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The Anchor: 1960 The Anchor: 1960-1969
3-18-1960
The Anchor, Volume 72, Number 19: March 18, 1960
Hope College
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Recommended Citation Repository citation: Hope College, "The Anchor, Volume 72, Number 19: March 18, 1960" (1960). The Anchor: 1960. Paper 9. https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/anchor_1960/9 Published in: The Anchor, Volume 72, Issue 19, March 18, 1960. Copyright © 1960 Hope College, Holland, Michigan.
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Anchor: 1960-1969 at Hope College Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Anchor: 1960 by an authorized administrator of Hope College Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. March 18, 1960 HOPE COLLEGE ANCHOR Page 1 HOP IT S GIVE ALL Edinburgh Recieive
• m. Student • '' National
v Paper Says: • • '^\ Support 'American students Emily Two Hopeites are undertak- Hradec from Cicero, Illinois, ing a big venture. They are and Diane Roskamp from literally canvasing the distance Waterloo, Iowa, plan to walk between Edinburgh and Lon- the 373 miles to London during don for funds to aid the World their Easter vacation to gain Refugee Year foundation. iv. support for World Refugee Enthusiastic support has come Year. They will leave Edin- from the 'Student', Edinburgh burgh on Saturday, March 19th, University newspaper, the stu- with only a day's rest after dent body, and the Edinburgh Emily's inter-honours psychol- and London presses. A fund ogy exam. "At the moment," has been started with a dona- she said, "we cannot do any tion from a butler in an Argyll studying for thinking about the castle, a hostel of the Univer- journey." mmmt sity, and a bank account op- 'They hope to reach London * ened. on Saturday, April 2, which An interested firm has offered means that they will have to the girls a car at a 20% dis- cover about thirty miles of wind- swept terrain a day. Not bad count to accompany them. A going for two girls who aren't 'Dr. Scholl's foot kit and 'Lotus' acustomed to marathon walk- shoes have been donated. % i ing. Mr. Billy Butkin, whose name 'They are quite determined to is associated with the marathon go ahead with their plan no walk from John Groats to Land- matter what the weather. Here send, has wished the girls the are two people at least who are best of luck. not going to let any rail strike The American counsul has interfere with their travels. planned a send-off coffee for 'Asked how much they thought Em and Di to show their co- they would be able to raise in "With all beings and all fhings we shall be as relatives." From "Family of Man" operation. The chancellor of aid of refugees, both said simul- the University as well as many taneously: "The sky's the limit." other dignitaries will be among 'With the help of the Edin- Girls Engage In Thorough Training the crowd to bid the girls a burgh World Refugee Year Em and Di are approaching prosperous journey. Students of Committee and the backing of their walk in all seriousness. the University living in the vi- "The Student," they hope to get This is to be no hap-hazard cinity of the Walk will open people to finance their journey affair, but a whole-hearted at- their homes to the girls to help to the tune of a penny a mile— tempt to aid in alleviating the cut expenses and promote the that is, for the total distance, plight of refugees around the drive. approximately thirty shillings world. Em and Di are grateful for per contributor — if you are an In consideration of the tre- all this support from the Eng- ardent Nationalist, the least you mendous amount of time and lish press and people. They could do is to pay the girls' way effort that the two have placed would appreciate having some- to the Border—a mere five bob. in this project, we wish them one back home stand behind 'Asked last night by our re- the best of luck, knowing that them as they embark on this porter why they were giving up they will do everything in their worthwhile venture. How about power to achieve success. their Easter vac to do this, it Hope? Emily said: "We were so im- pressed by the Refugee paper 'Appeal' and by the exhibition of photographs and drawings Em and Di on one of their trial runs. .EDINBURGH According to word received by 'Bitter Heritage' that we felt day and are supposedly getting LflUDER that we should try to do some- the Anchor a few days ago, Em them in shape for the real thing to assist refugees. I sup- Hradec and Di Roskamp are thing. EDBUWtH |« pose partly because we felt going through a rigid training In addition to these daily / guilty at having previously program in preparation for their walks, Em and Di have been WEST WOODBURM complained about small things "Refugee Walk" to London. undergoing a stenuous circuit Every day the girls take so- like not having our eggs fried training program. C0R6RlDCr the way we like them, when called "practice walks" in the According to the girls, this some of these poor people have vicinity of Edinburgh. These circuit training is the Scottish nothing at all.' walks average several miles per version of an obstacle course. The object of this circuit is to SCOTCH CORNER cover the course three times, doing various tasks a set num- ber of times —all this in as BOROUGH BRIO&E short a time as possible. Various phases of this pro- r FORD gram include jumping rope, chinning one's self, weight lift- ing, and running up inclined ncrstlr planes. With as rigid a training pro- UXFORD gram as this, it is evident that
For the benefit of RflNTHflM World Refugee Year, the TOTPL ANCHOR has opened an WILftGZ flnFORB account in the Col- lege Business Office. All organizations and indi- ST. NEOTS viduals wishing to make a contribution to this fund, please use this ac- STEVENRCrE count. The total sum re- ceived will be sent to The World Refugee com- mittee in Edinburgh from the students of Hope College. Don't let Em and Dee do it alone! "Nothing is real to us but hunger." From "Family of Man" The girls route from Edinburgh to London.
