Northrop Frye
Northrop Frye , CC ( Herbert Northrop Frye ; born July 14, 1912 in Sherbrooke , Québec , † January 23, 1991 in Toronto ) was a Canadian literary critic .
Frye grew up in Moncton ( New Brunswick ). He studied theology at Victoria University, part of the University of Toronto , and was ordained a priest in the United Church of Canada. After ordination, he studied at Oxford for some time before returning to Victoria University for the rest of his professional career.
He achieved his first international recognition as a student with his analysis of the poetry of William Blake , which until then was considered delusional, rambling and incomprehensible. Frye showed that it was based on a systematic system of metaphors from the Bible and Paradise Lost . This analysis was published in 1947 under the title Fearful Symmetry .
Ten years later he expanded this approach in Anatomy of Criticism. He argued that certain archetypes and symbols were used throughout the literature. In The Great Code , he showed that images and scenes from the Bible pervade all of Western literature.
His most important works are the Bush Garden Essays (1967) on Canadian literature. He shaped topics such as the "Garrison Mentality" that characterize Canadian literature. Margaret Atwood took up this thematic approach for her book "Survival. Essai sur la littérature canadienne" (1970).
Frye received many honors. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1969, the British Academy in 1975 , the American Philosophical Society in 1976 and an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1981 . In 2000 a stamp was issued with his picture.
Publications
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Anatomy of Criticism. 1957
- Analysis of literary criticism. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1964
- A natural perspective. 1965
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Fables of identity: Studies in poetic mythology, A Harvest / HBJ Book, San Diego et al. 1956
- Shakespeare's completion. An introduction to the world of his comedies. Nymphenburger Verlagshandlung, Munich 1966
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The great code. 1982
- The big code. The Bible and literature. Mueller-Speiser, Anif 2007, ISBN 3-902537-05-1
Web links
- Literature by and about Northrop Frye in the catalog of the German National Library
- Northrop Frye ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .
Individual evidence
- ^ Marc A. Bauch: Canadian Self-Perception and Self-Representation in English-Canadian Drama after 1967. Wiku, Cologne 2012, ISBN 3-865534-07-4
- ^ American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Book of Members ( PDF ). Retrieved April 18, 2016
- ^ Deceased Fellows. British Academy, accessed May 29, 2020 .
- ^ Member History: Northrop Frye. American Philosophical Society, accessed August 14, 2018 .
- ^ Honorary Members: Northrop Frye. American Academy of Arts and Letters, accessed March 10, 2019 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Frye, Northrop |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Frye, Herbert Northrop |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian literary critic |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 14, 1912 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Sherbrooke |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 23, 1991 |
| Place of death | Toronto |