In regard to verse, the same general principle, sincerity, which has been used in the foregoing papers of this discussion, will apply. A light, or humorous poem is sometimes tolerable, even if it lacks the greatest finish. A good joke may often carry off a poor rhyme. Yet an equally weak attempt to express something very thoughtful, produces an uncommonly depressing effect upon the reader. The language is so inadequate to the idea that the work is in no way successful. So, on this score alone, it is less hazardous to try light verse.

If a man thinks that he has a really poetic conception, it is well for him to try to express himself in metre. But he should be chary about giving such a production to the public; for few are true poets, and he may not be of the few. College students more often fail through feebleness of thought rather than of expression. Their sentiments frequently turn out to be flat, and puny copies of what has been much better said. Yet, if we have not the highest forms of inspiration, we can make light and graceful verse from the light and graceful fancies which belong to our time of life. Such writing is the truest expression of our personality.

To be sure, a few here may have enough depth and intensity of feeling seriously to attempt poetry. But the rest of us, the majority, would do better to forget a first love, which we never had; cease wishing to die; and write of what we know and feel.

Although the question of pessimism has already been covered, yet it may not be out of place to make a special application of the principle of sincerity to the subject. The idea has in some way gotten abroad that a pessimist is a child of the devil, with notions accordingly diabolical. Yet the fact is that the pessimist simply believes that more misery than happiness exists in the world. The optimist holds the opposite. Everyone grants that an optimist who writes pessimistically should be condemned for insincerity. But few seem to realize that if a man's most sober and honest thought is pessimistic, as it often is, he would do wrong to write optimistically. Both argue that you must shape your course according to the weightiest facts of existence; one holds that misery is the great fact of life; the other, that happiness is. Each is in duty bound steadfastly to set forth his side, if he thinks that thereby men will do better. To blame a writer because he does not hold your view in such a matter, is arrogant; for you are as likely as he to err. A little more kindly toleration from both is desirable. The optimist should recognize that, after all, the pessimist may be right; the pessimist should have the courtesy to acknowledge that an optimist is not necessarily a fool; for all human beings - including pessimists - are likely to make mistakes.

To sum up, the fault in our college papers is the fault of youth. We are too ambitious; we try to do too much. A few here may be profound; but the most of us are not. Yet all may strive for sincerity. Lion skins are proverbially poor garments for us.