Two Poems: Class Day Poem; The Purple Hills

"Two Poems: Class Day Poem; The Purple Hills" by Henry Rutgers Conger is a set of poems from the 1800s. The poems center on saying goodbye to school and stepping into the bigger world, delving into ideas like missing the past and valuing knowledge. The first poem is called "Class Day Poem," and it's all about graduates saying goodbye to their school, remembering what they learned there. The speaker uses the school like it's their mother who urges students to remember their lessons as they deal with adult challenges ahead. The second poem, "The Purple Hills," paints a picture of the school campus at sunset, standing for those college memories and how the graduates will always feel connected to the hills, even when life is hard. The collection shares a feeling of saying a somewhat sad goodbye, thinking about what was, but also pushing forward with strength and goals for what is to come.