and I suppose the "Gods" are the ones that select what truths are on the headings.

Anyway the point of the poem is that societies ignore theses truths at their own peril and repeat the same mistakes over and over again as soon as they think the truths no longer apply to them.

Then harsh reality steps in and we start the cycle over again.

Perhaps that is the point of the book.  I don't know.

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