St Elizabeth High School - Elizabethan Yearbook (Oakland, CA)

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ELIZABETHAN NINETEEN-THIRTY poet who writes, and there is something of the preternatural brilliance of disease in his poetry. In his Endymion, which is the story of a young shepherd beloved of a moon goddess, Keats gives us, as he himself says, an unsuccessful attempt to imitate the beauty of Greek mythology. lt has many beautiful passages which have often been quoted, but on the whole it is confused and unequal. It has been called a 'confusion of beauties and weaknesses,' 'a tangled jungle of rich foliage,' but in it are some of the loveliest flowers and fruits of English poetry. His later poems, Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and his Odes are all more mature than his first works and yet they are most attrac- tive because they excel in the fire and passion of the delight of youth. Toward the last, Keats was invited by Shelley to live with him in Rome, although he did not accept this invitation, he was attracted by the idea of going to a southern climate as a last resource in search of good health. He went to Rome, and, soon after his arrival, died in the arms of his artist-friend, Severn. His last words were: I am dying. l shall die easy, don't be frightened: be firm, and thank Cod it has come. His influence upon the poets of his century has been unique and abiding: there is scarcely a poet, from his own day to the day of Tennyson and Rosetti, who does not exhibit some trace of that influence. To them, and to us, the work of this ill-fated boy, whose sun went down while it was yet day, is A thing of beauty and joy forever. x Joseph Conrad IN an intimate biographic sketch of her noted husband's life, jessie Conrad, an Englishwoman, shows us many personal characteristics of joseph Conrad. He was born in war-ridden Ukrania in l858, and in his early years Conrad saw much of distress, trouble, and hardship. As a mariner he made many sea-voyages to Australia and other far countries, and as a result of his travels he had many adventurous tales to relate when he finally returned to England. Here at home he formed many acquaintances and friendly connections which helped him greatly in his chosen career as a writer. He was personally very temperamental and, at times, quite inconsistent, although his many works show keen thought and unaffected interest in the choice of his subject materials. Like many people of temperamental nature, Conrad had a deep understanding of and love for human nature, which is shown in the reminis- cences of his travels and personal memories of World War incidents. Often, even after he was well established in the literary world of his adopted country, he was tempted to leave England and impulsively answer the call of the sea. Throughout their married life of close to thirty years, his wife, a semi-in- valid, helped him much and was always ready to follow him whither he led. They traveled a good deal at various periods of Conrad's writing, they were ,27...

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ELIZABETHAN NINETEEN-THIRTY John Keats, Romantic Poet JOHN KEATS was one of Britain's four great romantic poets of the early nineteenth century-Byron, Shelley, Burns, and Keats-whose ill-starred lives and early deaths cut off their genius and commanding influence in the very prime of hope and achievement. Keats' seems the saddest story of them all, because the others had at least some recognition of their literary ability and power: Byron and Burns both received generous awards of fame in their own time, and Shelley, too, knew the glory of having his work accepted by a critical public. But it was not until after Keats' death that the world realized what rare genius was embodied in his too few works. Even Leigh Hunt and Haydon, who were his most intimate friends, had no real conception of the freshness and originality of this poet whom they both greatly loved and admired. As for the rest of the world, it was at first utterly indifferent, and later contemptuous. The editors of two periodicals especially-the Quar- terly and Blackwood's Magazine -were particularly cruel in their criticism of Keats: not so much of his Poems and Endymion as they were of Keats personally, taunting him with his lowly birth, an act which was ungentlemanly and dishonorable in the extreme, even for the most offending critics of that day. This adverse criticism, instead of crushing the rising young poet, only served to goad him into the determination of producing poetry which should live forever. ln his third and last volume Keats accomplished his purpose and silenced unfriendly criticism. ln all of his works, Keats shows a profound love for beauty in all forms, and shows his belief that poetry exists for its own sake. It is not difficult to sketch Keats' brief life. The son of an hostler, he was born in the stable of the Swan and Hoop Inn, London, in l795. His noticeable love of beauty and devotion to poetry is therefore all the more remarkable in consideration of his humble origin. His parents both died before Keats' fif- teenth birthday, and he was taken out of school and bound as an apprentice to a surgeon at Edmonton. He served his apprenticeship for five years, and for two years longer he was surgeon's helper in various hospitals. Although skillful in this position, Keats disliked the work, always his thoughts were distracted by the facination of writing, and, at the age of twenty-two, he left this profession. In appearance Keats was very attractive: a delicate, refined face, sensitive features. He was slightly but compactly built, full of vitality and hope. ln fact, the general belief, that in his childhood Keats was a weak, puling boy, and was sickly in his youth, could hardly be more incorrect. lt was only after the severe cold that developed into consumption that Keats became morbid and despairing of good health. The later works of this poet all show this touch of morbid excess, and occasionally it gives his poetry a sort of false and hectic splendor. lt is a dying -25-

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ELIZABETHAN NINETEEN-THIRTY devoted to each other and to their two sons, Borys and john. The critical period just before the World War found them in Conrad's native land. After many mishaps and weeks of misery unofficially interned in the enemy country, they finally reached Italy and thence sailed to England. Some of his books were at times slow of reception in literary circles, but to this he was utterly indifferent, and would continue with another volume. And yet his wife says, he seemed oddly jealous if one book had a better reception by the public than another. He died suddenly in August, l924, sincerely mourned by his own circle and by many noted men of letters, his contemporaries, john Galsworthy, Cunning- hame Graham, Richard Curle, and others. As a writer he worked hard at his profession. ln spite of personal impulse and inconsistencies, he loved his family and friends deeply, he seems to have had a fine understanding of England and her people and manners. The Rescue , Lord jim , Typhoon , and Tales of Unrest are a few of the most popular of his many books written over a period of thirty years. Lois Le Doux '30, '4 The Optimistic Freshman The Sophs disturbed his peace from morn till night, Ah, sad indeed was this poor Freshman's plight: They plotted in deep conference for his fall And sold him tickets to the study hall, They made him wear a hat of brightest green, And for half a term he might be seen Sauntering all unknowingly to class A note pinned to his coat Keep off the Grass . Did he despair and on this brood? Not he, but rising struck an attitude Which nobly said, Though thorny be my way, A noble Senior, l shall be some day . Arthur Fisher, '32. -23-