POLYNESIAN LITERATURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21773, 12 October 1932, Page 10

POLYNESIAN LITERATURE

LECTURE BY MR H. D. SKINNER

“Polynesian Literature, Native and European,” was the subject of a lecture given by Mr H. D. Skinner at c a meeting of the Otago Institute last night. The president (Professor T. D. Adams) occupiedi the chair. The lecturer said that the native literature of Polynesia was almost wholly unwritten. Only in one fragment-r Easter Island —was there script. Yet there. was a verbal art corresponding to our, written art. Pre-European literature had been developed through the ear and - not. the eye. Referring to thd Easter Island script, the lecturer stated that the method adopted was the same as that used in early Greek script. Whether this was due to independent invention or common origin wa s an interesting question. Polynesian drama was usually broad farce, and prose was divided into two' sections —religious and narrative. Native literature had, however, reached its end. Virtually nothing had come over to European literature except the content, and none of its forms had affected European writburning to European literature dealing with Polynesia, Mr Skinner stated that he would exclude New Zealand because, though the Maoris were Polynesians, the Dominion was geographically not part of the area with which he was concerned in this address. There was little .poetry of note with respect to Polynesia, the only veree of merit being that of Robert Louis Stevenson. So far as prose was concerned the number of books to be considered was large. First there were the works of the explorers, of which not a single one ranked as literature. There were the numerous books of the missionaries, but these fell short in the same way. The accounts of adventure were in’ a different category. The lecturer dealt at length with Herman Melville's books, “Typee,” “Omoo,” and “Moby Dick, ’ and said that it was not unlikely that Melville would yet be ranked as the greatest American writer of prose. The lecture was concluded with readings from Melville’s books, William Diapea’s “ Cannibal Jack,” Robert Frisbie’s “ Book of Pukapuka,” and Norman Halls “Under the South.” * A vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer and those who had assisted with readings.