What if you discovered that everything you learned in school was a lie? All the time you sat learning math, in vain, all the facts about government were just a softened truth, the wars fought to make America a great country were all lies. Well, in this poem “The History Teacher” by Billy Collins, he shows what the consequences would be if a serious subject were softened, not only in school but in everyday life. Even if you would like to spare someone the hard truth, it would be better to tell them the truth. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIn this story the main character is a teacher, this teacher doesn't want to introduce his students to the harsh truth of History so he finds different ways to make things friendlier for children without desensitizing or traumatizing them while still teaching them history . The result of her softening the truth, her kids go out on the play area and pick on the kids who actually knew the real story because they thought the other kids were wrong, which the teacher had to deal with because she couldn't tell the kids otherwise wise and ruin their "innocence". I understand that the teacher wants to preserve the children's innocence, but their education is not something to compromise on. Collins' poem brings to light the harm that not telling people the whole truth and/or keeping others in the dark can do. I can empathize with the teacher because, as a teacher, it is your job to teach children about life, the past, the present, these are also basic skills, so if you don't teach them correctly it will be difficult for them to learn the truth later in life. After that I realized that even though he was sparing the kids their childhood, he was also creating a problem for the other kids who knew that what he was teaching wasn't true because his kids would "torture the weak and weak." the clever ones, who ruffle their hair and break their glasses” (Collins). These kids now pose a threat to other kids at school due to their oblivious ignorance. At the end of the poem the teacher goes home thinking of new ways to lie to the kids tomorrow. What amazes me most is that he sees that the kids are learning nothing and that their ignorance is indirectly harming the other kids, yet he makes no effort to stop him or rethink his methods. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The meaning of this story is that it would be better to reveal the truth to someone than to lie to them and let them wander in this cruel and unforgiving world, unaware of the truth. Don't tell people the truth, yes, sometimes it may be for their own good, or maybe just to keep a clear conscience, but eventually someone will tell them the truth or they will have to experience the harsh truth and all your effort to preserve their “innocence” would be in vain to spare you the embarrassment and spare them the harsh realization because, let's be real, no one can remain innocent forever. Everyone has to face the truth in life sooner or later, so don't let even a moment of the truth be spared because it could be vital to their growth as human beings, to summarize Tell people the truth and you will spare others trauma and drama.