POLYNESIAN LITERATURE

Evening Star, Issue 21231, 12 October 1932, Page 2

POLYNESIAN LITERATURE

ADDRESS BY MR H. D. SKINNER Members of the Otago Institute listened with rapt attention to an address by Mr H. D. Skinner on ‘lolynesian Literature, Native and European,’ last evening. The president (Professor T. D. Adams) occupied the chair. , Before proceeding with the mam sections of his address, the lecturer explained that in the Oxford Dictionary literature was defined as writing which claimed consideration through its beauty and form or emotional effect. He maintained that these characteristics should have been combined. A second point, which he chimed was not of great theoretical importance, was that the old 'native literature of Polynesia was almost wholly unwritten. Only in one fragment—Easter Island—was there script. Yet there was a verbal art similar to our written art. Pre-European literature had been developed through the ear and not the eye. The dramatic dances of the Polynesians were similar in- some way's to Greek dances, which were mostly erratic. Referring to the Easter Island script, the lecturer said that the method adopted for its development resembled the early Greek method. Whether this was due to independert invention or common origin was an interesting question. Polynesian prose was divided into two sections^—religious and narrative. Native literature had, however, reached its end. Virtually none of it had come over to our literature, and practically nothing had come over to European. Some of its content had come over in the form of translation, but none of its fonm had affected European writing. Dealing with the European literature concerning Polynesia, the lecturer said that he would excludj New Zealand because, though the Maoris were Polynesians, the dominion was not geographically port of the Coral Islands, with which he was concerned in this address. Very few poems of note were written about Polynesia, he said. The only poetry he knew cf was written byRobert Loins Stevenson. So far as prose was concerned, the number of books to be considered was urge. Of all the works of the explorers, however, not a single one could be ranked as literature as ho had defined it eirlier in the evening. The various hooks of the missionaries also fell short 'or the same reason. The only literature of any value was contained in the works of Hernia Melville, who wrote ‘ Typee,’ Omoo,’ and ‘ Moby Dick.’ Strangely enough, this writer came out to Polynesia. at the age of twenty-sk. with very little education, and, as the author wrote himself, ■“ a whaling ship was. my Yale

College and Harvard.’ The lecturer dealt at length with Melville s writings, and considered that he would yet be ranked as the greatest American writer of English prose. Ihe lectiuo was concluded with readings from Melville’s books, William Diapea s Cannibal Jack,’ Robert Erisbie s . of Pukapuka,’ and Norman Hall s ‘ Under the South.’ On the motion of Or Holloway a vote of thanks was passed to Mr Skinner and those who had assisted with the readings.