Flames from one log leap to another;
fire kindles fire.
A man learns from the minds of others;
A fool prefers his own.
--from "Words of the High One"--
one of the many Poetic Edda poems
translated from the Old Norse
by Patricia Terry
There are many reasons why I like this stanza and why I've quoted it to many a class. I like to discuss with the class the governing concerns and imagery, the communal intelligence and the kindling fire. And, I like to ask my students what happens if you substitute "tree" in place of "log" in that first line. This stanza and that juxtaposition of wild vs. domesticated "fire" provides a foundation for worthy discourse in the classroom and out.