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This philosophic inquiry into fundamental problems of literature and society is an immensely important addition to the canon of one of America's most original and distinguished critics. What is the function of poetry? Of criticism? In what sense does the poet "know"? What is the relationship between a society and its art? Northrop Frye conducts us on an illuminating survey of these and other broad philosophic issues and offers many incidental insights into specific cultural phenomena as well. Such matters as Marxist aesthetics, Renaissance humanism, the relation of poetry to religion, the idea of progress, and the challenge of our contemporary youth culture are among the dozen interesting topics that engage his attention along the way.

Mr. Frye identifies two predominating ideologies in Western culture which he designates as the "myth of concern" and the "myth of freedom." A fully developed myth of concern, he writes, "compromises everything that it most concerns a society to know." Its purpose is to hold society together, hence its deeply conservative character. The "myth of freedom," on the other hand, embodies the "liberal" attitudes of objectivity and respect for the individual. The author traces the relative importance of these two myths from Homeric Greece to the present, relating them to the types of art and government they foster, the roles of the poet and critic, and many other topics. The final thesis of the two myths: "To maintain a free and mature society we have to become aware of the tension between concern and freedom, and the necessity of preserving them both."

In relating literature to this dialect, Mr. Frye ranges through the entire history of Western philosophy and literature -- from Plato to Heidegger, from Sir Philip Sydney to Bob Dylan -- showing us that his inquiring mind has once again gone beyond the field of literature, narrowly conceived, into the wider region of the history of ideas. He regards the artist and critic in generous terms -- as persons not insulated from society but involved in it in the most profound sense and so provides a unique study informed by intelligence, broad learning, and grace and precision of style.

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The essays in the first section of "Myth and Metaphor" center on those basic building blocks of literature out of which Frye believes literature is made. The second section examines generally the relationship between literature and mythology on one hand, and social concern and ideology on the other. Because one of the primary ends of education in Frye's view is to make people aware of their mythological conditioning, this section also includes two essays on education. The recurring theme through these writings is the social function of criticism. The essays in section three focus on literature itself - its critique of the purely analytic faculties, its relation to the visual arts, and two of its recurring metaphors (the stage and the journey). The subjects addressed in section four derive from Frye's long-standing preoccupation with the Bible. The book concludes with a group of essays in particular criticism that examine particular works by Thomas More, Castiglione, William Morris, Wagner and Joyce. Together, these essays illustrate the continuity of Frye's vision of culture. ... Read more

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This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Volume: 2; Original Published by: Oxford University Press in 1908 in 380 pages; Subjects: English literature; Criticism; History / Europe / Great Britain; Literary Criticism / General; Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Literary Criticism / Semiotics & Theory; Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; ... Read more

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Publisher: London : MacmillanPublication date: 1868Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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1914. Dorothy Osborne's sole literary remains consist of a slim book of 77 letters written to her husband-to-be, Sir William Temple, during their courtship, plus 9 letters written after their marriage. The letters are brilliantly written and show a flair for self-examination. They form almost a novel in themselves, and subsequent readers have found them both fascinating and stylistically charming. It has won its place among readers as a beautiful autograph portrait of a virtuous, amiable, and sensible woman, who, by the natural charm of her literary-style, is as much alive today as she was to the squires and shepherds and carriers of the English countryside which was her beloved home. ... Read more

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Publisher: London : Faber and FaberSubjects: MysticismNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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Thirteen essays and addresses on Canadian writing, teaching, and society by one of the most influential critical thinkers of the century. ... Read more

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Publisher: London, VizetellyPublication date: 1887Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more