15G
RHETORIC.
&c. &c. &c. without end, of the most exalted poetical cha-racter. 4
We much regret we have not room to adduce specificinstances, and point out their various excellencies; but werefer our readers to what Ur. Lou th has said upon " thepoetry of the Hebrews.” llomer, Ossian, and other emi-nent productions, establish our conception.
We also again repeat the observation, that the original in-structors of man, his legislators, priests, and prophets, werepoets, all being believed to be blessed by the favour of themuses; therefore they were presumed to be superior to com-mon mortality, and thought to be divine. As civilization lentits assistance towards improving the moral character of thespecies, matter of fact, from its importance, became superiorin its influence on general humanity to poetical fasciuation:whence philosophy and the sciences introduced prosaic com-position, as in the origin of language it assumed the statelygarb of poetical numbers.
Poetry must be regarded as the language of an imagina-tion warmed by its object; it may be said to be the languageof passion and sentiment. This is its definite character,though established practice and universal custom hath longlent assistance to confine its airy form, its impassionednature, to narrower limits; shackling it in numbers, andeven strangling it with rhyme!— O miserabile dictu! alas!to what will the muse be next reduced ?
Rhetoric now takes her station: while she is discussingthe law r s of poetical composition, she smiles benignly on hersubject; classes it into its different species, and with ma-tronly judgment assigns technical expressions to everyfigure, which she recollects from Greece , directs verbalchoice, and supremely legislates for its moral government.
We much regret that our limits will not permit a generalview; however, definitions of the most usual objects shallbe given. Having first observed on the different classes ofpoetical composition,
Lyric Poetry claims a primary pre-eminence from itsearly use. Its characteristic is passionate warmth and irre-gularity.
Didactic Poetry comes next; its characteristic is instruc-tion, and of several species. May be relieved by episode,and enlivened by other poetical figures.
Descriptive Poetry is of several species, varying in cha-