I am writing my cv at the moment. I wrote it last week, printed it out very professionally and had it bound. I then drove it to the school I am applying for had one last look over it, noticed some grammatical errors and drove away again without handing it in. How can I submit a grammatically flawed cv if I am applying for a job as an English teacher?! I couldn't. So anyway, not handing my cv in has bought me some time.

I also felt that my cv was not very dynamic. Not very innovative. Not very exciting and thus did not really reflect the kind of teacher I hope to be. It is good, but it is not fabulous. So, I am taking this opportunity to revamp it - any suggestions would be most welcome.

For inspiration I am looking at some of my favourite writers and their works. Today I took another look at Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller. I love his melodromatic play, The Robbers and today I have discovered that I also love his poem To Joy: a poem Beethoven used as the foundation for his 9th symphony.


Words written by Beethoven, not Schiller, are shown in italics.

German original

O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern lasst uns angenehmere
anstimmen und freudenvollere.
Freude! Freude!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
(Schillers Original:
Was der Mode Schwert geteilt;
Bettler werden Fürstenbrüder,)
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!
Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.
Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muss er wohnen.
Finale repeats the words:
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Seid umschlungen,
Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Freude, schöner Götterfunken



English translation

Oh friends, not these tones!
Rather let us sing more
cheerful and more joyful ones.
Joy! Joy!
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
We approach fire-drunk,
Heavenly One, your shrine.
Your magic reunites
What custom sternly divides;
All people become brothers
(Schiller's original:
What custom's sword separates;
Beggars become princes' brothers)
Where your gentle wing alights.
Whoever succeeds in the great attempt
To be a friend of a friend,
Whoever has won a lovely woman,
Let him add his jubilation!
Yes, whoever calls even one soul
His own on the earth's globe!
And who never has, let him steal,
Weeping, away from this group.
All creatures drink joy
At the breasts of nature;
All the good, all the evil
Follow her roses' trail.
Kisses gave she us, and wine,
A friend, proven unto death;
Pleasure was to the worm granted,
And the cherub stands before God.
Glad, as his suns fly
Through the Heavens' glorious plan,
Run, brothers, your race,
Joyful, as a hero to victory.
Be embraced, you millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, beyond the star-canopy
Must a loving Father dwell.
Do you bow down, you millions?
Do you sense the Creator, world?
Seek Him beyond the star-canopy!
Beyond the stars must He dwell.
Finale repeats the words:
Be embraced, ye millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, beyond the star-canopy
Must a loving Father dwell.
Be embraced,
This kiss for the whole world!
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods .

I love the finale - except for the reference to 'the gods,' what's with that! These lines, " beyond the star-canopy /Must a loving Father dwell" are worthy of a post all of their own!

While reading Schiller again, I remembered a previous post in which I was studying the possibilities of emulating the writing styles of the most brilliant writers. In this post I wrote about how Schiller used to write with his feet in a bucket of ice-cold water while invigorated by the smell of rotting apples. No wonder his works are so dramatic! Ice-cold water has to elicit a very intense response.

As I ponder all these things I am not sure that I am any closer to writing a dynamic cv. Perhaps I should put my feet in a bucket of ice-cold water...nah! the wind is chilly enough tonight.

I would gladly welcome any cv writing suggestions as I am not a very seasoned cv writer. I am thinking of including some quotes about teaching, reading, writing, poetry, prose and all things literary. If you have any favourite quotes about literature, I'd love to hear them. Leave me a link or a quote in the comments. If you have any inspiration or advice, leave that too.

Wish me luck. I'm sure I can prove I am an inspired and dynamic teacher somehow...