The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-01-08

win and Roscoe, are at once decisive Of n.
question.-B.
The PoEr's "Chrrspdor,
from its first settlement on no ieudal rgb,,
has been so far one great body. however I'M
perfectly organized, thar similar spirit will
be found in each period TO have been sct;ns
in all its members. The study of SbsLs
peare's poems-Q do not include his a.,
matte works, eminently as they too dessrv.
tllat title)-led me to a more careful exam;
nation of the contemporary poets both n
England and in other countries. But nv
attention was especially fixed on those os
Iraly, from the birth to the death Of Sbak.
peare; that being the country in which IN
fine arts had been most sedulously. an5
hitherto most successfully cultivated. An
stracted from the degrees and peculisritip,
Of individual genius, the properties common
to the good writers Of each period seem -
establish one sinking point Of difference b.
tween the poetry Of the fifteenth and s..
teenth centuries, and that Of the pres.n,
age. The remark may perhaps be extend.
ed TO the sister ar Of painting. At lesx
the latter will serve to illustrate the form.r
IL the present age the poet-Q would Win
70 be understood as speaking generally. and
without allusion to individual nalnes,--
seems TO propose TO himself as his main Oh
je,t, and as that which is the most charac
teiistic of his art, new and striking images
with incidents that interest the affections a,
excite the curiosity. Both his eharactsn
and his descriptions he renders, as much :,
possible, specific and individual, even 70 /,
degree Of Portraiture. In his diction and
metre, on the other hand, he is comparstjv.
ly careless. The measure is ether con
suucted on no previous system, and sc
knowledges no justifying principle bu. tb.,
Of the writer's convenience; or else som.
mechanical movement is adopted, Of which
one co1plet or stanza is so far an adeuua,.
specimen, as that the occasional difference
appear evidently to arise from accident Or
the qualities Of the language itself, not frOm
mediation and an intelligent purpose And
the language from Pope's translation Of
Homer, to Darwin's Temple Of Natur.
may, notwithstanding some illustrious e.
cePtions, be too faithfully characterized. As
claiming to be poetical for no better reason
than that it would be intolerable in CONVEX.
satiOn or in prose. Though alas. even our
prose writings, nay even the style Of our
more SET discourses, strive to be in the lash.
ion, and trick themselves but in tie solsd
and over-worn hnery Of the meTet1IcioUs
muse. 1t is true that of late great IN
Provement in this respect is Observable ia
our most popular writers. But il is equally
true, that this recurrence TO plain sense and
genuine mother English is far from bang
general; and that the composition Of our
novels, magazines, public harsngues, and
the like, is commonly as trivial in thought.
and yet enigmatic in expression, as if Echo
and Sphinx had laid their heads together 70
construct it. Nay, even Of those who hav.
most rescued themselves from this conlsgor.
| should plead inwardly guilty to the chslg.
OF duplicity or cowardice, if | Withheld my
conviction, that few have guarded the pun.
ty OF their native tongue with that isaloUz
care which the sublime Dante, in his usc,
De Ia UOlgGre EIOqlIenza, declares 10 Be
the first duty of POet.-B.