Oak Bluffs High School - Beacon Yearbook (Oak Bluffs, MA)

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IG THE B and which was the supreme end of man's desires. It symbolized goodness and the knights were turning good- ness i11to superstition because of the sin of Lancelot and Guinevere. All of the knights went in search of it. Percival had all the things worth having in life, riches, honor, marriage, and many others. He failed to find peace in any of them and didnot at- tain his desire. He saw the Holy Grail over Galahad's head. Sir Galahad was the only o11e to attain it, but was seen on earth no more. Many of the knights were not fitted for the search, yet they persisted, knowing that it was hope- less. They followed VVondering Fires and few of them returned to the Court. This cause the dissolution of the Round Table. He that dances must pay the fid- dler. Whatever wrong We commit in life, We must pay highly for it. The Idyll Guineverel' shows to us that at some time in our life We may do something, in a moment of Weakness, that makes us ashamed to face ti'e world. Our conscience usually pulls us up again and urges us onward. NVe have to take our punishment with irue courage and spirit. The fact that we regret our wrong later does not wipe it out and we must pay the price. VVhen Guinevere realized that she was the cause of the rumor that had spread, she was overcome with grief and sorrow, which led to her repeat- ance. She Went to Almesbury and be- came a nun. Here she repented for the remainder of her time on earth. This idyll describes the human pas- sions of mankind. It also reveals to us that no matter how small we think a sin is, in itself it is great, and often leads to disastrous results. The Passing of Arthur discloses the fact that, whether We do wrong by harming some one or by taking that which does not belong to us, we are EACON bound to harm ourselves. VVe come face to face with the familiar phrase that Hhonesty is the best policy ! In this idyll Arthur is mortally Wounded. He is borne to the island of Avalon, the Paradise of the Celts, by Fairy maidens, who are Faith, Hope and Charity. They take him to the Lady of the Lake, who symbolizes the church, a11d here he is placed in the chancel, the most sacred part of the church. This is A5rthur's symbol of purity. The fairy maidens and the church will restore him to health that he may return to his kingdom at some future time. Arthur's passing is just as much of a mystery as his coming. From the deep to the great deep he goes. In the symbolism of the poem, Ar- thur, who is termed Perfection, with his sterling virtue, is the central fig- ure. Perfection is married to VVorldIy Splendor and Beauty, Guinevere. For a time all goes well, but eventually Beauty becomes bored with Perfection and carries o11 an intrigue with Physi- cal Prowess, Sir Lancelot. This bad ex- ample corrupts the entire court which soon breaks up. The false spirituality of the knights who so far forgot prac- tical goodness as to follow vainly the Holy Grail alike brought about the dis- solution of the Round Table Hlld all the fellowship of noble knights. The stories are arranged in such a way as to show the gradual decline of knightly ideals through sin. This civilization which Arthur es- tablished is left to crumble. In l1is last words King Arthur declared his faith that this civilization will contribute something to the progress of mankind. The characters of tl1e Arthurian stories represent types women. Those who live the code of chivalry are those who transgress the approved. Thus the stories as a whole of me11 and according to made heroic, code are dis-