J .3 HOPE COLLEGE ANCHOR
Page Two Hope College — Holland, Michigan LXXII—19 Delphi, Fraternal Win Sing Preview Tour Kappa Eta Nu, was accompan- singing "Splish Splash" and Symphonette ied by Dave Wilkin. "This Old House." The groups Sigma Iota Beta, the Sibyl- were directed by Virginia Hoe- Concert line sorority, sang acapella zie and Bruce Hoffman respec- "Greensleeves" and were led by tively. Sunday Evalyn Carter. Announcement of the win- A concert by the Hope Col- ning sororities: Second Place, They were followed by Phi lege Symphonette, under the Tau Nu, the Emersonians with Sibylline, First Place, Delta direction of Dr. Morrette Rider, Greg Bryson leading the "Sev- Phi. will be presented this Sunday enty-Six Trombones". The winning fraternities: afternoon at 4:00 in the chapel. Sigma Sigma, the last of the Second Place, Arcadian Fra- This select instrumental group societies to be judged, sang a ternity, First Place, Fraternal of approximately thirty music- classical tune, "Humoresque". Society. The Sing for 1960, ex- ians will perform a interesting Then, while judges, Mr. Al- cept for the refreshments and and varied program. bert Imeta, Mr. James DeJorge congratulations, was over as The selections for the concert and Mr. Weaver, all from Grand Edna Hollander accompanying, range from Mozart's "Abduc- Rapids, cast their ballots, the Dan Ritsema leading, the aud- tion Overture" to a folk type Members of the Fraternal Society pose after winning the sing. They sung audience were entertained by ience sang the Alma Mater. number by McKay entitled "Laura" which Dan Ritsema arranged. Pix—Vande Vusse the "Hope-ives", college wives Records will soon be on sale "Variance on a Texas Tune". The time was 8 p.m. Each Alpha Sigma Alpha No. 1 singing "Tis Sing Time" and for all to recall the hard work, One of Bach's most famous respective sorority and fratern- sang "One Little Candle". "College Wives" and the Dur- efforts and high grade of per- chorales-preludes, "Sheep May Safely Graze", and three parts ity had filed in and was ex- Phi Kappa Alpha, the Cos- fee waiters with their realistic fection that went into the Sing from a suite by Christoph pectantly and tensely waiting mopolitans, were next, with slam on Slater's Food Service, for 1960. Gluck will be the representa- its turn. their "Blue Tail Fly". The lights dimmed and Wally tive pieces from the Baroque Marcia R. Meengs and Alpha period. Van Buran, one of the m.c's Sigma Alpha No. 2 presented Turning to the very contem- stepped out onto the stage. their number, "May You Al- porary composer, Hovhanness, After a few opening jokes and ways." historical comments, the Sing the symphonette will play his The Delphis and Edna Hol- of 1960 commenced. two year old work "Prayer to lander presented acapella the First on the program was St. Gregory". This number fea- old spiritual, "Were You There." Dorian sorority. Kappa Beta tures a trumpet solo by Mel Phi. "Laura", was the Fraternal Ver Steeg. Adina Yonan, the female m.c. Society's presentation and they Another contemporary work then introduced the first fra- were directed by Dan Ritsema, is Charles Ives' "Symphony No. ternity on the program, the and accompanied by Jim Han- 3." The composition is made up Arcadians who presented the nenburg. of themes from old hymn tunes thundering "Song of the Open Alpha Gamma Phi sang "Ser- of the New England Congrega- Road", John Kleinheksel direct- anade." tional Church, and at one time The "Drinking Song", the was considered a rather radical ing, Mel Ver Steeg accompany- Delphi won this year's sing with their presentation of "Were You There." ing. number the Knickerbockers, Sibylline sorority placed second. Pix—Vande Vusse (Cont'd on page 3)
Four Freshman Appearing Presenting Joint Recital March 22 A joint recital to be given by sema and Mr. Johnston. Mr. his freshman year at Hope April 20; Ticket Sale On Hewitt Johnston, pianist, and VerSteeg and Mr. Kruiswik will College. Besides symphonette April 20th marks the date do it well —a fact that provides Gordon Hoeksema, clarinetist, join Gordon and Hewitt in and orchestra, this music major of the Four Freshmen's ap- their act with almonst unlim- will be presented in the Music Bowles' "Music for a Farce", an has played with the symphony ited versatility. pearance in Holland's Civic Building auditorium on March unusual contemporary number. Center. Tickets will go on sale 22 at 8:15 p.m. beginning March 16th. Mr. Johnston, a junior from Mr. Hoeksema, who has been They may be purchased from Holland, Michigan, is a music playing the clarinet for about any Fraternal