The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-06-16
FARGO COLLEGE
PREPS GRADUATE
MAsTERFuL ADDRESS WAS FEA-
TURE OF THE COMM
or PREPARATORY CLASS -
soUiREs DECLARES THAT
POETRY HAS GREAT FUTURE.

POETRY HAS GREAT FUTURE.
Fargo college has graduated one
more class OF preparatory students.
The class Of 1913 received their diplo-
mas Saturday evening at the Baptist
church, and Its members are now
eligible to undertake the duties OF a
full f1edged college student. Seven
young ladies and FIVE young men
marched to the front, and gathering
around the pulpit received the coveted
diplomas and hearty hand-shake of
co~ngratulation from President Cree
gan. The girls, dressed in white and
the boys in black, all wearing the class
flower, the white rose, presented q
pretty picture indeed. The church
was well decorated by the nnGcr
classes with palms. ferns, and flowers
together with trimmings of blue and
silver the official class colors. The
motto Of these e%nterprising seniors
was ITO be, and Not to Seem" Coach
| Watkins has acted as class counsellor
from the faculty.
The evenings programme began
with an invocation by Rev. A. T..
Peterson of the First Baptist church.
The young ladies of the Fargo College
G1ee club contributed several selec-
tions under the direction of Professor
Stephens, among which were the
pleasing numbers so well liked by all,
The Gondolier Song, and the Serenade
from LIE Roi la dit by Deliebes, and
| Spring.
The address OF the evening was de-
livered by Prof. Vernon p. Squires of
the university. He chose for his sub
feet a favorite theme, The Future of
Poetry, His attitude was especially
optimistic, and he painted a picture
of q bright future for the shy Muses..
The speaker handled the subject
with a familiarity and zeal that be-
tokened his faith In the future chill
dTer of divine genius. He admitted
who say that the art Of poetry is on
the decline. bat he showed how absurd
these ideas are when the proper view is
taken of the whole field.
His address in part was: young
ladies and gentlemen, we do not need
to base our faith on general principles
alone Nor do We need to be dis
cour aged because at the present
moment the poetic impulse seems
weak and wavering. From time i'm
memorial literature has known its
L GDDS ana sIIuWS." lLS eEdS Oh IIdlISlIIGIl
as well as it's times of fulness aud
power. 1t cannot always be harvest
time in the field of art. Great move
ments must have their seed time their
long period OF quiet, unobstructivc
growth, even their fallow fields and
ages OF apparent ~stagnation. AS,
however we look back over the past,
we can find in each period Of depres-
sim the suggestion of a greater life
to come. Again and again have men
pronounced the high muse dead, vet
never hitherto has she failed in due
time to awake with eWnesS OF
strength. She might indeed appropri-
ate s:helley's words and say in regard
to the sepulchre in which men think
to bury her from light and life:
'I silently laugh at my own cenataph-
And out of the caves of disdain
Like a child from the womb, like a
ghost from the tomb,
/ arise and unbuild it again"
Professor Squires asserted that 1t
was his firm conviction that the
activities Of the present age were most
promising for future poetry, especially
In the lines of physical nature, human
nature, and religion. The speaker
told OF the wonderful revival of
religion that must follow this & of
4 GuLlRIlLGIItlGLl ~ dild aH=#W -
medieval Christianity could produce a
Divine Comedy, If Puritanism with all
its limitations could give us a Para
disc lost and a Paradise regained, in
what splendid measures shall not the
religious ideals of the new day utter
themselves? z"
In ~prophesying as to the future of
Doetry the speaker read with wonder
full expression the following lines of
Edith M. Thomas:
"Oh, believe not those who say
Song hath had its perfect day.
Yea; To every a c and tongue
There are lyrics vet unsung!
For this life of man keeps pace
To a mighty step In space;
And the mists that round us drift
Ever more and more uplift!
Ohl the Father still creates;
j And the child in wonder waits,
Ready, new delights to find
Where. before, the eyes were blind
Where, before, the ears were dead!
So, i say as | have said:
There are lyrics yet lnsung
Unto harps as yet not strung"
After the class had listened with
interest to this scholarly address, they
were presented by Dean Brown for
graduation. President Creegan pre-
Isented the diplomas and delivered a
few brief but ~opportune words to the
graduates, congratulating them
especially Upon the historical signifi-
canoe of their number, twelve. and
upon the splendid work which they
had done for the four past years.
The class were: Charles Amidon.
president; BENJAMIN Baroski, Fanny
Clapp. secretary; Harriette Freeman,
Ethel Fisher, Ruth Gage, vice presi-
dent; Hubert Harrington, Eleanor
Kindred. Aroline McGrann, Frank
SuckoW.