Volume 1983 Parnassus

Forward

The 1983 Parnassus is a celebration of the magic of imagination. Samuel Taylor Coleridge speaks of imagination as the “Soul” of poetry and that which “forms all into one graceful and intelligent whole.” He defines the poet as one who “brings the whole soul of man [all his faculties] into activity… [and] diffuses a tone and spirit of unity, that blends, and, as it were, fuses, each into each, by that synthetic and magical power…imagination.” Coleridge’s perception is both accurate and illuminating. Man’s ability to create lies not only in the light of his reason, or the power of his passion, but in the leap of his imagination. It is that magical faculty which can create that which does not exist, can perceive that which is unseen, and can discern form, beauty, and meaning in apparent chaos. When that-which-once-was lies shattered in pieces, the power of imagination aids man in discerning new forms and unities. Hence, new forms merge out of old, and the human mind is ever creating. When need, circumstances, emotion, and human-will challenge the power of the imagination, who can predict the product?

The reader should know that Parnassus consists of selected student responses to the Parnassus Literary Contest sponsored by Taylor’s Department of English. This year, as in the past, T.S.O. provided prize money for the winning entries, and the English Department under the capable leadership of Dr. William Fry provided money for publication. Since the first contest in 1980, students with diverse interests and goals have responded well to the contest. This year students competed in three categories: poetry, story, and essay. The literary winners of this contest are highlighted at the beginning of this publication.

Gratitude for a job well done goes to all who helped make this effort possible. Vicky Mueller served as student editor. Harvey Warwick served as contributing artist, and these two along with Lynn Bailey, Lisa Calvin, Margie Gowman, and Teresa Sheffler constituted the editorial staff. A commendable group of students! (Enjoy the pizza!) Members of the English department who spent several hours conscientiously reading and judging the student entries were Edward Dinse, Marith Bicksler, and Ken Swan. Perhaps the greatest of all is the unsung heroine Rhonda Gretillat who served us so well as secretary and typist. Merci.