DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48955#0164
158 EPIC AND DRAMATIC Ch. XXII.
not be altogether arbitrary; nor be intended for
so slight a purpose as to make the parts of equal
length. The supposed pause at the end of every
book, and the real pause at the end of every ad,
ought always to coincide with some pause in the
adion. In this resped, a dramatic or epic poem
ought to reserable a sentence or period in lan-
guage , divided into members that are disdnguifli-
ed srom each other by proper pauses; or it ought
to reserable a piece of musrc, having a sull close
at the end , preceded by impeded closes that con-
tribute to the melody. Every ad in a dramatic
poem ought therefore to close with some incident
that makes a pause in the action; sor otherwise
there can be no pretext for interrupting the repre-
sentation: it would be absurd to break off in the
very heat of adion; against which every one
would exclaim: the absurdity ssill remains where
the adion relents, if it be not adually suspended
for some time. This rule is also applicable to an
epic poem: though in it a deviation from the rule
is less remarkable; because it is in the reader’s
power to hide the absurdity, by proceeding in-
ssantly to another book. The firsl book of 7M-
radife Lost ends without any close, perfed or im-
peded: it breaks off abruptly, where Satan, seat-
ed on his throne , is prepared to harangue the ccn-
vocated host of the fallen angels ; and the second
book begins with the speech. Milton seems to
have copied the jEneid^ of which the two first
not be altogether arbitrary; nor be intended for
so slight a purpose as to make the parts of equal
length. The supposed pause at the end of every
book, and the real pause at the end of every ad,
ought always to coincide with some pause in the
adion. In this resped, a dramatic or epic poem
ought to reserable a sentence or period in lan-
guage , divided into members that are disdnguifli-
ed srom each other by proper pauses; or it ought
to reserable a piece of musrc, having a sull close
at the end , preceded by impeded closes that con-
tribute to the melody. Every ad in a dramatic
poem ought therefore to close with some incident
that makes a pause in the action; sor otherwise
there can be no pretext for interrupting the repre-
sentation: it would be absurd to break off in the
very heat of adion; against which every one
would exclaim: the absurdity ssill remains where
the adion relents, if it be not adually suspended
for some time. This rule is also applicable to an
epic poem: though in it a deviation from the rule
is less remarkable; because it is in the reader’s
power to hide the absurdity, by proceeding in-
ssantly to another book. The firsl book of 7M-
radife Lost ends without any close, perfed or im-
peded: it breaks off abruptly, where Satan, seat-
ed on his throne , is prepared to harangue the ccn-
vocated host of the fallen angels ; and the second
book begins with the speech. Milton seems to
have copied the jEneid^ of which the two first