DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48955#0151
Ch XXII. EPIC and DRAMATIC, <lrc. 1^5
This disserence , regarding sorm only , may be
thought ssight: but the effefts it cccasions, are by
no means so ; sor what we see makes a deeper
impression than what we learn from others. A
narrative poem is a story told by another : fails
arid incidents passing upon the ssags, corne under
our own oblervation ; and are beside much enli-
vened by action and gesture, expressive os many
sentiments beyond the reach of words.
A dramatic composition has another property ?
independent altogether of ailioft ; which is, that
it makes a deeper impression than narration : in
the former, persons express their own sentiments;
in the latter, sentiments are related at second
hand. For that reason, Aristotle, the father of
critics j lays it down as a rule , That in an epic
poem the author ought to take every opportunity
of introducing hisadors, and os confining the nar-
It is not a little diverting to see fo many profound critics
hunting sor what is not : they take sor granted, without the
least soundation , that there must be seme preclse criterion to
dislinguifli epic noetry from every other species of writing.,
Literary compoGtions run into each other, precisely tike co-
lors : in their strong tints they are easily distinguilhed ; but
are fusceptlblc of so much variety, and of so many different
sorms, that we never can say where one species endsand ano-
ther berins. As to the general tasse, there is little reason to
doubt, that a work where heroic adions are related In an ele-
vated ftyle , will , without further requisite , be deemed an
epic poem.
Vol, III. K
This disserence , regarding sorm only , may be
thought ssight: but the effefts it cccasions, are by
no means so ; sor what we see makes a deeper
impression than what we learn from others. A
narrative poem is a story told by another : fails
arid incidents passing upon the ssags, corne under
our own oblervation ; and are beside much enli-
vened by action and gesture, expressive os many
sentiments beyond the reach of words.
A dramatic composition has another property ?
independent altogether of ailioft ; which is, that
it makes a deeper impression than narration : in
the former, persons express their own sentiments;
in the latter, sentiments are related at second
hand. For that reason, Aristotle, the father of
critics j lays it down as a rule , That in an epic
poem the author ought to take every opportunity
of introducing hisadors, and os confining the nar-
It is not a little diverting to see fo many profound critics
hunting sor what is not : they take sor granted, without the
least soundation , that there must be seme preclse criterion to
dislinguifli epic noetry from every other species of writing.,
Literary compoGtions run into each other, precisely tike co-
lors : in their strong tints they are easily distinguilhed ; but
are fusceptlblc of so much variety, and of so many different
sorms, that we never can say where one species endsand ano-
ther berins. As to the general tasse, there is little reason to
doubt, that a work where heroic adions are related In an ele-
vated ftyle , will , without further requisite , be deemed an
epic poem.
Vol, III. K