Obscure Poetry Is Made Lively by Professor's Puns
Richard Strawn, visiting associate professor of Romance languages, was introducing the work of two French poets, Francis Fonge and St. John Ferse, at yesterday's Poetry Hour in the Kansas Union.
"The poetry that I'm going to read this afternoon is obscure—obscure as all get-out."
"It may be that I should not read what I'm going to read. It is next door to the Bible—on the other side. Let I want to read Ponge and I'm going to read Ponge—so there."
“These are both prose poets — at least that is the handiest tag. May I read what T. S. Eliot has to say about them?” he queried the audience.
Prof. Strawn explained that Ponge was a poverty-stricken insurance salesman, and Perse was a diplomat.
Neither a whisper nor a rustle of clothing came from the ring of coffee sippers surrounding the speaker's podium.
"There is always a moment of silence when you mention T. S. Eliot," Prof. Shawn said.
Radio Programs KUOK
4:00 Music in the Afternoon
6:00 KUOK News
6:15 Doug Brown Show
7:00 KUOK News
7:00 Doug Brown Show
7:30 Spotlight on Sports
8:00 KUOK News
8:05 Gerren Keith Show
8:05 KUOK News
8:05 Gerren Keith Show
8:05 KUOK News
10:05 Jazz Spectrum
Friday
KANU
Friday
4:30 Jazz Cocktail
5:00 Twilight Concert: "Trio in A Minor" by Tchaikovsky
7:00 Marianne Meridian; Faculty Recital - Marianne Jorsdell, pianist
7:30 Keyboard Concert (Organ) "Tocata, Adagio and Fugue in C Minor" by Bach
7:55 Queso
8:00 University of the Air: Handel, "Man and Music"
9:00 Opera Is My Hobby: An interview in Rome with Italian tenor, Tito Sanna, recorded by correspondent Nino Bloe and by Maestro Schipa's recordings
10:00 News
10:05 A Little Night Music: "Trio" by Lily Simon
11:00 Slim Off
Saturday
**Thursday**
7:00 Record Shop.
9:10 Hit Parade of Classics
9:35 News
10:00 All About Books
10:15 Watch Your Grammar
10:45 Southland Serenade
11:00 Hearing Symphony: "Symphony No. 8 in B Major" by Schubert
11:30 Broadway Rhapsody: Highlights from "The Sound of Music"
11:55 News
12:00 New Releases
12:45 Jephawk Locker Room
1:00 Music from Germany
1:30 Masterworks from france
1:00 I Love a Parade
2:15 Kansas Campus Report
2:15 Wings of Song: Mario Lanza — John Spoole
2:00 Piano Recital: "Suite Bergamasque" by Debussy
4:30 Jazz Cocktail
7:00 Twilight Concert: "Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano," by Faura
7:00 The Jazz Spectrum
7:00 Basketball: University of Kansas vs. Missouri
9:00 Hi-Fi Hour
10:00 News
10:05 A Little Night Music: "Quintet in G Minor" by Mozart
11:00 Sign Off
"Neither Perse nor Fonge has the quality of the illuminated. They want to strip the world—to bare it to a chemical reduction. The chief movement of each of the poets is reduction."
Desire to Strip World
Sunday
1:00 Dinner  Symphony: "Symphony
No. 3 in D Major" by Tchakovsky
3:00 Songs and Strings: The Art of
Andres Segovia
3:00 University of Kansas Concert Band
Jerpers
5:00 Twentieth Concert
9:00 Organ Recital: Organ Music by
Llist
9:55 News
10:55 A Little Night Music: "Quartet
for Flute, Guitars, Violins and
Cello in G Major" by Schubert
11:00 Sign Off
He explained that Perse might be said to be looking through the eyepiece of a telescope so that everything he saw was enlarged, while Ponge looked through the other end so that he saw everything in miniature.
Hults To Speak On The Budget Tuesday
Prof. Strawn mentioned that there is always difficulty in translating poems because of the difference in word meanings. He said:
He said that both poets are etymological writers with a strong view toward analyzing the basic elements of their subjects.
"To do a public reading this way is not quite fair because you should have a chance to go over it again and again."
Prof. Strawn introduced Perse's "It Rains."
Sen. Donald Hults (R-Lawrence) will speak on "The Budget: Politics and Education" at 7:50 Tuesday in the Kansas Union.
Sen. Hults is a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee which has been meeting with representatives from boards, agencies and institutions to hear discussion on the budget.
The committee met with the State Board of Regents Wednesday and Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy yesterday and heard recommendations on the needs of Kansas colleges and KU.
"It is a little bit like the Bible. I'm sorry, but that is the way it is." An excerpt:
"...The javelins of Noon quiver in the gates of joy. The drums of nothingness yield to the fives of light. And the ocean on all sides, trumpling the weights of dead roses..."
Prof. Strawn summed up the poem, explaining that Perse is always working toward bare essentials.
"After the Rains have passed across the City—capital 'C' on City and capital 'R' on Rain—what is left is Man's World—again, capitalize Man's World."
Think of Type Faces
In the next poem he explained that the listeners should imagine a printed page before them and think of the individual type faces.
A line from the poem:
"On the type face bushes that the poet makes . . ."
Prof. Strawn then introduced another poem.
"Ponge's title, 'Mures,' means simply 'Berries' until we get to a pun at the end. I'll light up when we hit the pun—so you will know."
The pun:
"Without any other virtue—being ripe, since they (elements of poetry) are, precisely, ripeberries (sic)—as this poem, too, is composed." (Editors Note-???)
KU Band Concert Is Sunday
The annual winter concert of the KU band will be at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the University Theatre.
The program will feature "La Fiesta Mexicana," a newly published symphony in three movements by Owen Reed.
PAT READ
INDIAN TRADER
445 Tenn. St. Ph.VI 3-1306
Friday, Jan. 15, 1960 University Daily Kansan Page 7
Gifts That Are Different
- Indian Jewelry - Navajo Rugs
- Hand Loomed Ties
The Midwest's Largest Dealer In Indian Handicraft
Open
9:00 A.M. UNTIL 5:00 P.M.
Open Evenings By Appointment
the Thankless child coffee house
presents the swinging
accompanied by DAN GOMEZ-DUO also
ANGELO ROMERO
LEE STONE, FOLK SINGER
serving caffe espresso and satisfying sandwiches, etc.at moderate prices OPEN NIGHTLY
830 Vermont Lawrence, Kansas VI 3-9829
January Clearance
Now Going On
SPORT COATS
Regular 25.00 Now 14.00
Regular 27.50 Now 16.50
Regular 32.50 Now 21.00
Regular 34.50 Now 27.00
SUITS
Entire Stock
28. 75
SWEATERS All Styles & Colors 1/2 price
DRESS SHIRTS Entire Stock Included - Values to $5.00 2.88
TIES
Reg. 2.50
2 for 4.00
SPORT SHIRTS
Reg. 5.00 Now 3.19
Reg. 5.95 Now 3.69
Reg. 6.95 Now 4.69
Reg. 8.95 Now 6.00
Parkas 10.00
DRESS SLACKS
Reg. 8.95 Now 6.00
Reg. 9.95 Now 7.00
Reg. 10.95 Now 8.00
Reg. 12.95 Now 9.00
CAMPUS SHOP
1342 Ohio