The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10
in THE LITERARY FIELD
MOVEMENT IN COLLEGES TO con-
SLIDER UNITY OF LITERATURE.
Rest American Books Are Appre-
cfated Abroad-The Tastes of
Editors-Notes.

Harvard, says the New York Independ-
ent has at last walked up to the knowledge
that literature Is an important element or
education. and our other universities may
be expected to follow her example. Here
after i'm addition to the existing schemes
for honers a new distinction called honors
in literature will be oDen to undergradu-
ates. The purpose of this new distinction
it is declared sis to offer a plan that will
encourage undergraduates to combine read
fng in the classics with reading in the mod
ern languages. 1t is desired TO emphasize
I'm this way the underlying unity of literary
study, and especially the interdependence
of classical and modern literature An op-
portunity is offered to students by this
plan to count private reading as well as
work done in connection with courses"
Now, no one, we presume, will look to
such plan as this or TO any other plan
for the actual production OF original genius
or of literature in the highest sense Of the
word. Literary genius. like that spirit Of
wisdom whereof the ancient books Of India
speak. is not TO be found out by study
nor by the understanding nor by much
learning; IL descends freely upon whomso-
ever IL lists" But toward the discipline of
youthful genius, If any such come thither,
and toward the better understanding of the
works Of genius such a course may ac-
complish a good deal. First OF all. II
properly and seriously conducted 1t may
provide such training for those who aim
at critical writing as Is now furnished in
Paris by the Ecole des Hautes Etudes, and
this alone would more than justify its
adoption. For the one thing needed above
all else among to-day Is that cultured.
critical spirit which can deal with the
problems OF experience, not as fragmentary
1igion or science or the like, but in the
more inclusive manner intended by
Matthew Arnold when he called literature
the criticism OF life. 1t Is partly because
we are inclined to dwell so exclusively in
these partial aspects and to write and read
80 much in these partial criticisms that
our publishers complain of the growing
frivolity OF the general taste. A broader
intuition into the meaning of life, such,
for example. as may be obtained from the
great literary critics of France, would
bring freshened interest to serious study:
and this widening of view IL may be hoped
the new procedure a Harvard will do some
thing 10 promote
But more than that. Any one who Is
by necessity or inclination much concerned
with the tide of literary productions flow
ing increasingly and unanimously from our
presses must have observed one peculiar
fact. Every year there is issued a not in
considerable number of books which show
recognizable talent in the authors, even
now and then touch of genius sprung
from honest observation of realities or from
original intuition into the meaning of some
fragment OF life. But invariably the work
is marred by crudity of craftsmanship. by
some rawness OF manner and incapacity of
self-criticism which render the book OF
mingled good and bad interesting and dull.
What these sucking geniuses need most of
all Is the background of traditional culture
and the discipline of genuine literary study.
Such discipline. moreover, besides teach
Ing them TO bridge over the necessary flats
of composition gracefully would tend to
strengthen and ripen their originality. We
cannot conceive a better training for those
who feel the ambition of authorship stir
ring within them than such a combined
study of classic and modern literature as
this new distinction at Harvard would seem
to promise-seem, we must say, for it's
efficacy will naturally depend on whether
the promoters of the scheme turn out TO be
mere philologians or men OF thought and
culture.
There indeed lies the real issue. II the
scheme helps to bring literature into repute
among the philoiogians themselves, both
classical and modern, If Ii teaches them
that the world at large does not take their
grammatical and archaeological inquisi-
tons quite so seriously as they themselves
do. IL il makes clear to them that litera-
ture Is not the idle pastime of a day, but
may be an exacting discipline of all the
more human faculties of the mind-if it
do this 1t will accomplish much. By soften
Ing the rigors of an inhuman philology
and by adding a counterpoise to the infiu-
ence or science which when uncontrolled
tends to dehumanize the student as OAR
win once sadly confessed, 1t may conceiv-
ably be the first step toward important
evolution In education. Time will discover.
Meanwhile at least we may congratulate
the faculty and students of Harvard for the
promise. II not for the accomplishment, of