Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-02-20
The authors Literary mdeG,
AND THE
pOET'S pROMPVEN.
Designed to facilitate the ererciSes Of yoatafu
genius IA the
COMPOSITION OF PROSE AND VERSE.
By SAMUEL WOODWORTH.
GENERAL CONTENTS OF THE WORK.

'ANh"Ah 'oN en- 10 vi Inn :,
!. Elements OF English ComposlTIoN ,reduced
to PLAIN practical RULES drawn from the VIII
tings OF Lord kaims, Blair, Walker, irving, &c
ii. Rules for the construction OF English
VERSE, by which the most ordinary as wen as
most brilliant ideas may be readily expressed
in smooth harmonious numbers. 1t is not the
object OF these Rules to accommodate the G'T
to the Practice, and thus TO tolerate the nume-
rous errors and unwarrantabie liberties OF "ce-
tebratsd poets, merely because they are cefe-
drated; but rather to form a critical TEST by
which such errors and liberties may De detect
ed and avoided. 1t Is intended to show, not
how Poetry has been, but how 1t ought to De
written.
These Rules, which are few, plain, and
easily comprehended, are Invested Of all per-
picking phraseology, and adapted to the ,Ne7r
School OF Poetry, which now obtains in Great
Britain, aud to which public taste, on both sides
the Atlantic, is principally indebted for its re-
cent reformation and present refinement.
The Electrical Ganint, on which these Rules
are predicated, will be found valuable auXllia-
ny, not only to the pupil, whose uniiedged
muse has never yet ventured to soar INTO the
sublime regions OF fancy, but also, to the ac-
comphshed "naster OF the lyre,'' whose dar-
ing and successful flights have already scaled
the blclpItal summit OF mount Parnassus. 1t
will be seen that Scale or GGn'n' IS as appl-
cable to Poetry as to Music, and that the radl-
ments OF each art may, and ought TO be, taught
by similar process.
III. Rules tor PUNcTUATIoN, founded on the
practice OF the most correct writers IN the
English language; comprising original stric-
lures on the I1uncadtion Ct Verse.
~. Epithets and oynohyihes, suitable tor
any and every possible snhlect, which SUBJECTS
are alphaDeueaiy arranged as heads ior
the various eplthets applicable to them. Thus,
or instance, under the word ABSENCE, wih be
iound every oaecFsve winch can properly agree
WIN that noun--as env'ous, tong, prolonged, te-
d'ons, m'1pelcome, p0intm, constrotnsa f9rs'cJa,
o5ho''"s, &c. &c Under BROOK, such ep-
thets as muI7nn'4ng, @irer, grassy, 6ad6ERF,
guyHag, whi&perin9, purhns,, mea'sdering, &c.
Under sKv--a-'.re, cernteaa, starry, raa'tsd,
sbangied, &c. Under ExH--melting, beamY,
sparhhns, PIERCING, &c. &c. But enough has
been sad to convince the reader Of the utility
OF this part OF the work.
V. A choice selection OF the most elegant,
r,i,S"',,' o. oo,,i'l''l'1
:, ~
diotion. BLESSING times and DAYS curqino. ditto.
breaking off a subject. introd,lcinm siniiitudes.
invoking Muses., concluding letters, &c. &c.
VI. iiicfsoany Of Rhy'nsS, on a plan at
o.iog '.9' o. amusing, aa instructive. Az ile
@sIg'o '"f'e9 i'i.ne itisiis ias''ate ale mere
enable The poct in a moment. and without the
least trouble 10 find an annroDr;atc word
which. nerbane m hou,,,s mentaI exc,t;on
would not have brought to his recollection.
VII But this is NOT all The rhymes are moi
only classed, but each and every one is defined
by its practical use. in examples quoted from
tie wdr,,s IF Tic noe, nel@hra.a a,,a;ont
and modern, who have written in the Enrlish
language. In this one Improvement il is hum
l,l,, conc,;yaJ oou.;..e ~ HI H. -