Laurence Dollins Perrine (October 13, 1915 – April 27, 1995) was a

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , ...

professor whose literature textbooks became standard works nationwide. He was the son of Lorenzo Brown Perrine and Mary Edmond (née) Dollins, and a descendant of

Daniel Perrin Daniel Perrin (1642–1719) was one of the first permanent European inhabitants of Staten Island, New York. Known as " The Huguenot", he arrived in New York Harbor from the Isle of Jersey on July 29, 1665, aboard the ship ''Philip'', under the c ...

, "The

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

". Perrine earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. He began his distinguished career as a member of SMU's English faculty in 1946 and was named the Daisy Deane Frensley Professor of English Literature in 1968. Perrine's works include textbooks on the appreciation of poetry and fiction entitled ''Sound and Sense'' and ''Story and Structure'', first published in 1956 and 1959 respectively. Both of these went through many editions during Perrine's lifetime and are still in use in posthumously edited new editions. ''Sound and Sense'' was originally developed for use in his poetry class; it became one of the most influential works in modern American education. Many of the principles of both ''Sound and Sense'' and ''Story and Structure'' contributed to a secondary-level literature textbook co-edited by Perrine entitled ''Adventures in Appreciation'' (1st ed. 1968), part of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich's Adventures in Literature Program. Perrine was also the author of books of

limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

s. Perrine was one of the founders of SMU's

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

chapter in 1949. In his honor, the chapter awards a Perrine Prize each year to a member of SMU's undergraduate faculty in liberal studies. Perrine retired in 1980 and was awarded an honorary doctorate by SMU in 1988. Perrine met his wife, Catherine, when she was teaching freshman English at SMU from 1948 to 1950. She was active in Texas environmental politics, with a special interest in water planning. When she died in 2006, she left a $3.3 million bequest to establish an endowed chair in English at SMU as well as a scholarship fund.SMU Newsroom, "$3.3 Million Gift To Benefit SMU English Department," Nov. 9, 200

. A paragraph about judging a poem by evaluating its perfection and significance from the 15th chapter of Perrine's book ''Sound and Sense'' was used in ''

Dead Poets Society ''Dead Poets Society'' is a 1989 American drama film directed by Peter Weir, written by Tom Schulman, and starring Robin Williams. Set in 1959 at the fictional elite conservative boarding school Welton Academy, it tells the story of an English ...

'' (1989). Perrine asks: "''How fully has it accomplished its purpose?''” and “''How important is its purpose?''”

References

1915 births 1995 deaths {{academic-bio-stub