Washington and Lee University - Calyx Yearbook (Lexington, VA)

Page 22 text:

Oh, how often have we been tempted! Ever and anon some obliging friend would tell us confidentially of ' ' something I saw the other day, that would be simply fine for The Calyx, and after being told that we did not follow DeQ., but on the contrary preferred the precept of Mr. Emerson, when he says, Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string, the person would, as like as not, in the very next breath, tell us about some very funny illustration in last years Bngle or Trumpet which would be the very thing you want. Hence the conclusion: If anything appears in this volume which appears to the reader to have made it ' s appearance at some previous date, let the reader lay all the blame on DeQuincey and his demoralizing philosophy, and let him remember also the board of editors, although they admit that they are responsible for some of the written matter of this book, yet are not guilty of quite all of it. DaaabonMa Jog on, jog on the footpath way. And merrily bent the stile-a; A merry heart goes all the day, Your sad lives in a mile-a. — The Winter ' s Tale. Jog on, jog on ! That vagrant lay, I hear in dreams, beyond the sway; Beyond the sound of shop and street. Responsive to the timeful beat, I follow where the road may stray. With sowskin sack and kerchief gay, I fare in entreacte of life play. Where nomad fires and folk repeat, Jog on, jog on ! Full long will be the footpath way, Full high the stile, full dark the day; When, in the race ' s chest and cheat, Antolycus of errant feet Shall chant no more, with heart of May — Jog on, jog on !

Page 21 text:

iiinpiiiii i up i|i i i i i i ifiii iii|ii i iiiiipi fii mi ip ri||i H iifiiiiiiiifiiiiiii|||iimii|piiiHiipiiiiiiipiiiiiipiNiiifwuipiiiiiiip ifiiiiiiiifiiiiimnii ipji imniiiMiiy.ini||n) PREFACE , iillillliMlllllilMii.li Illl]lmllllll]li.,lllllll lllllr..iMllll] ijj.li. ' li ' Illl ' l...illlll 1llllllii,i[lllll Illtlr Illhlmillllbli..|||i||||||li||i||liaumllfcu!l|lllli Ol UR friend and fellow critic, Mr. DeQuincey, has made a statement in regard to that striking, and some times very suggestive similarity which is often noticed between writers of today, and those who have preceded them, which we cannot pass over without giving it the just rebuke which we feel in our hearts that it deserves. Now the gentleman has the brazen affrontery to say that there is really no very serious objection to the use of quotation marks in many cases. He thinks that when it becomes necessary to use another man ' s ideas or thoughts for the adornment of one ' s own composition, that this is a painful and unfortunate state of affairs which can only be alleviated by disguising it. In order to convince, he also proceeds with a very forcible argument in support of his most vicious position. Quotation marks, says he, in addition to spoiling the symmetry and beauty, and solidity of a paragraph or sentence or verse, will almost always cast a damper over the spirits of the writer himself, which has a most distressing effect on the vitality of the composition. Now with this general theory as his standing ground, DeQ. proceeds to confess (after having been caught and accused, some people say,) that when it comes to a choice between marring the beauty of one of his own paragraphs, and of the chance of a little adverse criticism, that he chooses the latter without hesitation, and as for using quotation marks (except when the passage under debate is so well known that quotation marks don ' t really make any difference, when, of course, he consents to use them) he just simply passes them up. He claims, further, that he has distinguished precedents for so doing; he goes on to show how Virgil copied almost verbaiitn from Homer; how Dante took his plan of Heaven, Purgatory and Hell (Hell especially) from Virgil; how Milton was very much indebted to his friend Dante for ideas along the same line; how Keats, et als, copied from Milton almost entirely, until finally he traces it down to his own day and time. This is all very interesting, Mr. DeQ., but your nonsense is too easily reduced to an absurdity. If at first we were inclined to believe your statements, yet we cannot help thinking that if things were as you state them we would soon hold Adam accountable for all of the literary efforts of the ages. It seems, however, that notwithstanding our opinion to the contrary, there are many persons who are willing to accept the theory and follow the advice of DeQ., and these persons even wish to force such a policy upon the editors of The Calyx, U

Page 23 text:

ONLY A FRESHMAN Only a Freshman, I gazed on my queen As she glided away with stately grace On the wings of the waltz ; And I thought how fair is her form and face ; And I knew that she could not be false, With fickle thoughts to screen. Calyx 2