Society member, Dutch major; Mr. Hoeksema, a senior, 12 years, was the recipient of v. _ '• in the lobby of Van Raalte, or also from Holland, is majoring the John Arenshorst Freshmen at the Frater house. Treat in Chemistry. Music Scholarship in his Fresh- Tickets may also be obtained Assisting in the recital will man year at Hope College. at Superior Sport Store begin- Week Ends be A1 Kruiswik on the percus- He has been a member of the ning March 16. The prices will The Bachelor Bank a success, sion instrument and Melvin Ver- Hope College band, orchestra, be fixed at $1.50, $2.00, and a big turn-out at "Kletz Nite", Steeg on the trumpet. and symphonette all four years $2.50. the orthodox sight of girls lead- that he has been a student here "Prelude and Fugue in C# All proceeds after expenses ing boys around on and off in addition to teaching clarinet. Major" by Bach, "Paganini will be donated by the Fra- campus, Dutch Treat Week is Gordon, who makes music his about to come to its climax this Etude No. 4- 'Arpeggio'" by ternal Society to the Muscular hobby, plans to enter The Uni- Dystrophy Fund. week end. Listzt, and "Excursions No. 1" versity of Michigan Dental Tonight "Shamrock Swing", by Barber include the numbers This is a non-profit campaign School upon graduation. While the St. Patrick's Dance with the that will be played by Mr. John- Mr. Gordon Hoeksema sponsored by the Fraternal So- at Hope, he has been a member ciety and designed to further music of Roger Reames and ston. Brahms Opus 120, No. 1, his orchestra will take place at of the American Legion Band, at Western Michigan Universi- the possibilities of name-band "Sonata for Clarinet and Piano" the Woman's Literary Club. the Interlochen All State Band, ty for the last four summers. appearances in the Holland area. will be performed by Mr. Hoek- Excellent entertainment and the Pre-Med Club, and the Tri This student of Mr. Anthony Since 1955, The Four Fresh- refreshments will be provided. Beta Biological fraternity. He Kooiker participated in the sen- men have been firmly estab- The tickets are a dollar per is a student of Leroy Martin. ior recitals of Sandra Dressel lished as one of the top acts in couple, girls. Attire for girls: and Terry Zylman last year. show business. Their hard-won flats or heels; guys wear suits, Mr. Johnston also received the Upon graduation he plans to success has brought them en- please. Arendshorst Music Scholarship enter seminary. gagements at most of the coun- And Saturday (the week still try's leading night clubs and isn't over, guys) Alcor is spon- concert halls. soring a famous film, "The Among the hundreds of public Tales of Hoffman", at the music Coming: Tales Of Hoffman building at the price of 50 appearances. The Freshmen have Tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. cents, a dollar per couple. fine artists according to Alcor. performed for just about every Alcor will present TALES OF Also, the movie is a lavish and major college in the United Here is an opportunity for HOFFMAN in the chapel. Dutch-Treaters as well as any- breath-taking spectacle of color States. This adaption of Offenbach's one else who'd like to come. and music. A performance by The Four opera which is staring Moira But as Dutch Treat Week Sherer and is featuring Sir The film will be shown on the Freshmen is decidedly not lim- comes to a wind-up with the Thomas Beecham and the Ropal Kiwanis' large screen rented es- ited to vocalizing. Among them, dance and the movie, a re- Philharmonic Orchestra. pecially for this film. the boys can blow, strum or minder to the girls that, after The movie features opera and Admission for the TALES OF thump seven instruments, and all, this is "Leap Year." Mr. Hewitt Johnston ballet and offers the talents of HOFFMAN is 50c. March 18> 1960 HOPE COLLEGE ANCHOR Page Three Editorial Scope The "Debate" on Defense The present session of Congress has meant not only friction over civil rights legislation, but a renewal of the debate on de- Calvin Literary Review: Winter 1959 Distinguished fense. Charges and denials of missle gaps or deterrent gaps This issue of the" Lit. Re- its rhythms, than in actual sub- erudite fashion (Henri Rous- heighten our vision of atomic extemination. view" is distinguished by a ject-matter. seau, Samuel Johnson, Salva- Naturally, the charges stem from the Democrats — dramatized number of unusual characteris- Daphne Kingma is another dor Dali, and Pablo Picasso all no doubt by the present election year. In essense the party's com- tics. One of them is the large addition to the pages of the in one