The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-04-01

In the natural progress Of society, the
songs which are the effusion of the feel
ings Of rude tribe, are gradually polished
into form Of poetry still retaining the
marks OF the national opinions. sentiments,
and manners, from which it originally
sprung. The plants are improved by cult
walton; but they are sill the native produce
Of the soil. The only perfect example
which VIC know, of this sort, is Greece
knowledge and useful art, and perhaps in a
great measure religion, the Greeks received
from the East but as they studied no foreign
language, it was impossible that any foreign
literature should influence the progress Of
theirs. Not even the name OF Persian,
Assyrian, Phenician, or Egyptian poet is
alluded TO by any Greek writer the Greek
poetry was, therefore. wholly national.-
The Pelasgic ballads were insensibly formed
into Epic, and Tragic, and Lyric poems
but the heroes, the opinions, and the Gus
toms, continued as exclusively Grecian, as
they had been when the Hellenic minstrels
knew little beyond the Adriatic and the
Egean. The literature Of Rome was 9
copy from that Of Greece. When the
classical studies revived amid the chivalrous
manners and feudal institutions of Gothic
Europe, the imitation Of ancient poets strug-
gled against the power of modern senti-
men:s, with various event, in different times
and countries-but everywhere in such a
manner, as to give somewhat Of an. artif-
cial and exotic character to poetry. Jupi-
ter and the MUSES. appeared in the poems
of Christian nations The feelings and
principles OF demOcracies were copied by
aristocracies. The sentiments of the poet
in his verse, were not those which acluated
him in his conduct. The forms and rules
!, OF composition were borrowed from anti
guilty, instead Of spontaneously arising from
, the manner Of thinking Of modern commu
mites. In Italy, when letters first revived
{ the chivalrous principle was too near the
period Of lis full vigor. TO be oppressed by
: this foreign learning. Ancient ornament:
were borrowed but the romantic form wa
{ prevalent and where the forms were classi
] Zeal, the spirit continued to be romantic
The structure Of Tasso's poem was that O
] the Grecisn epic; but his heroes wer'
' Christian knights. French poetry having
2 been somewhat unaccountably late in it
: rise, and slow in its progress, reached it
. most brilliant period, when all Europe ha'
e considerably lost its ancient characteristic
e principles, and was fully imbued with classi
}, lcal ideas. Hence it acquired faultless ele
= lgance-hence also il became less natural
/. more timid and more imitatve-more like
d feeble translation Of Roman poetry. Tn
p first age Of English poetry, in the reign O
II Elizabeth, displayed combination-fantas
5 tic enough-of chivalrous fancy and feelin
d with classical pedantry; but, upon the whole
: its native genius was unsubdued. TIL
r, poems Of that age, with all their faults, an
st partly perhaps from their faults, are tn
d most national part Of our poetry, as the
K undoubtedly contain its highest Beauties
e From the accession Of James, to the Civ
!. War, the glory OF Shakespeare turned tn
y whole national genius to the drama; ant
e alter the Restoration, a new and classicf
!, school arose, under whom our old and p,
d cular literature was abandoned, and almo
J. forgotten. But all imported tastes in liter
Is ture must be in some measure superficial
n The poetry which once grew in the bosom
l. of people, is always capable Of being IT
> vived by skilful hand When the bri
ST liant and poignant lines of Pope began
l. pail on the public ear, it was natural th'
E, we should revert to the cultivation Of OF
f. indigenous poetry.-Su James Maeki,
Il tosh.