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THE PROSE FICTION.

281

It might seem requisite to devote a distinct head to Descriptive Poetry; in which case, we should have to trace its subdivisions according to the varying connection with Narrative. But this would only give the previous classification in an inverted order; and, moreover, for reasons more than once given, there can be no poetry of continued Description in the strict sense of the word. Action and succession must predominate; and it is, therefore, the only proper course to make Narrative the genus, and Description the specific difference. The Task and the Night Thoughts contain much description, and little narrative, but it would not bring out their distinctive character to term them Descriptive poems.

(8.) The Prose Fiction. This is a prose version of all the previous kinds, except the Great Epic, which, from its nature, is rarely attempted, and demands the metrical adjunct.

From the exceeding variety of the Prose Fiction, it is diffi cult to assign well-marked types. The Religious Allegory of Bunyan is a distinct kind. Other species are the Pastoral Novel (Sidney's Arcadia), the Sentimental Novel (Richardson, &C.), the Satirical Novel (Swift), the Comic and also Satirical (Fielding, Smollet, Thackeray), the Historical Novel (Scott, Bulwer). But each writer of Fiction usually embodies all the kinds of interest suited to his genius, with slight reference to a type. There is a real difference made in choosing the subject from the present or from the past; the one tends to imitation and reality, the other to ideality. A didactic purpose, also, gives a character to the novel. The Supernatural is rare in prose fiction, and, when attempted, is considered a doubtful experiment.

DRAMATIC POETEY.

135. The Drama is so constructed as to admit of its being acted on the Stage. There is a story as in the Epic, but the author does not narrate, nor appear in his own person. He appoints and groups the characters, lays the scenes, and provides the dialogue; and, in the

dialogue, aided only by stage directions, the whole action of the piece is contained.

An epic poet like Homer, who reduces his narrative to the smallest dimensions, and gives a large space to the dialogue, brings the epic close upon the drama; while the placing of an explanatory prologue, at the beginning of each act (as in Henry V.), makes the drama approach to the epic.

The peculiarly dramatic interest consists in watching the turns of the dialogue, the action and reaction of the speakers. The merits of the composition lie in the vividness of the impression that one personage appears to make upon another. Soliloquy is irrelevant, unless it grows out of the action or prepares for it.

There is no kind of poetic ornament or effect that the Drama does not admit of, in proportions suited to its nature.

136. The division of the Drama into Tragedy and Comedy, is much more marked than the subdivisions of the Lyric or the Epic.

(1.) Tragedy. This, according to Aristotle's definition, was the representation (as opposed to the narration) of a completed action, commanding or illustrious in its character; the language being poetically pleasing; and with the moral effect of purifying the passions generally, by means of the two special passions—Pity and Fear.

The action in Tragedy was originally taken from those calamitous incidents of human life, which are attended with a degree of suffering wholly or in part undeserved by the actors. The painful effect of this spectacle was redeemed, in Tragedy, by poetic arts; by theological explanations; by the displays of human nobleness in enduring calamity; by inspiring pity; by the moral lesson of fear, circumspection, and submission; and by selecting incidents not too horrible to be so redeemed. In commenting on the definition of Aristotle, Kames remarks, that the happiest subject of a tragedy would be a man of integrity falling into a great misfortune by the committal of some inno

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cent action, which he is led in some way to suppose criminal. The hero would inspire pity to the full, while his misfortune would stimulate a salutary dread of evil possibilities.

Aristotle's definition applies best to what is called the High Tragedy—ancient and modern; as, Edipus and Lear. The ancient Tragedy had a Lyrical mixture,—the choric portions— but distinct throughout, and not interwoven with the action; being uttered by the chorus in the capacity of spectator, and giving vent to the feelings inspired by the action in its progress. This disappears in the modern drama; the lyrical portions in Shakespeare are incorporated with the piece. Alfieri, who, of all tragedians, kept most within a rigid type prescribed by himself, wholly rejected the lyrical ingredient. Goethe makes great use of it in Faust; and Byron, as we might expect, brings it into especial prominence. The best modern reproduction of the classical type is Samson Agonistes. In the High Tragedy, the purpose is to show how men must bend to the stringent conditions of humanity, and to the dispensation of the higher powers; consequently, there is no care for a happy termination.