page —whew! But plaint is that the Eisenhower administration has failed to make number of "Mein Kampf" poems Lit. Review; her four poems are they're all used with good ef- an adequate defense effort to meet the dangers facing us as a it contains. For clarity we must remarkable for the refinement fect). Pavanne is my favorite. nation. In the face of this charge no one in the administration distinguish between ligitimate of their imagery and the pre- Poe-like, Den Boer is primarily has come up with satisfactory explanations — nor an admission and illegitimate struggles — il- cision of their language. One concerned here with technical that defense matters should be handled as a national emergency, legitimate being something like imagines a wedding here of polish at the expense, if neces- as some feel they ought to be considered. David Holkeboer's Troubles, a Emily Dickinson and Lawrence sary, of meaning. Pavanne sets There are many opinions on why we are behind the Russians potpouri of Shakespeare-did-it- Ferlinghetti. a mood, no more, but it is — if indeed we are. One is that our government relys on a why-can't-I hashed metaphors Den Boer continues to experi- enough. reorganization mania instead of firm executive direction, to give and ideas for hit-tune lyrics; ment and, generally, improve. One thing about the Lit. Re- its space and missle programs some momentum. and legitimate being something October Song looks superficial- view as a whole is really irri- Perhaps worship of a balanced budget has been the biggest like beat-but-happy James Den ly like exactly the same sort of tating in this issue —layout. factor in assuring us of a rigid, not forward-looking space pro- Boer's The Accident. beat-style outburst that Ed The only attempt at intelligible gram. A foremost military analyst implies that the economize One other characteristic, an Smilde won first-place Eerde- order in the whole thirty-nine attitude regarding defense expenditures may be due to a President unfortunate one, is the drop in Tnan's award for, in Mack pages, is the placing of first, who depends upon his Budget Director for military advice. quality from the previous is- Charles Parker; but it says a second, and third-place Eerd- Many see a lack of decision in the White House which has sue — I hasten to add, not in great deal more in one fourth man's winners in that order at led to the sacrifice of a flexible military organization to a single overall quality. One simply ex- the time, and says it in more the beginning of the volume. weapon for massive retaliation. The administration says it is pects in any college literary "unthinkable" that we should use such a first-strike capability. publication a certain percentage Yet we do not have what it wants, a deterrent capability. There- of poor work (and OPUS is fore the current debate is being waged on irrelevancies. certainly no exception): in this Introduction To Fine Perhaps we don't clearly realize what our nation is up against issue of the Lit. Review the in the defense area. The space business is not a scientific hobby. percentage is no greater than Arts Supplement If it is one, it's a frightfully expensive show. The Soviet Unino usual, but what there is is oc- sees the political-military importance of space exploration and has casionally wretched. I single out The well-attended lectures, plays, discussions, and movie dur- ing fine arts week proved something: namely, that there is an made its military establishment far more flexible than ours in the piece of utterly meaning- facing the armaments revolution. Despite our President's view less grandiloquence called A an awareness and an interest in the fine arts at Hope College. that space exploration is not competetive, the Soviety Union is Picture of Prayer; obviously This is encouraging. treating it as such and we must react to its challenge. the author culled it from a Yet there are many students at Hope College, despite their There is a growing feeling that the existence of nuclear weap- half-hour's worth of dime-store interest in something called "the fine arts" who do not know or know only partially what the fine arts consist of. With the phrase ons increases the risk of war and makes nations more reluctant Christmas cards. to resort to force. This situation seems to indicate that the de- But do not mistake my mean- "consist of" it is not meant merely what is to be included in the term "fine arts", music, poetry, drama, painting (and all that im- fense debate issues turn on questions of judgment concerning the ing. Rather than mentioning a plies), the dance