Lawrence High School - Lawrencian Yearbook (Falmouth, MA)

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The Lawrencian writers of the period just before and during the Civil War. The belief that the American lit- erature of today is inferior to that before 1892 doesn’t mean that in the future it will stay on the down grade. The great output of books and magazines Uxlay Is found to create a strong native literature which will hold its own with that of any other period. The tremend- ous number of stories pouring into magazine offices also shows that the people have the “itch to write” and a genuine interest in self-ex- pression. Only recently our novelist Sin- clair Lewis won the Nobel Prize in literature. This prize is the most famous in the world, and the fact that Sinclair Lewis won it is a great honor for America. Bernard Shaw says that “an asylum for the sane would be empty in America”, but even he, who is the most con- spicuous man of letters in the world today, did not begin to attract the world-wide attention gained by Sinclair Lewis, when he (Shaw) won the same prize in 1925. Although we have little literature to rank with the best of England or some other European countries, this may be attributed to the youth of this country. In the years to come we shall no doubt have many writers who will be ranked among the best of any period or of any country. This will, however, take time and at present we can only hope for the best. THEODORE JONAS. KATHARINE LEE BATES “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! O beautiful for pilgrim feet. Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness; America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine. Till all success be nobleness. And every gain divine! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brother- hood From sea to shining sea!” This poem, which has become one of our greatest, if not the greatest, national anthem, was written by cur own Katharine Lee Bates who was born in Falmouth. About two years ago, I had the ' pleasure of being able to visit Wel- lesley College. After looking the college grounds and buildings over from the outside, I went into the interior of the administration build- ing. Just off the main lobby, there is an alcove in which this poem is most beautifully illustrated in col- ors. On one side of the alcove, there is a painting which portrays the first verse by showing the “spa- cious skies”, the “purple mountain majesties”, and the “fruited plain”. The first verse is on the right hand

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Lawrence High School side of the picture, and the second verse is on the left hand side. On the other side of the alcove, the painting illustrates the “alabaster cities gleam” and the third and fourth verses are on the right and left sides of the picture, respective- ly. I was very much impressed by these illustrations, because they seemed to give me a better under- standing and a keener appreciation of the poem. Even now, I can’t help recalling these pictures when I think of the verses. Katharine Lee Bates, the daugh- ter of Rev. William Bates and Cornelia Frances Lee Bates, was born August 15, 1859, in Falmouth in the house now occupied by Dr. Wagner. Her father, who was the pastor of the Congregational church, died about a month after the birth of his little daughter. She attend- ed the village school here and later moved witjh her family to Wellesley Hills. As a child, she was especially fond of reading and cared nothing about sewing and dressing the dolls which her mother gave her. She much preferred to make up stories about how they lived on a deserted island and made clothes for themselves from grass and leaves. Upon graduating from Wellesley High School, she attended the more advanced high school of Newton, from which she graduated two years later. She then entered Wellesley College and received the Bachelor cf Arts degree in 1880. She wrote her first poem, “Sleep”, in her sophomore year at college, and it was published in “The At- lantic Monthly” with very few changes made. At college, she was called Kitty Lee” and became an inspiring leader for her classmates, by whom she was chosen president. She did not confine herself to all work and serious study but took part in the college activities. Her first juvenile story, “Rose and Thorn”, which she wrote when she was quarantined on account of ex- posure to small pox in a Boston attic, won for her a prize of seven hundred dollars. She used this money for her first trip to Europe. She taught Latin, English, and algebra in the Natick High School for one year, and geometry, Greek, and Latin in Dana Hall for four years. She then became instructor of English literature in Wellesley College, later associate professor, and finally professor, after she had studied at Oxford, England, and re- ceived her Master of Arts degree from Wellesley College. Oberlin and Middlebury College each con- ferred upon her the honorary de- gree of Doctor of Letters. Although heavily laden with the work of he r English department, she always found time to answer her numerous correspondents, who sent her poetry for her to judge. She faithfully and conscientiously spent hours trying to find what was good in their verses and tried to encourage amateur poets as much as possible. She has even left a poetry fund at Wellesley College. However, with all her work, she found time to write some most ex- cellent and charming pieces of poetry and prose. “Spanish High- ways and Byways” and “Sigurd, Our Golden Collie” are two fine examples of her prose work. The former gives a brilliant record of her travel in Spain; the latter shows her delight in animals and birds. “America the Dream” is an excel- lent verse book. Her writings are travel, history, plays, poems, and young people ' s stories and plays.