Brian Russell Graham
Published: 2011-01-01
Total Pages: 161
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For Frye, the history of ideas is characterized by sets of opposing views which result in repeated cyclical movements in that history. In this study, Brian Russell Graham argues that Frye's own thinking transcends the ordinary history of ideas and offers what might be thought of as a dialectical and `suprahistorical' alternative. As Graham points out, much of Frye's thought is focused on secular concerns, and, within that context, his dialectical and `suprahistorical' thinking is `post-partisan,' a feature which also signifies and explains Frye's appeal. Graham contends it is the thinking of William Blake, specifically his conceptions of innocence and experience, which provides the inspiration for Frye's dialectical thinking. Graham systematically addresses the main areas of Frye's work: Blake's poetry, secular literature, education and work, politics, and Scripture. In following each of these themes, The Necessary Unity of Opposites expertly clarifies Frye's dialectical thinking, while drawing attention to its structural connection to Blake, Frye's great preceptor.