etc. but the nature of each of these arts and why confidence we can attach to incomplete information regarding "drop" I should have said a Soviet capabilities and hazardous estimates of Soviet intentions. "split" in quality, for this same they should be called arts at all. If this is called art, why isn't science an art? This is a How much risk are we willing to take remembering that any issue is distinguished by some natural enough question, but is often missed or left nuasked by degree of it is unpleasant, the stakes being so high? genuinely fine religious poetry General Nathan F. Twining, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (the last place to look for good those who throw the term "fine arts" around so loosely as to of Staff, has said in testimony before a Congressional committee religious poetry is at a relig- make others suspect that they really don't know themselves. In conjunction with "Fine Arts Week" then, (although the that "the only way we can deal with this fellow is not to tell him ious college). Gracia Fay week is already history) the Anchor is printing four discussions of how deficient we are today. We are prone to do this at times be- Bouwman, with For iQne Who the arts, poetry, music, arch sculptor drawing, music, painting cause it gets us more money. It is the democratic system and I Loved Wisdom, has achieved am not bucking it, but I think it is very dangerous." We have a something that comes only once and drama. It is hoped that these articles will do something to explain need for such leaders who will admit that honest explanations are in a college generation —re- just exactly why these subjects are relegated to the position of needed and authoritative remedies taken. A reliance on arguments straint. The excellence of the being "arts" and that through a discussion of these topics the beside the point at issue is reliance on nothing. poem lies more in this restraint, C. A. R. and in the quiet competence of students of Hope oCllege wlil be able to answer for themselves the questions, "What is art? Why art? What makes these an art and other things not? and is art worth having?" The first article, by Richard Jaarsma, poetry editor of Opus, St. Patrick the campus literary magazine, on poetry, will attempt an explana- ation of why poetry is poetry and why a telegram, for instance cannot be called poetry. Little Known About Saint of Ireland We hope it will be interesting and will clear up any miscon- The land of Ireland was a After six years of slave-work ceptions the student may have; even those students, who, we may heathen place until a young Patrick escaped from his mas- add, are now in the throes of second semester literature, required man, now known as St. Patrick, ter and sailed to Britain. There course, and cannot see why Vergil is a great poet or why Homer's came there as a religious am- he studied and was prepared Oddyssy and Illiad are great poems. for the ministry. After eighteen bassador. There is no other years of this preparation, great saint in the Catholic his- Patcick was appointed Bishop tory about whom so little is act- to Ireland by Pope Celestine. Letter to the Editor ually known. Some believe that As bishop of Ireland, St. Saint Patrick may be two or Patrick established 365 churches more men who lived about the each with its own private Your Treasure Chest? same time. school. He is also given the Just a short time ago, the tian converts of Berea, we It is believed by most author- credit for Christianizing two ANCHOR carried an editorial might "search the scriptures ities, that St. Patrick was bom men who later became bishops advocating the indoctrination daily, whether those things were in the year 386 A.D. at Glas- and for civilizing many of Ire- of three hour Bible courses. so." tonburg, England. Other au- land's peasant citizens. St. I must agree that three hour Right now the Bible require- thorities say however, that he Patrick also established two Pat Slerks, freshman, says happy St. Bible courses would be a good ment is meaningful and quite Pat's knowing she can have a part purposeful; add to this a stu- was born in Duxthremburg, colleges, one of which is still in in the day tho she's not Irish. addition to our curriculum; one Scotland in the year 389 A.D. operation. more hour a week can't help but dent with initiative and inter- and then almost as rapidly a be more beneficial to the stu- est, and he will realize the real Regardless of when he was It is legend that whereever new deer skin was placed upon dent. value of the Bible course. born, it is a known fact that at St. Patrick