As higher education accelerates its efforts to destroy our heritage and culture, it's probably long-past time to reconsider its usefulness to society

The Barbarians have breached the gates

University drops sonnets because they are products of white western culture

The University of Salford, a public university in Greater Manchester, England, removed sonnets and other “pre-established literary forms” from a creative writing course assessment, The Telegraph reported.

Course leaders of a creative writing module titled “Writing Poetry in the Twenty-First Century,” removed an exam section that required students to write the traditional forms, including sestinas and sonnets, according to the newspaper.

The sonnet, a poetic form that likely originated in Italy in the 13th century, has been taken up by writers such as Petrarch, Shakespeare and John Donne, according to Britannica.

“The sonnet is unique among poetic forms in Western literature in that it has retained its appeal for major poets for five centuries,” the encyclopedia stated.

A University of Salford slideshow shared with staff stated that teachers have “simplified the assessment offering choice to write thematically rather than to fit into pre-established literary forms…which tend to the products of white western culture,” according to documents cited by The Telegraph.

The slideshow affirmed the change as an example of best practice in “decolonising the curriculum.” The Telegraph defined “decolonising” as “a term used to describe refocusing curricula away from historically dominant Western material and viewpoints.”

Instead, the course will incorporate “inclusive criteria” that better “reflect and cater for a diverse society,” according to internal training materials review by The Telegraph. The materials also showed that the courses could be upgraded by utilizing “a choice of assessment methods” allowing students to be tested “in a way that suits them.”

British historian: assuming sonnets alienate non-white students is ‘hugely patronising’

The Telegraph quoted Oxford-trained historian Zareer Masani’s statement that the course overhaul was “outrageous.”

“It is hugely patronising to assume non-White students would be put off by Western poetic forms,” he said. “Poetic forms vary widely across the world, but good poetry is universal.”

Scott Thurston, leader of the creative writing program at Salford, said the course was “often updated to take account of new trends and development in contemporary writing,” according to The Telegraph.

Thurston said that teachers would still instruct creative writing students in traditional forms in their first year and give them exercises in writing them. However, the curriculum would also include creative experimentation with students’ “own forms.”

Here are just two examples I found that exemplify the new forms that will supplant and improve upon the old: Shakespeare, eat your heart out.

“Out on bail, fresh out of jail, California dreamin’
Soon as I step on the scene, I’m hearin’ hoochies screamin’.”
2Pac and Dr. Dre – ‘California Love’

And a more ambitious effort from a Mr. Meek Mill:

I used to pray for times like this, to rhyme like this
So I had to grind like that to shine like this
In a matter of time I spent on some locked up shit
In the back of the paddy wagon, cuffs locked on wrists
See my dreams unfold, nightmares come true
It was time to marry the game and I said, "Yeah, I do"
If you want it you gotta see it with a clear-eyed view
Got a shorty, she tryna bless me like I said, "Achoo"
Like a nigga sneezed, nigga please before them triggers squeeze
I'm gettin' cream, never let them hoes get in between
Of what we started, lil' nigga but I'm lionhearted
They love me when I was stuck and they hated when I departed
I go and get it regardless, draw it like I'm an artist
No crawlin', went straight to walkin' with foreigns in my garage
Got foreign bitches menagin', fuckin', suckin', and swallowin'
Anything for a dollar, they tell me get 'em, I got 'em
I did it without an album
I did shit with Mariah
Lil' nigga I'm on fire
Icy as a hockey rink, Philly nigga I'm Flyer
When I bought the Rolls Royce they thought it was leased
Then I bought that new Ferrari, hater rest in peace
Hater rest in peace, rest in peace to the parking lot
Phantom so big, it can't even fit in the parking spot
You ain't talkin' bout my niggas then what you talkin' bout?
Gangstas move in silence, nigga and I don't talk a lot
I don't say a word, I don't say a word
Was on my grind and now I got what I deserve fuck nigga
Hold up wait a minute, y'all thought I was finished?
When I bought that Aston Martin y'all thought it was rented?
Flexin' on these niggas, I'm like Popeye on his spinach
Double M, yeah that's my team, Rozay the captain, I'm the lieutenant
I'm the type to count a million cash then grind like I'm broke
That Lambo, my new bitch, she don't ride like my ghost
I'm ridin' around my city with my hands strapped around my toast
Cause these niggas want me dead and I gotta make it back home
Cause my momma need that bill money and my son need some milk
These niggas tryna take my life, they fuck around get killed
You fuck around, you fuck around, you fuck around, get smoked
Cause these Philly niggas I brought with me don't fuck around, no joke
All I know is murder, when it comes to me
I got young niggas that's rollin' I got niggas throwin' b's
I done did the DOAs, I done did the KODs
Every time I'm in that bitch I get to throwin' 30 G's
Now I'm hangin' out that drop head, I'm ridin' down on Collins
They let my nigga Ern back home, that young nigga be wildin'
We young niggas and we mobbin', like Batman and we're robbin' (Robin)
This two-door Maybach, with my seat all reclinin'
I'm like real nigga what up, real nigga what up
If you ain't about that murder game then pussy nigga shut up
If you diss me in yo' raps, I'll get your pussy ass stuck up
When you touchdown in my hood, no that tour life ain't good
Catch me down in MIA, at that heat game on wood
With that Puma life on my feet, like that little engine I could
Boy I slide down on your block, bike on twelve o'clock
And they be throwin' deuces on the same nigga they watch
And I'm the king of my city cause I'm still callin' them shots
And these lames talkin' that bullshit the same niggas that flock
I'm the same nigga from Berks Street with them nappy braids that lock
The same nigga that came up and I had to wait for my spot
And these niggas hatin' on me, hoes waitin' on me
Still on that hood shit, my Rolls Royce on E
They gon' remember me, I say remember me
So much money have ya friends turn into enemies
And with these beef I turn my enemies to memories
With them bricks they go from 40 ain't no 10 a key, hold up
Broke nigga turned rich, love the game like Mitch
And if I leave you think them pretty hoes gon' still suck my dick?
It was somethin' 'bout that Rollie when it first touched my wrist
Had me feelin' like that dope boy when he first touched that brick
I'm gone