Nature of Poetry. the author of Clarissa, is the most moral of all our novel writers ; but be possesses the unfortunate talent of spinning out pieces of amusement into an immeasurable length. The trivial performances which daily appear under the title of lives, adventures, and histories, by anonymous authors, are most insipid, and, it must be confessed, often tend to deprave the morals, and to encourage dissipation and idleness. NATURE OF POETRY....ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS.... VERSIFICATION. What, it may be asked, is poetry ? and how does it differ from prose? Many disputes have been maintained among critics upon these questions, The essence of poetry is supposed by Aristotle, Plato, and others, to consist in fiction. But this is too limited a description Many think the characteristic of poetry lies in imitation. But imitation of manners and characters may be car. ried on in prose as well as in poetry. Perhaps the best definition is this, “poetry is the language of passion, or of enlivened imagination formed most commonly into regular numbers.” As the primary object of a poet is to please and to move, it is to the imagination and the passions that he addresses himself. It is by pleasing and moving, that he aims to instruct and reform. Poetry is older than prose. In the beginning of society there were occasions upon which men met together for feasts and sacrifices, when mu Nature of Poetry. sie, dancing, and song were the chief entertainment. The meetings of American tribes are distinguished by music and songs. In songs they celebrate their religious rites and martial achievments; and in such songs we trace the beginning of poetic composition. Man is by nature both a poet and musician. The same impulse which produced a poetic style, prompted a certain melody or modulation of sound, suited to the emotions of joy or grief, love er anger. Music and poetry are united in song, and mutually assist and exalt each other. The first poets sung their own verses. Hence the or. igin of versification, or the arrangement of words to tune or melody. Poets and songs are the first objects that make their appearance in all nations. Apollo, Orphcus, and Amphion were the first tamers of mankind among the Greeks. The Gothic nations had their scalders, or poets. The Celtic tribes had their bards. Poems and songs are among the antiquities of all countries ; and, as the occa ; sions of their being composed are nearly the same, so they remarkably resemble each other in style. They comprise the celebration of gods, and heroes, and victories. They abound in fire and enthusiasm ; they are wild, irregular, and glowing During the infancy of poetry, all its different kinds were mingled in the same composition ; but in the progress of society, poems assumed their different regular forms. Time separated into classes the several kinds of poetic composition. The ode and the elegy, the epic poem and English Versification. the drama, are all reduced to rule, and exercise the acuteness of criticism. ENGLISH VERSIFICATION.' ا NATIONS, whose language and pronunciation were musical, rested their versification chiefly on the quantities of their syllables ; but mere quantity has very little effect in English verse. For the difference, made between long and short syllables in our manner of pronouncing them, is very inconsiderable. The only perceptible difference among our sylJables arises from that strong percussion of voice which is termed accent. This accent, however, does not always make the syllable longer, but only gives it more force of sound; and it is rather upon a certain order and succession of accented and unaccented syllables, than upon their quantity, that the melody of our verse depends. In the constitution of our verse there is another essential circumstance. This is the cæsural pause, 'which falls near the middle of each line. This pause may fall after the fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh syllable; and by this mean uncommon variety and richness are added to English versification. Our English verse is of Iambic structure, composed of a nearly alternate succession of unaccented and accented syllables. When the pause falls earliest, that is, after the fourth syllable, the briskest melody is thereby formed. Of this, Nature of Poetry. sic, dancing, and song were the chief entertainment. The meetings of American tribes are distinguished by music and songs. In songs they celebrate their religious rites and martial achievments ; and in such song's we trace the beginning of poetic composition. Man is by nature both a poet and musician. The same impulse wbich produced a poetic style, prompted a certain melody or modulation of sound, suited to the emotions of joy or grief, love or anger. Music and poetry are united in song, and mutually assist and exalt each other. The first poets sung their own verses. Hence the or. igin of versification, or the arrangement of words to tune or melody. Poets and songs are the first objects that make their appearance in all nations. Apollo, Orphcus, and Amphion were the first tamers of mankind among the Greeks. The Gothic nations had their scalders, or poets. The Celtic tribes had their bards. Poems and songs are among the antiquities of all countries; and, as the occasions of their being composed are nearly the same, so they remarkably resemble each other in style. They comprise the celebration of gods, and heroes, and victories. They abound in fire and enthusiasm ; they are wild, irregular, and glowing During the infancy of poetry, all its different kinds were mingled in the same composition ; but in the progress of society, poems assumed their different regular forms. Time separated into classes the several kinds of poetic composition. The ode and the elegy, the epic poem and English Versification. the drama, are all reduced to rule, and exercise the acuteness of criticism. ENGLISH VERSIFICATION. Nations, whose language and pronunciation were musical, rested their versification chiefly on the quantities of their syllables; but mere quantity has very little effect in English verse. For the difference, made between long and short syllables in our manner of pronouncing them, is very inconsiderable. The only perceptible difference among our syllables arises from that strong percussion of voice which is termed accent. This accent, however, does not always make the syllable longer, but only gives it more force of sound ; and it is rather upon a certain order and succession of accented and unaccented syllables, than upon their quantity, that the melody of our verse depends. In the constitution of our verse there is another essential circumstance. This is the cæsural pause, which falls near the middle of each line. This pause may fall after the fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh syllable; and by this mean uncommon variety and richness are added to English versification. Our English verse is of Iambic structure, composed of a nearly alternate succession of unaccented and accented syllables. When the pause falls earliest, that is, after the fourth syllable, the briskest melody is thereby formed. Of this, |