went, he was pre- the drum-head by a angel of Can one be justified though to —Lee R. Akker the age of sixteen Patrick was ceeded by a drum-roll to at- the Lord. carried off by Irish pirates and say that the present Bible tract the attention of the work- Why the shamrock as a sym- sold as a slave on their main- courses are wishy washy, and ing peasants. In the miracle of bol? The shamrock was used land. the snakes, this drum was burst offer no real challenge to the Concert Sunday by St. Patrick to explain the student ? (Cont'd from page 2) mystery of the Trinity to the Present Bible courses should Irish people. be a challenge to all students; and controversial piece of music. HOPE COLLEGE ANCHOR The three leaves are repre- we aren't learned theologians! "Woodland Sketches" by Mac- sentative of the Trinity and the To students who are seeking Dowell, familiar by ear if not Member Associate Collegiate Press stem, the God-head. This sym- spiritual knowledge, the pres- by name, is also part of the bolized the unity and the Chris- ent Bible courses can be, and program. PRESS tian belief of the three in one. should be, challenging as well The Symphonette will be pre- senting another concert on Published weekly bj and for the studenta of Hope College except March 17th was chosen to as inspirational. March 29, in which Miss Jan- during holiday and examination periods, under the authority honor St. Patrick not because it In a Bible course, as in any of the Student Council Publications Board. was his birthday or his death, other course, "You get out of tina Holleman will be featured but because he brought about the course just what you put as the piano soloist. Entered as second class matter at the post office of Holland, Mich- the sunshine of spring into the into it." These two concerts are being igan, at a special rate of postage provided for in section 1103 gray winter lives of the heath- Bible courses are treasure given as a preview of the ap- of Act of Congress, October 8, 1917, and authorized October en Irish when he taught them chests of knowledge and insper- proaching tour this accom- 19, 1918. Christianity. ation, waiting to be uncovered plished group soon will be mak- Subscription Rate: $2.00 per school year to non-student subscribers. Happy St. Patrick's Day. by you and me; like the Chris- ing to the West Coast. ^ •
Page Four HOPE COLLEGE ANCHOR March 18, 1960 FINE ARTS SERIES: THE ART IN POETRY by Richard Jaarsma There must be something wrong with the poet's mode of ex- The poet is an experiencer . pression. Herein lies the key. But what? What is the earthly use of writing poetry if your readers cannot understand what you are talking about? There is no reason in this, we will admit. But can it be said that poets then are not communicating at all with anyone, only themselves? uev Then all of us are poets in this sense. No, it goes deeper than this. I think we must admit that the poet's way of expressing himself is decidedly different than our common, every-day way of talking. mm .. On this cornerstone then, can we build our explanation of what poetry is, or ought to be. If we admit that the poet's way of expressing himself differs from the way we express ourselves in daily speech, we must ask why and how. There must be a reason for it, otherwise why do it? And after we have established why the poet expresses himself differently, or in such a way as to confuse us, then we must look at how it is done. The poet is a sculptor .
Not a sculptor of statues or bas-reliefs but a sculptor of words. The poet, like the sculptor takes a stuff, an earth-stuff in the case of the sculptor, and does things with it: things that ex- press something the poet or sculptor wants to say.
But unlike the sculptor, the poet uses for his basic material, his earth-stuff, the language in which he speaks and lives.
Instead of merely telling someone else what it was that he experi- Nofure, A/lon, God enced or saw or what it is that he wants to drive home, he first grabs He experiences life, not only through act- language by the handful, moulds and shapes it in some kind of coherent ual participation in something but through whole, and then presents the finished product to the reader. vicarious enjoyment or distaste of certain acts The sculptor does much the same thing with his bronze, or feelings. This makes the poet something of marble, and other metals, through which he works. a spokesman for all of us, who, it must be said, all experience life in one degree or an- We must understand this first of all, if we are to appreciate other. what the poet is doing.
