Woonsocket High School - Quiver Yearbook (Woonsocket, RI)

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10 THE QUIVER “Thou friend of an ill fashion Thou common friend that’s without faith or love—’’ Nevertheless, he was for twelve years a slave to Mary Fitton, for we find such evidence as this of his continued love for her: “Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love, Which alters when it alteration finds.” Such were the women who influenced Shakespeare’s life most strongly. He was bound to one by a filial bond, to the next by a legal tie, and to the last by the strongest tie that his heart could devise. He loved and served them all, and without them his works could not have reached their high standard of excellence. LILLIAN STARR, ’16. TO A BROOK Oh, little, bubbling, singing brook, How happy you seem to be, While winding your way to the river, Which leads to the deep, blue sea! Sometimes you go through meadows, Where the grass on your banks is green, Where the flowers are brightly blooming, Still wet with the dewdrops’ sheen. Sometimes you go through forests, Cooling the heated earth With your clear and sparkling water, While you dream of the land of your birth. Onward your shining waters rush, Till at last with scarcely a quiver, . Still merrily singing and dancing, You give yourself up to the river. % VERA NORDENSTIERNA, '18.

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THE QUIVER 9 THE WOMEN MOST INFLUENTIAL IN SHAKESPEARE’S LIFE There were three women who exerted a great influence over W.lliam Shakespeare. The first was his mother, Mary Arden, whose influence upon the later, as well as the earlier, days of Shakespeare's life was unbounded. The second was Anne Hathaway, whom Shake-peare married when he was but eighteen years old. The third is said to l ave been Mary Fitton, whom he met during his sojourn in London, and whose personality is reflected in many of his works, particularly in his sonnets. Mary Arden was of a slightly higher class than the elder Shakespeare, and when she married him, she brought a fortune sufficient to keep them comfortably during the remainder of their lives. By means o' her money, she was able to send Shakespeare to the grammar school of Stratford-on-Avon, where he received his education. It was also his mother who, in frequent walks about the beautiful country surrounding his home, opened the eyes of the future poet to the beauties of nature, which were afterwards so feelingly and fittingly described in his works. The influence .of Anne Hathaway, afterwards Anne Shakespeare, was perhaps the least of the three. She was his wife and the mother of his children, but we find nowhere in his works the evidence of her influence. In place of this, we find scores of allusions to another and more fervid love, the object of which was probably the beautiful Mary Fitton, who was maid of honor to Queen Elizabeth, and whom, it is thought, Shakespeare met when he went to London. This Mary Fitton was one of the foremost ladies of her time, and was renowned for her beauty. The poet met her, perhaps, when he was summoned to read his works before the great Queen Elizabeth. The thoughts which she inspired in him were embodied in some of his meet beautiful lines. She was probably “The whitely wanton with a velvet brow” of “Love’s Labor Lostand we find references to her. such as “dark lady,” “dark as night,” “false to the bonds of love,” scattered throughout his plays and poems. Even in “Antony and Cleopatra,” the character of Cleopatra, some critics think, has borrowed much from Mary Fitton. Ardent as Shakespeare’s love was, it enkindled no answering passion in the beautiful maid of honor, for she married the Earl of Pembroke, who had been Shakespeare’s confidant, and against whom we find some bitter lines, as

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THE QUIVER A STORM AT SEA 11 I. A Young Lady's Account of It. On our fourth day at sea, I came on deck, feeling rather cross and uncomfortable, without any apparent reason. I soon found cause enough for being uncomfortable. The air became so chill and the wind so strong that I drew my steamer-rug more closely about me. The gulls out on the water seemed to be screaming right into my ear. The sky grew gradually blacker and blacker. The ocean beat against the vessel with a great roar. The white crests of the waves glared out of the blackness of the surrounding sky and water. It seemed to me as if some unseen being were closing a great black sheet about my head to muffle my screams; and then, when it had almost enveloped me, a great peal of thunder, followed by a terrible flash of lightning, awoke me from my stupor. Mingling my cries with the noise of the elements, I fled to my cabin. II. Her Brother's Account You wish me to tell you about that storm we had? There really isn't very much to tell. It was rather a bad storm, but that made it the more interesting. It seemed to me as if the thunder and lightning and sea were having a family quarrel. They certainly did fight well! I cheered for old Mother Ocean, but she was making so much noise that I don’t believe she heard me. If you wish a clear account of what happened, I should advise you to ask the captain. As you see, my strong point is not talking. III. Extract from Captain Smith's Diary November 24, 1914. Bad storm at two o’clock. The lightning seemed to run from the sky into the water, burning its path through the air. I have never seen it do that before. We had no trouble with the ship. Think I shall arrange for Tekon’s promotion. He does good, faithful work. IV. The Sea-gull's Story My mate had to fly about with the other gulls to warn everyone of the coming storm. I stayed under a little rock to wait for him. The good ocean is very kind to us, and I was sorry to see it in such an excited state, with the angry thunder rumbling at it, and the lightning flashing its hateful tongue at it.