The more moderate Tragedy, while retaining tragic elements and situations, allows happy conclusions, when the actors have been sufficiently immersed, and all but overwhelmed, in trials and dangers; thus permitting scope for poetical justice; as in the Winter's Tale, Measure for Measure, the New Way to pay old Debts, &c.

The subjects of Tragedy are as wide as the Epic subjects: —the high ideal, the romantic, the historic, the common-life tragedy.

(2.) Comedy. Comedy is admitted on all hands to be the adaptation of the Dramatic form to yield the pleasures of the Ludicrous, in company with as many other pleasing effects as are compatible with it. This was substantially the view of Aristotle, as it is the practice of all comic poets.

The Old Comedy among the Greeks, the earliest form of it, was coarse invective, broad farce and caricature, highly personal, and turned to political purposes. The Middle and New

Comedy dealt with characters and manners by types, classes, or ranks; a form repeated in modern times, being well exemplified in Moliere and in Ben Jonson.

The comic personages of Shakespeare are men rather than class-representations. Among the recognized varieties of Comedy, are the Genteel Comedy, the Low Comedy, the Farce, the Travesty or Mock Heroic.

The English Drama has allowed the mixture of Tragedy and Comedy in the same piece.

Another variety of the Drama is the Mask; or Romantic Adventure, with supernatural personages—fairies, giants, monsters, &c.

The Opera constitutes a distinct species modified by its being sung.

The Dramatic element appears wherever the personages of a piece are in earnest, energetic, and responsive communication; and when the poet is able to make this apparent in a very marked way. An animated debate in a public assembly, a polemic through the press, wherein the contending parties decidedly act and re-act upon one another, to persuade, to conciliate, to terrify, to enrage,—contain the essence of the drama.

Allusion has been made to Didactic Poetry, or poems designed to convey instruction or inculcate moral duty. Satire, or Satiric Poetry, is allied with Eloquence, the intention being to vituperate, to vilify, to lash, or it may be also to reform, the victims. The Satirist of antiquity conceived himself to be a moral preacher or reformer, lifting his voice against the vices of his age. Such were Horace and Juvenal. Erasmus and Buchanan had large scope for satire in the age of the Reformation. Many of our recent poets have plied the weapon. need but name Butler, Dryden, Swift, Pope, Arbuthnot, Churchill, Burns, Byron. The subjects are various; religious hypocrisy, political dereliction, literary pretensions, and the failings of mankind generally.

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137. The true metrical character of English poetry depends upon the regular recurrence of similarly accented syllables at short intervals.

It is not improper to describe as metrical the much used arts of Rhyme, Alliteration, &C.; but, not being to the same extent indispensable to the poetic form, these are better treated apart and in subordination.

METEE.

138. In Greek and Latin, the general rhythm of the language, and the recurrence of emphasis at definite intervals constituting metre, were to a great extent determined according to the length of the syllables. In English, the classical rules for fixing the length of syllables do not hold, or in any way affect the place of the accent in pronunciation. When the accent is found to occur at regular intervals within a number of words or syllables, as in these examples—

He plants' his foot' steps in' | the sea'

What' though you | tell' me each | gay' little | rover—

each of the groups receives the name of a Measure. We have different measures, according to the extent of the groups and the place of the accent within them.

Between two accented syllables iu English words, there can lie one or two, but not more than two, unaccented syllables. This applies either to single words or to successions of words. Consequently, under any arrangement, the first accent must occur not beyond the third syllable; and, if only one unaccented syllable intervenes, not beyond the second. Within these limits, five distinct positions, giving rise to five measures, are possible; two, where the accent recurs on alternate syllables—three, where the accent recurs on every third syllable.

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