When we go down a toboggan chute, for But agin, why should the poet do this? It can be simply put: instance, we experience the keen feeling of ex- the poet is sensitive to words, to images, to sounds (of words), to hilaration, tinged by just a touch of fear that combinations of words, and he feels that his method for presenting something might go wrong. We tell our friends an idea or experience is incomparably better than the dullness that about this afterwards, perhaps elaborating the comes of telling another person just what it was that he saw or sensation somewhat, and sometimes become experienced or wanted to say. quite enthusiastic even in retelling. It is something of an egotism, this, but a worthy and par- mm The same with the poet. He takes certain donable egotism. feelings, acts, things seen etc., and describes them for his readers, exactly as he tasted of This implies, however, that the reader also understands what them. This is simple. What then the diffi- the poet is doing and why the words he uses are not the words culty ? that one would use in ordinary speech if he were to tell his neigh- mm bor about something. For it must be admitted that there is a diffi- i Not of course, that the poets don't use ordinary words or that culty. Often we read a poem and say to ourselves, they do not often use the cadences of modem speech, but that they mm r "Huh?? IT hat's he talking about?" This is common enough. use them in such a way, and in such combinations that they differ, often almost indefinably, from But why, ij the poet experiences life can we the things we say as we buy seemingly not understand what the poet says about an ice-cream cone or call one of life? There must be something either wrong with us. our friends on the telephone. or the poet, or the poet's mode of expression. William Shakespeare, the in- i v ?'' I To say that there is something wrong with comparable English poet and r- $?•. * dramatist begins one of his si us is unthinkable in our opinion of ourselves. &i£: sonnets this way: It is impossible that all of us could be wrong and that only the poets could be right. "That time of year thou mayst in me behold That there is something wrong with the When yellow leaves, or none, or poet is also not a tenable position: after all, few, do hang poets are not monsters or idiots who scribble Upon those boughs which shake meaningless phrases and catch-words on paper. against the cold, We are charitable enough to concede this point Bare ruined choirs, where late also. What then is left? the sweet birds saog." < t
March 18, 1960 HOPE COLLEGE ANCHOR Page Five POETRY What is he saying? Nothing so earth-shaking really! Only that he is getting old. Then why make such a The musical qualities of this stanza are obvious. The light big ado about a little thing like that? airy rhythm shows the reader that this is a poem that is meant as This is a common experience, there is no doubt about that. But why then not just tell his readers this: an enticement for the girl to come and make love to the poet. that he is getting old? What better way than to use music for making love? We are To understand why not, we must look at the statement, I am getting old. Anyone can say this. borne on a current of dancing words which do more than anything We need no Shakespeare to tell us that men get old. But in comparing his age to the fall or early else could do to show us the intent of the poet. winter (the "bare ruined choirs" and the "yellow leaves, or few") he enriches the meaning of his Another way in which the poet uses words to illustrate what statement. We immediately get a picture of November or early December and through this mental it is that he's trying to tell the reader, or make the reader sense image, we see that the statement, "I am getting old", is much stronger than it appears on the surface. or feel an experience, is by means of alliteration and assonance. Alliteration means the use of some consonant sounds repeated What is more desolate than the prelude to winter in a series of words. Assoance is a similar repetition of sounds, only this time the sounds are vowel sounds. Pope illustrates it better than I could in his "Essay on mmmm Criticism", a poetic analysis of poetry, among other things. He says: mm "True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, As those move easiest who have learned to dance. It is not enough no harshness gives offense. The sound must seem an echo to the sense: Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows. And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows; But when loud surges lash the sounding shore. The hoarse, rough verse should like a torrent roar: When Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw the line too labors, and the words move slow; . •• x; Not so, when swift Camilla scours the plain. Flies o'er the unbending com, and skims along the main." The alliteration is illustrated by Pope here in the line i * i "Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows," in the repetition of soft consonant sounds s, z, and f. The alliteration used here is a perfect picture and describes the exact mood of a light wind blowing over the land. Assonance lies in the line "And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows;" through the repitition of the various sounds. This line, inci- dentally, also illustrates alliter- ation. mm Alliteration and assonance .... can also give a line a heavy and when the snow has not yet fallen but the ground is frozen solid and the sky is nothing but a sheet strained quality as in the line of dead gray? "When Ajax strives some By borrowing from things that we experience every day, the poet has enriched our conception rock's vast weight to throw". of the bareness of old age. This line is difficult to pro- The above illustrates just what it is that the poet does. He