Plainfield High School - Hermiad Yearbook (Central Village, CT)

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is THE HEBMIAD character of the American being properly developed? Will it eventually sur- pass the Briton? The only answer is a shrug, with a Much could be said on either side. But so much will I vouchsafe--a superior literature will herald the coming of a superior race. Why? Because in civilization, as well as in colonization, pioneers penetrate the bewildering hazea, drawing in their wake crowds made eager by pressure exerted from behind. Such a pioneer was Shakespeare, .xx ,J The fact that thei Literature in Embryo of America was conceived under more propitious circumstances is in itself a favorable sign. Hitherto, American literature has been a by-product of greater, more vital activities. Inspired by the Revolution, Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner. It occupies a humble place in American Literature, but who can evaluate its importance? How many battles did it win in the Revolution? To what extent is it re ponsible for America's independence and consequently: what does humanity owe it? C-is Similarly did Whittier espouse such a cause and devote himself entirely to the abolition of slavery, thus early did the world at large benefit by American literature. The Transcendentalists, echoes of Omar Kahayyam, failed on a theme so grand, so glorious, that success in its pursuance must be reserved to after times. And so, dropping the tantalizing, deceiving haze of theology, the over- wrought mind finds solace in music and poetry--sprightly music and tripping poetry, and birds and songs and brooks and flowers and the bounties of God heaped on man. Of such a bent was Sidney Lanier's mind. His life is a poem of tragedy and perseverance, beauty and sublimity. Born in a family of musicians, his genius was, nevertheless, outstanding. The calm serenity, the unalloyed happiness of his life as a musician, were blasted by the Civil War. Could a person of his calibre witness his country's defeat! Could he stand by and see his brother slain! Could he shirk! His talent entitled him to more than ordinary consideration, but, had he ignored the call, he had not been the indi- vidual that he was. No. Finding comfort in his music, he shouldered his gun and braved the morass. Constantly with his brother, he faced the danger of warfare, keeping alive with the music of his flute, the beauty of his mind. His brother died during that crisis. Nor was Sidney himself unscathed. The war left him a derelict among derelicts. So strong was his mind that he soon recuperated, but needs be that he fight a constant battle with con- sumption. He had, hitherto, lived as a musician. And what more could one aspire to! But no. Probably because he had mastered so thoroughly and so easily the instrument, he deemed music unworthy to be a vocation,-not serious enough, not manly. Consequently, he turned his attention to literature. In many stanzas do we find the niellow melody of his flute forever crystalized.

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W - THE HERMIAD g -L5 EVOLUTION: OF LITERATURE fLucien Bonnin--19291 E' HROUGH long, bewildering centuries, English Literature has given to the masses esthetic guidance, uplifting them from that self-destructive sordidness, giving them ideals to safeguard against retrogression. Even so, in this attainment of high ideals in literature, the inferior contributions of other nations were of vital importance, as links, composing a great, gilded chain. 5 'V Milton inherited from the Greeks his high ideals and delicacy. In Greek writings he also found the sustained sublimity gracing his works. Shakes- peare, however, ran a medium course between preceding literary special- ists, -naturalists, moralists, scientists, and classicists. Learning from his predecessors, he developed into the greatest genius of all time. Subsequent literature is a more or less individual interpretation of principles already embodied in literature, to keep them alive in the minds of men and useful to, humanity. h Thus, I make bold to say, England's rightful claim to supremacy in literary achievement lies in the well developed science of, chronology- briefly, that it antedates other good literature and thus has the attribute of originality. This much will I say for American Literature, it is inferior to England's merely ,in the latter's superiority, not because of any disease or shortcoming in the latter, Even so, its quality is, I fear, sadly underestimated. Let us take into consideration, summarily, the circumstances which influenced W Q' each. f' England, as a world power, has had about fifteen hundred years of development, America is in its infancy. The government of England is a highly efficient, well-perfected mechanismg America is an experiment. In the assimilationof the various racial elements resulting in the Briton of today, Fate-gand Nature cooperated to stamp out ,detrimental qualities and .promote good ones., When the Briton, during the eleventh century, absorbed the Norseman, only the, superior qualities of both races survivedxthe test furnished gratuitouslyby the rugged, stern climate. There existed then a racial antip- athy, even as we observe now, in thexsupposedly superior race toward the inferior-and even vice-versa. f OWU English history fthat just cited and the presentj diier merely in the test which eliminates the evils of assimilation and perpetuates the best qual- ities of each race: in England, it was a physical test, in America, it is a mental test. Whether or not this fact denotes a marked advance is a matter of conjecture, for the sound body of the Briton necessitated a sound mind, whereas the sound mind of the American denotes a sound body. Nevertheless, the Briton physique and mentality has been, hitherto, unsurpassed. Was Providence as element to the founding. of the new Republic? Is the national I 1 .I, V. T' 1,77 Qld A UK , Ig 5 el

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THE I-IERMIAD 17 In one poem especially, Sunset, does Lanier awaken an appreciation of the beauties of nature and confer that sense of utmost reconciliation with life. He refers not to the chaotic twilights on the battlefield, where the sun was engulfedin dripping, scarlet clouds., He depicts the calm, soothing dusk, the evening star heralding myriads of sisters with the decline of the rich golden sunlight, the cool seal of darkness kindly placed over a nation at rest. In Sunset, did Lanier write an elegy to the stricken hopes of his people? Nowhere in his writing is found one murmur of discontent at the course of fate. All is beauty, stern, pulsating, trickling, merciful. Time has shown that The falling out of faithful friends, the renewal is of love. Here we have, as exemplified by Sidney Lanier, an 'immature national character, developed under edifying conditions, complying to stern quali- fications, so capable even in its imperfectness, Would that we might live to see the result! is EGBERT'S FIRST TRIP TO THE ZOO fDorothy Barber-19291 GBERT VAN SWAGGER, JR. was seated very uncomfortably on the edge of a beautifully polished Wind or chair in the stilted drawing room of his father's spacious 5th Avenue mansion. Egbert was patiently awaiting his governess who was to take him to the Zoo where he was to receive his first lesson in Zoology. Steps were heard and Egbert looked up expectantly. Miss Gray, the governess, entered the room with Mrs. Van Swagger. Egbert was given final instructions concerning his behavior, such as Now Egbert, don't forget to use your handkerchief, or Egbert, don't ask too many questions. Finally, they were ready to leave and Egbert, the silent, drew a long breath of relief as they seated themselves in the new limousine that was driven by Edward, the Van Swagger chauffeur, and waxed very talkative, He proceeded to bore and distract Miss Gray with questions and stories which he thought were very amusing. Eventually they reached the Zoo, where the guide, whom Mr. Van Swagger had hired to conduct them around, at once led them to the section where the elephants were quartered. Egbert, whose knowledge of animals extended little beyond his mother's Pomeranian, gazed wide eyed. Miss Gray proceeded to divulge all her knowledge of elephants to the eager lad. This happened at every cage until they reached the one where the chimpanzees were kept. Egbert, who had run on ahead, suddenly stopped and stared. Lad, the pet of the Zoo, was fixedly regarding the child. Ooh, Miss Gray,