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THE BEACON O15 Gareth and Lynette, C35 Lancelot and Elaine, fill The Holy Grail, C55 Guine- vere, and CGD The Passing of Arthur. The coming of Arthur reveals the fact that there is a mystery concern- ing our birth and death. We come in- to this world not knowing what will become of us. During life we come up against many difficulties which we must learn to overcome, and be able- to surpass. So it was with Arthur. There is a mystery concerning his birth that can- not be solved. When he was old enough, he became king. He was faced with ma11y difficulties, such as the scorn and hatred of the people. In spite of it all, he made himself Worthy of the great title 'tKing . This poem reveals to us the fact that no matter how hard your task may be, that if you possess the qualities of courage, strength, hope and faith, you are bound to succeed and will reach your hoped for goal. Where there is a will, there is al- ways a way. That is the moral lesson one receives from the poem, Gareth, Zllld Lynette. NVe should know what our aim and ambition is in life and go forward to victory with all that is i11 us. We should not let mere obstacles stand in our paths, but should conquer them all. We all want a chance in this World to prove ourselves worthy. When the chance comes we should be ready to receive it. After attaining our ambi- tion in life, we should prove ourselves worthy of it. XVe should not stop there but keep on fighting and let our merits mount. Gareth, who symbolizes courage and achievement, starts forth on a quest from King Arthur's Court with Lyn- ette, wl1o symbolizes the world and superficial judgment. If he succeeds his place will be firmly established amongst the knights of the Round Table. On the way he overcomes four knights, who are symbolic of life it- self. Morning Star signifies the temp- tations of youth, Noonday Sun, the foolish temptations of maturity, Eve- ning Star, temptations of old age, and the Black Knight represents death. He is horrible to look upon. Upon clos- er inspection he turns out to be noth- ing more than a harmless, attractive youth. When we meet death, its terror disappears. The fearing of death grows to be a habit. Habit is a cable, we weave a strand of it every day un- til it becomes so strong we cannot break it. Gareth went forward in life Zilld achieved his aim. He was ready when his chance came, and he made the most of it. One is always honored at the end of a hard struggle, and so Gareth was made a knight of Arthur's round table. The one main thought that one re- ceives from the ldyll Lancelot and Elaine is the fact that one can pos- sess a great deal of physical courage and yet lack moral courage. Lancelot fails to find happiness in the love of a pure and innocent girl, because of his guilty passion for Queen Guinevere. One may have the physical courage to face the dangers of life, but it takes moral courage and will power to face and overcome the big difficulties and temptations in life. To succeed in life, we must do that thing which we can do best. This is the moral one receives from the Holy Grail. If you start to do something that does not appeal to you, the thing to do is to start something that suits you. lt is like taking the wrong roa-1 i11 traveling, if you do not turn back you will never reach your destina- tion. The Holy Grail was the cup from which Christ drank at the last slipper

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THE B enable us to see a knightly commun- ity in which each individual holds his place by virtue of his moral ideals and conduct. Much of the moral en- thusiasm of the Middle Ages and later periods has been wrought into the ehar::cters and plots of these stories. The Hldylls of the Kingu portray E ACUN 17 in allegory and symbol the eternal conflict that is going on within the human heart between sense and soul. The Idylls are a long study of failure, but it is failure tempered at tl1e close by the hope aroused by the IIPXV sun which arises, bringing the new year. l, A TRIP IN SEARCH OF GOLD Leo Camara I had lived for the greater part of my life on an island and was about convinced that there was to be no ex- citement in my life. Then I decided that, if excitement would not seek me out, I would seek it. Flushed with my thoughts I decided that to be a millionaire would suit me better than anything else. My thoughts immediately flew to that ever precious metal-gold ! The next morning bright and early I got up. XVith a shovel gleaming in its shiny newness and with a few sand- wiches stuck in my pocket, I set forth. I tramped the woods all day long with little success for my diggings, wl1icl1 rated a couple of tin cans, an old shoe, and a long forgotten whiskey bottle. This day's diggings did not, however, dull my ambition, for the next day, earlier if anything, I again set out. My net diggings up to noo11 consisted of a dog's bone, hidden no doubt in a happier mood than that in which I found it, a leg of a much used pair of overalls, and a million bottles-'IL' so it seemed to me. My interest by now was beginning to wane. However, I kept at it. About four o'clock I de- cided to stop, just one more shovel, and I remember that before turning it over I murmured, Fate sure has it in for me. I pulled up the earth and lo and behold-gold! My eyes nearly popped out of my head, now that I had found it I felt weak and shakey all over. Suddenly I heard a hush snap. Wl1ii'li11g, with my shovel aloft, I prepared to defend my find with my life. Out of the bushes crept a hound dog who looked so lopsided I thought he would trip over his front feet. Ah! I had a name for my claim, The Lopsided Mine. Then it was that my thoughts flew to the skies, I pictured an ocean go- ing yacht with myself standing beside the captain on the bridge, next I was iiying over Chicago in my favorite plane. But through these dreams a thought came to plague me, suppose it was not real gold that I had fou11d. I tried to put this thought behind me, but it persisted, to stick. I decided to find out. I did not have the money to send it away to be tested by a chemist, so I decided to do it myself. I had a slight knowledge of Physics, and I knew that if I found the Specific Grav- ity of my gold it should correspond to the tabulated Specific Gravity of gold. I took a sample of my gold and weighed it. Next I found its volume or its loss of weight in water, by dividing the latter .into the former, I hoped to get the true Specific Gravity. As I divided, my heart slowly began to sink. For a moment I was stunned, my dreams of yachts and planes crashed down around my ears.