Remi Bass, class poet for the 2025 School of Liberal Arts Undergraduate Diploma Ceremony, recited her original poem “An Aubade Steeped in Bittersweet Light” to fittingly welcome the dawn of a new chapter.
Remi stumbles across the term aubade — a poem or song written for the early morning/dawn; that both greets/welcomes the dawn while lamenting on the end of a night filled with revelry and love — through a New York Times poetry challenge email. The first aubade she read was Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem "Recuerdo."
"Once I found out there is a type of poem written for limbo moments in time and the complex array of emotions / feelings experienced in those moments, I knew it was the perfect poetic genre for my Commencement poem," she elaborated.
Post-graduation, Remi plans to pursue an MFA in creative writing.
"An Aubade Steeped in Bittersweet Light"
I’m not sure I’m ready to say goodbye
to the dazzling oaks and their Spanish moss blankets,
who reach out their arms without expecting return,
and hold fields full of wisdom we have yet to discern.
I’m not sure how to hold
the simultaneous states
of wishing for more time and recognizing
we’ve had four years to revel and learn and reflect
on where we’ve been, who we are,
and what we haven’t done yet!
When you look back on your time
in this magical city, remember
the warm rush of light glowing inside,
your giddy, happy feet
tap tap tapping to the groove of brass bands
leading a second line where for a moment, you can
just breathe and glide through,
smoothly, with ease,
can simply dance and keep dancing
for there’s no need to appease
pesky requests or choose what to do next,
except move your body
to the sweet sweet music
buzzing between your toes
and up through your bones
as it swallows you whole
into a world of pure peace—
a collective effervescence
that shall never cease.
As you can see, we don’t do this alone,
we don’t need to brave hurricanes
all on our own, or worry
that one day we’ll cease to be known,
for you’ll always have a place in my heart: home sweet home <3
View Remi reading her poem: