Student Scholarship

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

This honors project, titled Under the Sun and the Moon, was submitted by Ellen Devlin on April 30, 1958, as a culminating creative and academic work. The document is structured into two primary sections: a substantial collection of original lyric poetry and a one-act play titled The Ivory Tower Scheme: A Drama in Thought. The poetry is categorized into thematic groups that explore the various facets of existence, including sections labeled Life is Natural, Life is Satirical, Life is Paradoxical, Life is Lonely, Life is Longing, and Life is Loving. These poems often utilize nature imagery, such as the changing seasons, willow trees, and the movement of water, to mirror internal emotional states and philosophical inquiries regarding the human condition. 

The dramatic portion of the project, The Ivory Tower Scheme, features a cast of five female college students—Valerie, Charlotte, Jerri, Loretta, and Nancy—living in a women’s college dormitory. The plot centers on Valerie’s social experiment of withdrawing to her room for a weekend to engage in deep introspection and "learn to know herself". This act of isolation sparks a series of debates among her peers regarding the value of the intellectual "ivory tower" versus the necessity of practical, social reality. Through the dialogue, Devlin explores the tension between maturing idealism and social conformity. The project concludes with an extensive list of readings and a bibliography of poets and plays studied, including works by Robert Browning, T. S. Eliot, and Maxwell Anderson, which likely served as the stylistic and philosophical foundation for Devlin’s own creative explorations.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: Student researcher Ellen Devlin explores the philosophical and paradoxical nature of life through a creative synthesis of poetry and drama, specifically examining themes of isolation, beauty, and the "Ivory Tower" concept within a women's college setting. 

  • The Method: The project utilizes a dual-structure framework consisting of a 62-page collection of original poems categorized by thematic existential states (Natural, Satirical, Paradoxical, Lonely, Longing, Loving) followed by a three-scene "Drama in Thought" titled The Ivory Tower Scheme. 

  • Qualitative Finding: Life is characterized as a series of sensory and emotional contradictions where internal "weather" reflects external reality; the "Ivory Tower" is defined not just as a retreat into dreams but as a necessary isolation of the spirit to achieve a "Renaissance" of personal thought. 

Publication Date

4-1958

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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