In my English class, we have started Milton's Paradise Lost. If I am not mistaken, it (along with Dante's Inferno) is a mandatory read for seniors.

I have started reading it but simply can not concentrate long enough to understand or stay with the archaic peotic prose of Milton. I realize that these books we must read in school are chosen for a reason, but I can't help but feel cheated in a way because I am missing all the current books written for what some blind man fantasizes to be the best epic poem ever written. It isn't just Milton that all of sudden caused this feeling of frustration, it's all the other archaic writtings that I've had to read because they are "classic." I have no problem with the contents of these books, but I just feel that we should be reading current books too because school curriculum makes me think that all the books written currently are inferior to Shakespeare, Milton, or Thoreau. I strongly disagree. Just because most current authors do not write with all of this symbolism/allusion bullcrap that teachers seem to find orgasmic pleasure from, doesn't mean that their ideas are not worthy of classroom time.

I'm not saying that the classics shouldn't be read at all, but I want to be exposed to the writing of the day also. And I realize that I could just go to Sparknotes and just read the synopsis, but then as nerdy as it sounds, that would completely destroy the purpose of being exposed to the classics. I'm just frustrated that English teachers in general are so excited about these books but they never promote current authors.

Now I have to go do my French project on Matisse. Dam.