The words of two Irish poets express these countervailing forces more beautifully than I can. Listen first to the words of C. Day Lewis on the power and glory of our traditions, our memories and our roots. Roots are for holding on, and holding dear. A sense of rootedness, a source held near and dear. Now attend to the verse of Derek Mahon as he reflects on the constant change that also governs our lives.
Nobody steps into the same river twice.
The same river is never the same Because that is the nature of water. Similarly your changing metabolism Means that you are no longer you. Your years at Princeton are now among the roots that will continue to whisper to you throughout your life, and because of your years here each of you is no longer quite the same you. These moving verses of Lewis and Mahon evoke, for me, an even keener realization that while we all experience daily the echoes of our previous journeys, it is the inevitable process of change and the as yet unknown contours of our future journey that will determine the fullness of our individual contribution to the accumulating experience of humankind. As those of you graduating today take the next step in your journey, I know that you will continue to be nourished by the values, traditions and memories bequeathed to you by your families and friends.