content: I had this book crammed down my throat when I was a sophomore in high school. It was by far my worst experience as a student - the material was far too abstract for that period of my development, and completely without any reference to my life. The entire time we spent on this was torture.Even today when I hear the name Stephen Vincent Benet I cringe in horror - some sort of literary post traumatic stress syndrome. I surely hope that high school teachers are not still inflicting this on their students.Perhaps it is a great work of literature - but it should NOT be required reading for high school sophomores!!! There is nothing in it that such a student can relate to.