wants to enforce the things that he says, and nounce. Try it sometime. enforce them in such a way as to dwell on a common experience that both he and the reader have had. What is Imagery, the use of pictures, more common than seeing the trees stripped of their leaves? images, to evoke a mood, sym- Yet in presenting this picture of desolation, Shakespeare has an ulterior motive: he is making a comment bolize a idea, is a device that on a situation, and experience. He is comparing old age to winter. And it is not a cheerful picture. is used almost universally in "Good poetry is poetry that takes you and slams you against the wall." poetry. Hoseman's beautiful I don't know any more who said this, but it is a cryptic statement of what poetry is supposed little poem, "Loveliest of to do. Trees", of which I will quote Having already explained that through certain devices, the poet wants to force on the reader, the first stanza, well-examples and make it ten times more meaningful, the thing he wants to say, we can now go into a short dis- the use of imagery by a poet: cussion of what these devices are and how they are used by the poet. "Loveliest of trees, the cherry Everyone has noticed that certain poems, many poems rather, have a definite "rhythm". Why now • PVi is this? Is it a mere little trick of the poet to show the reader that this is poetry and not prose? Is hung with bloom along the No, harly. He uses this rhythm to enhance his meaning. bough. One of the best examples of this use of rhythm to explain the meaning of the thing he is say- And stands about the woodland - ing, is Byron's poem "The Destruction of Sennacherib" which we recognize as being about the de- ride struction of the Assyrians by Jehovah as described in 11 Kings, Chapters 18 and 19. In picturing Wearing white for Eastertide." the advance of the Assyrian armies into Israel, Byron puts it this way: We get a picture of cherry "The Assyrian came down like trees in England, blooming just the wolf on the fold. as Easter approaches. The poet And his cohorts were gleaming is riding through the field, he was like stars on the sea. Come Into The Garden Maud describes the scene to the reader. l 3 And the sheen of their spears But why? Isn't it enough to in purple and gold; tell us what that he saw some : • . I I 1W When the blue wave rolls nightly cherry trees and that they were on deep Galilee." very beautiful? •III This shows Byron's mastery of For the answer to this ques- words; the ability to set a scene tion we must look at the next through the use of combinations of two stanzas: words so put together as to illumin- ate his meaning more than could be Now, of my threescore years done if he had just said, "The and ten. Assyrians attacked the Israelites Twenty will not come again, while the Israelites were unpre- And take from seventy springs pared for the attack." a score. The use of rhythm can be so It only leaves me fifty more. affected as to produce a melodi- ous as well as a pounding rhy- And since to look at things in thm. In other words, to make bloom music; word music. Fifty springs are little room, An example of this is Tenny- About the woodlands I will go son's "Lyric from Maud". To see the cherry hung with The first stanza goes: snow. "Come into the garden, Maud, Now everything comes into focus. First describing the coun- For the black hat, night has try scene as he rides through it, he uses this image to muse i little flown, about the fact that he is already seventy years old and that he Come into the garden, Maud, does not have too much time to enjoy nature anymore. I am here at the gate alone; Then in the last stanza he goes on with his musing by saying that one And the woodbine spices are can never enjoy the beauties of nature enough, and that he will, personally, wafted abroad. spend the rest of his life trying to capture everything that he can and that And the musk of the rose is nature has to offer. The image in the last two lines, of the "cherry hung blown." (Cont'd on page 6) Page Six HOPE COLLEGE ANCHOR March 18, 1960 "*! LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS Social Sidelights Plan ^^nupiiMT, Societies Back Di and Em IUU1M6H I Penny Greetings! Welcome back to another session of assorted lUK II little tidbits picked up around campus this last week by yours truly, plus Ruth and Elaine. New items are coming in nicely, Carnival but we haven't heard much from Fraternal, Emersonian and The 1960 Penny Carnival Knickerbocker fraternities yet. Rather slow guys. sponsored by W.A.L. will be Better get your reporter on the ball if you want to see held in the gym March 26, from your names in print. 8:00-10:30 p.m. Also, both ASA societies have been rather lax in their contributions. Let's get on the stick gals. Well, here goes for Co-chairmen for the event are another round. Read on, my lads and lassies. AS shhby: Bev Joeckel and Marilyn Fugaz- PURE fOOD - New officers of Kappa Beta Phi sorority are Sue Edwards, COOK,, zotto, working with the follow- president, Bonnie Beyers, vice-president, Pat Patterson, and . IN4P0OTbfZ. ...{ ing committee chairmen: ad- Ruth Klomparens, alumni secretary. Congrads ladies! missions, Nance Guildenshuh; • « * • e I WANNA refreshments, Grace Gilmore; Sigma Iota Beta, still thrilled about their second place in decorations, Sharon Norris and the Sing, looked pretty sharp Monday in their new sorority Bobbie Dykema; booths, Jan outfits. Here's a society that is really shooting up to the top Riemersma; publicity, Ginny lately . . . Liebertz; entertainment, Lois • • » » • Bonnema; and clean up, Marcia Arcadian Carl Tidd has been chosen by the city of Hol- Ann Meengs. land to serve as Community Ambassador for the year 1960. He C The theme for this annual will spend the summer in Sweden and upon his return in Sep-
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