By Maegan Clearwood
News Editor
When Caroline Knuth ventures outside for one of her frequent nature walks, she doesn’t just see trees and birds; she sees poetry.
“Have you been outside in the spring when it’s nice out? It’s gorgeous,” she said. “I love being outside and I love the feeling that I get from hiking a mountain. The beauty of nature is so inspirational to me.”
Caroline, an English and art major, has used her love for the outdoors in nearly every aspect of her creative endeavors. Even before she decided to attend WC, Caroline was confident in her decision to study literature and art. It wasn’t until Sophie Kerr weekend, however, when Caroline discovered the Rose O’Neill Literary House, that she knew WC was for her.
““The literary world on this campus, this community, did live up to my expectations because it’s been like a big lit family,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot and I’m a much better writer than I was four years ago.”
Since her freshman year, Caroline has proven her artistic, writing, and academic skills many times over. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta (the English honors society), the Cater Society and Phi Beta Kappa. She also works at the Writing Center, is vice spokesperson for the Writers’ Union, and just won the William W. Warner writing prize for environmental writing. One of her proudest accomplishments is the grant she received from the Cater Society to print a book of original poetry.
“I carved illustrations to print with it, set the title page by hand, and had friends help bind them,” she said. “They’re all nature-based poems, but they deal with memories and the idea of passage of time. It’s hard to talk about the goal of the book as an object of art and poetry is to evoke reflection and meditation. It’s something for people to take time with.”
When she wasn’t in the print shop, Caroline spent much of her senior year working on her art thesis. She used grass, wool, hair, and nature-based Irish symbolism to create her collection.
In her artist’s statement, Caroline said, “The interrelations of these three elements will inspire the viewer to wonder about the relationships between them and thus come to see that there is an importance in them. I hope that people will see this work as beautiful and thereby come to see that their relations to nature can also be beautiful and meaningful.”
Caroline’s connection to Ireland was sparked by the semester she spent there in the fall of her junior year.
“It was wonderful. I really didn’t want to come home if my mom hadn’t helped me pack up, I probably would have missed the plane,” she said. “Also, [the time in Ireland] made me realize that I’m capable of being on my own. I’m confident and independent and can make my way in the world.”
For her English capstone, Caroline took and earned honors on a comps exam. She wrote the research section of the exam on Edmund Spenser’s 16th century poem, “The Faerie Queene.”
“I don’t know why I have this fascination with old things,” she said. “Maybe because they’re so far removed from us and yet have been so influential. It’s really cool to explore the roots that’s we’ve almost forgotten.”
Although Caroline has grown over her four years at WC, she plans to continue learning well after graduation.
“I want to go back to school in a few years. I’m exhausted from homework and need a break from it, but I’d like to get a Master’s in illustration. It will help me become an author and illustrator, but I also want to learn more about medieval literature, go back to Europe for it.”
Eventually, Caroline wants to blend her passions for art and poetry.
“I want to work with children’s books, illustrated books of poetry. I’ve been collecting illustrated volumes of poetry, and I want to make poetry more accessible,” she said.
May 6, 2011
Volume LXXXI Issue 25