Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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the abolitionist fever of the north, but gave to all the other states, and even to England a definition of the New England policy concerning slavery. The sly humor and ready wit, irony, well-defined New Eng- land characters, and the political philosophy made the “Biglow Pa- pers” a series that became immedi- ately popular and very important. The fact that American poetic gen- ius has failed to materialize under even more remarkable circumstan- ces because of the essentially com- mercial character of the American people shows the insight, emotion, and depth of feeling that must have inspired Lowell when he wrote those clever papers. A third patriotic poet who aided the United States in her glorious en- deavor to preserve a union “one and inseparable” was Walt Whitman. He not only aroused feeling with his words, but he also devoted him- self to the cause of liberty. Al- though unable, because of ill health, to be a soldier, he did his bit for the Union by nursing his unfortunate compatriots during the Civil War. “O Captain, my Captain,” Whit- man’s most famous poem, and inci- dentally the only one he wrote in rhyme, was not written to encour- age the Northern forces, but as a great tribute to Lincoln. In fact this is the greatest elegy ever written on Lincoln. The words of that immortal poem will ever ring- out strong and true. “O Captain! my captain! our fear- ful trip is done; The ship has weathered every gale, the prize we sought is won ; The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting. While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: But O heart! heart! heart! Leave you not the little spot Where on the deck my captain lies. Fallen cold and dead.” The fact that these patriotic po- ets did not always write to arouse war- like spirits is shown in another of Whitman’s poems entitled “Pion- eers, O ! Pioneers.” This poem shows the author ' s deep reverence for the glories and accomplishments of our country. One stanza that is applicable to all times is: ‘■plave the eider races halted ? Do they droop and end their lesson, wearied over there beyond the seas? We take up the task eternal, and the burden, and the lesson; Pion- eers! O Pioneers!” A nation is not obliged to have a national song, as it is to have a settled form of government and laws. But in some crisis of national life a song arises which embodies the sentiments of the hour and be- cause it satisfies this need for the expression of a whole people, it en- dures, and in time becomes a na- tional hymn. Such a song is Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The celebrated author- ess wrote this hymn in 1861 the first year of the Civil War, to en- courage the soldiers of the North in their struggle to preserve the Union, and none can measure its infiuence in nerving the hearts and stimulating the courage of the sol- diers in blue. So noticeable was the effect of this song that soon af- ter the war a noted Confederate leader was heard to say to a Fed- eral officer, “If we had had your songs, you never could have con- quered us !” But now the United States has no need of poems and hymns that will stir the nation to a ferocious desire for war. We are persisting in the hope that the world has been rid of war for all times. With this out- look we are looking forward to a future of peace and prosperity with advancement in industry and know- ledge. America, “The land of the free and the home of the brave” is the melting-pot of the nations. Here, on common ground, mingle races 13

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time we are arpfuinp: whether or not we should mingle with the affairs of European countries. The problems before us are the settlement of war- debts and reparations, whether or not we should enter the Lea ue and the World Court, immigration, and the liberation of our possessions. That is our past and present but what does the future hold in store for us in foreign relations? No one definitely knows what the United States will do in the future. How- ever, one fact seems certain : she will do her utmost to establish world peace. Her policies in the past seem to indicate this. Amer- ica has become one of the leading powers of the world and it is her duty as such to do as much as she can to promote international peace. Whatever the foreis-n events that we enter into in the future, let us. as a nation, initiate a foreign policv bv which the world can secure and be certain of universal prosoeritv and well-being but above all let ns hfive international peace and good- will. AMERICAN PATRIOTIC POETRY Barbara Damon A learned man once said, “The peace of a nation is determined by its wars.’ ' That the United States has advanced steadily and consis- tently to the position of the great- est world power is due then, in a certain degree, to its wars. Every war in which the United States has fought or taken part has ended in her favor. She has contest with na- tions stronger than herself and more fully equipped. Why, then, should we always be the victor? The peo- ple of a country determine that country’s value, and it is the reso- lute, indomitable spirit of American patriots that has enabled us to win the respect of the world. But back of this patriotism is some force, vi- tally stronger than that of the mul- titude, which is ever pushing and urging the people to intenser feel- ing. This force is found in the great poets whom America has pro- duced. Because a poet’s feelings are more subtle, imaginative, and crea- tive than those of the majority, he is able to influence and sway pop- ular spirit. Yet the poet must have a strong, deep feeling that gives him his power over others. Patri- otism is as personal a feeling as love itself, and although we think of a poet as a rather imaginative and ro- mantic being, of little material val- ue, according to Mr. Leonard, a modern essayist, “the song that nerves a nation’s heart is in itself a deed.” One of the first of America’s great poets who influenced the fate of the nation is John Greenleaf Whittier. He was an ardent aboli- tionist and expressed his feelings in such vivid poetry that he drew many people to the cause. Hitherto his poems with their conventional smoothness had attracted attention by the gentle spirit that pervaded them; when he began to write in behalf of the cause of abolition, his loud cry, violent and tempestuous, broke upon the ear with a harsh- ness and yet an insistent fen or which compelled men to listen. Such intense feeling could not fail to draw others to his cause with very appreciable results. In Whittiers’ famous poem, “Bar- bara Frietchie, his patriotic spirit predominates. We all know the ringing lines: “Shoot if you must this old gray head. But spare your country’s flag, she said.” Another poet imbued with this same patriotic spirit came into prominence during the Mexican War. This was James Russell Low- ell, also a decided anti-slavery ad- vocate. His work called the “Big- low Papers” not only strengthened 12

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from all corners of the earth, men with all languages, customs, and creeds. Now, under the United States government, they pledge al- legiance to the same hag, and they realize the loyalty due hrst of all to America. This is not only the land of golden opportunities and the heaven across the seas that im- migrants are seeking when they hrst leave their homes in other coun- tries, but it is also the home of free- dom and equality where everyone has a chance to make good in the busy world of today. Little by little, due to various in- huences, the people are uniting in their belief in one God, and it is hoped that in the course of time there will be but one church and that church will be the medium through which God speaks to his chosen people, the whole world. This hope, while very optimistic is the ultimate peak of our dreams, and yet it is not an impossible goal. With this bright outlook, cannot the United States hope for a great future with all men free, and equal, and with the other nations as friendly and cooperative neighbors? Such a splendid vision is well pic- tured in Katherine Lee Bate’s “America the Beautiful.” Here is no thought of warfare, no sound of battle din and confusion, but Amer- ica as a land of peace and plenty where all men dwell as brothers. “O beautiful for spacious skies. For amber waves of grain. For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain ! America ! America ! God shed his grace on thee. And crown thy good with brother- hood From sea to shining sea !” A CENTURY OF PROGRESS IN COMMUNICATION Norman Baxter Let us enumerate some of the ad- vantages the present age has in communication : the telegraph, the telephone, the steam engine-boat and railway, the automobile, the ra- dio, and the aeroplane. All of these inventions serve in both social and scientific fields of life. A per- son may take the receiver from his telephone and hold a conversation with a party in London, Paris, or the Pacific Coast in a comparative- ly short time. In this generation a deed of sufficient interest to human- ity is soon known the length and breadth of the country; a word whispered anywhere is heard every- where. The first outstanding step in com- munication was the discovery of the power of steam by Watt, later used as a motive power by Robert Ful- ton. The first steam engine was in- stalled in a boat and considered a success. A success was also made of putting cars on rails and pulling them with this steam engine. Our present day freight cars would an- swer to the description of their coaches. Improvements have been made from time to time until to-day we have luxurious Pullman coaches. Our present day trans-Atlantic steamers are small worlds in them- selves being equipped with every convenience and luxury. The inventor of the telegraph, Samuel Morse, while in Europe, was inspired to attempt perfecting a tel- egraph when making other electri- cal experiments. Returning to America, he completed his experi- ments on telegraphy, when a mes- sage was sent through a coil of wire one-half a mile long. Morse made several attempts in this country to have the government aid him, but little interest was shown. The same attempts were later made in Europe 14