With out Manners
I found it interesting how different manners are considered for today's society. I never gave this much thought until I read Elizabeth Bishop's poem titled "Manners" on page 48. To always speak to everyone you meet contradicts our idea of not talking to strangers. To "always offer everyone a ride" could get you killed. It is shocking to realize that society changes so quickly. As the poem says at the beginning "For a child of 1918"; the poem really does give you the insight of how it would be to learn manner as a young child of that time.
It is interesting to think that by the poems standards, we are rude and without manners.
I think that you make a very interesting point. Originally when I read the poem, I thought it was simply a cute way to remind children of how they should behave. However, your blog has made me look at the poem a little differently now, comparing today's manners with the manners of a child 90 years ago. You're right, the manners of that period could actually be dangerous for us now, such as offering everyone a ride.
i think manners did not change, instead we changed it, why? you know why!
It is all about me me me, a nuclear family!
me and my family.
And something important here/
Manners is a "tab" under Humanity.
So if you tell me manners is changed (which is true) that means our definition of humanity is also changed.