Dutt, Romesh Chunder: The literature of Bengal: being an attempt to trace the progress of the national mind in its various aspects, as reflected in the nation’s literature from the earliest times to the present day ; with copious extracts from the best writers (Calcutta, 1877)

xii INTRODUCTION. 1

burden of empire, and thou with thy Dushmanta shalt
again se,;k tranquillity, before thy final departure, in this
loved and consecrated grove."

Our extract has been longer than we expected, but
what is it that pleases or affects us in the above 1 The
poet raises an image, a conception, a combination or
string of ideas, which affects us and awakes our softer
sensibilities, and we feel the tender affecling impulse
before we know whence it proceeds. What are the ideas
that have been strung together 1 A quiet and holy her-
mitage, a child of beauty and sweet simplicity, a father
pious and tender-hearted, creepers, plants, little fawns,
which have, up to this time, been the sole companions of
the amiable creature wha must now leave her home,
and is - taking an effecting touching leave of all com-
panions, animate ^ ad inanimate. Such are the ideas
which have been so skilfully, so beautifully strung or
'•woven together that the whole effect is striking. We
feel love for the amiable young soul, we feel desolation
at her parting, we feel a strange thrill of touching
emotions as Sakuntala takes leave of her fawns and creep-
ers with tears in her eyes. All these feelings are our
nicer and softer sensibilities, and the image, the com-
position which awakes them is genuine poetry.

Ideas and images of a different character awake in
our heart sensibilities different in kind, but not the less
noble or poetical when the great Homer wakes from his
1 immortal harp notes of martial ardour, and sings the
deeds of Hector in the following lines :—