CONFIDENTIAL GUIDE

These reviews mark the close of the tenth Crimson confidential guide. The Crimson requests that it be notified of changes in courses for the year 1933-34, to be reviewed in the spring.

Comparative Philology 4

This course, primarily for graduates, is to be given during the next half-year for the first time. It will be based on the theory of relative frequency, already developed by Dr. Zipf in studies appearing in 1929 and in the spring of this year, but not previously made the object of a course. Discussion will not be limited to philological changes, for the formula, Frequency times Intensity is Constant, can be applied not merely to language but to all changes in the manner of human expression, and is, in the view of its author, the significant basis of such changes. So psychology, physics, music, biology, all play a part in its development and offer numerous problems of research in its application. Students will thus be able to contribute to the elaboration of the theory, and to do research in a field as yet hardly touched. No knowledge of linguistics, and no philological training, are required.

German 35

Any review of a course which is to be given for the first time must, of course, deal only with the need for the instruction offered, as announced in the catalogue, and with the abilities of the professor offering the course as they have been displayed in other work. So it is with German 35. There has long been a definite need for a course which gives a comprehensive view of the German drama. Hitherto all phases of the subject have been treated in the offerings of the German Department, but they have been in bits concentrating on specific periods of Germanic literature. Since the German Stage has created and maintained for nearly two centuries the highest development of dramatic art ever seen in the world's history, it is imperative that there be some correlation of all the factual knowledge and critical discussion of the subject.

Professor Burkhard has the reputation of being able to cover fields of great scope successfully. His handling of the subject, as indicated by his performance in German 24, should be interesting, thorough, stimulating, although perhaps burdensome to the drones.

Latin B

The joys of classic lietrature are by no means most evident in a course which consists to a large extent of translation, but the instructors who lend their efforts to Latin B make the best of a difficult piece of work. Admittedly, the material which comes to them from Latin A and from preparatory schools is too much bound by fealty to the dictionary to appreciate to the fullest the sweet words of Horace and Catullus. This granted, the course is, from a cultural aspect, one of the most valuable of the many language courses open to Freshmen. The second half-year's work, which anyone may take, as a half-course, takes up the important poets Horace and Catullus. Catullus is treated summarily as a tid-bit which may be more thoroughly digested by those who choose to take Latin 1. The Odes of Horace are read and discussed in an almost scholarly manner, and the student is given an opportunity to commit to memory all the more masterly verses of the learned poets superlative erotic and philosophical work. Professor Parry, Dr. Chase, Mr. Richards, and Mr. Westgate, are all well fitted to introduce the diffident Freshman and the difficult Sophomore to the delights of the golden age of Roman poetry. Professor Parry does, perhaps, the best work, because of the tremendous gusto which he evidently takes in the masterpieces which he expounds. Mr. Westgate does the worst teaching, which is still speaking very highly of him, because he spends too much time on the first assignments, and often finds it necessary to cover too much ground just before exams.