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An Inquiry Into the Nature and Extent of Poetick Licence, by N.a. Vigors, Jun. Esq
An Inquiry Into the Nature and Extent of Poetick Licence by Na Vigors Jun Esq Author:Frederick Nolan General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1810 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: OF HISTORICAL INCIDENTS. The first object of the poet, who has the general end of his art in view, is to select a subject capable of contributing to the pleasure of his readers, and which it is his design to prosecute through the varieties of plain or embellished narration. But he cannot conceive in idea, much less proceed so far as to be informed from experiment, that a subject deficient in that importance which is suited to the length and dignity of the species of composition in which he engages, will be calculated to excite interest, and uphold attention, from the commencement to the close of his production. Unimportant incidents, which are not otherwise recommended to particular notice by some engaging quality, may, in a production of ordinary length or merit, pass without remark; but when they are treated with that labour and embellishment of style, which is generally essential to poetry, and particularly to epick composition, they must create so disproportionate a difference between the subject and its decorations, as will offer much to excite disgust, but little surely to promote our pleasure. It is more than probable, that the poet, with a view to securing those qualities of interest and importance, which are essential to the higher compositions of his art, applies to history for a subject suited to the exercise of his powers: or that some train of historical occurrence, from possessing those qualities, recommends itself to him who feels the inspiration of the art, as being highly adapted to his purposes. But however great the events, and however exalted the characters which history exhibit...« less