Frye lectures on 'The Humanistic Era'
Northrop Frye, Canadian literary critic and scholar, spoke in a humanities series lecture Thursday in Woodruff Auditorium.
Frye, professor at the University of Toronto, lectured on "The Humanistic Era."
In his speech, Frye pointed out the importance of the critic, the early humanist, the changing role of the critic and the importance of poetry to history.
Frye said that he was shocked by the general agreement of students that criticism had no presuppositions. He said he noticed a persistence in the feeling that criticism received its basis from other subjects. He said that people believed literature illustrated other subjects, usually a biography of the author.
Frye said that today's criticism is a psychological or a Freudian criticism. This, he said, has evolved from the old viewpoint of criticism as biological, criticism.
Criticism first took the form of poetry, said Frye. It existed even before the written word, he said, in the form of the free verse.
In a preliterate culture, said Frye, the society was very dependent on verse. This primitive
form of poetry was the teacher of the society. He said that with the development of writing came prose, a continuous form of writing that made way for some theory.
Frye said that with humanism came a new sense of intellectualism. He said the persons who received a humanistic form of education were thought to be an elite group. They were looked up to in the society. The humanist practice, he said, was to do everything with ease. They did not use colloquial or technical language. The goal of a humanistic education, he said, was to produce a gentleman.
Weather
Mostly clear with variable winds 5 to 15 miles per hour today. Tonight . . . clear to partly cloudy and not so cold. Saturday clear to partly cloudy and warmer. Highs today in the 40s. Lows tonight in the 20s. Probability of measurable precipitation—near zero per cent today, tonight and Saturday.
KU organizations to sponsor beauty pageant candidates
University of Kansas organizations have been invited to sponsor entrants in the Miss Wichita pageant, March 28.
This year, in addition to prizes for the winning entrants, prizes will be awarded to the winning sponsor organization.
An introductory lecture on transcendental meditation will be given by Bob Brandt, today at 8 p.m., in the Forum Room of the Kansas Union.
Meditation talk to be held tonight
Transcendental meditation, as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, "is a natural spontaneous technique which allows each individual to expand his mind and improve his life."
Feb. 20
1970 KANSAN 3
Prizes for the winning girl include a scholarship, a mink stole and a wardrobe to prepare her for competition in the Miss Kansas scholarship pageant.
The prizes for sponsors are $50 if their entrant wins the Miss Wichita title, $100 if she wins the Miss Kansas title and $1,000 if she becomes the next Miss America.
Entrants must be a resident of Sedgwick County or attend school in Sedgwick County, be single and never have been married, divorced or had marriage annulled and be 18 years of age by Sept. 7.
Frye said the function of the poet was to produce rhetorical parallels to truth. He said the poet never affirmed or denied because he never made specific statements.
The deadline for applications is March 20. For further information and entry blanks, write to Miss Kakeland Pageant, Box 1010, Wichita.
The critic was looked up to and respected in the humanistic era, said Frye, but today the criticism is more and more a student of society. This, he said, is due to the gradual dissemination of the poetic attitude.
BOWL CHILI, CHERRY PIE and drink choice at the City Community Bldg. this Sunday, Feb. 22nd. The first round only 75c. Reorders at special discount prices. Host, the Jayhawk Kiwanis Club.
Frye said the role of the critic has changed. Every critic today speaks for himself, he said. The critic does not judge poetry or literature, but is judged by it, said Frye.