תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

character; though there is no neceffity for his being dull and infipid. He may have good sense, and even vivacity; tender and delicate feelings. But he must never deal in general reflections, or abstract reasonings; nor in conceits of gallantry; for thefe are confequences of refinement. When Aminta in Taffo is difentan gling his mistress's hair from the tree, to which a favage had bound it; he is made to fay, "Cruel tree, how "couldft thou injure that lovely hair, which did thee. "fo much honor? Thy rugged trunk was not wor "thy of fo lovely knots. What advantage have the "fervants of love, if those precious chains are common "to them and to trees?"

thefe, fuit not the woods.

Strained fentiments, like

The language of rural per-

fonages is that of plain sense and natural feeling; as. in the following beautiful lines of Virgil ;

Sepibus in noftris parvam te rofeida mala

(Dux ego vefter eram) vidi cum matre legentem ;:

Alter ab undecimo tum me jam ceperat annus,
Jam fragiles poteram a terra contingere ramos..
Ut vidi, ut perii, ut me malus abftulit error!

The next inquiry is, what are the proper fubjects of pastorals? For it is not enough, that the poet give us fhepherds difcourfing together. Every good poem has a fubject, that in fome way interefts us. In this lies the difficulty of paftoral writing. The active fcenes of country life are too barren of incidents. The condition of a fhepherd has few things in it, that excite cue

riofity or furprise. Hence of all poems the paftoral is most meagre in fubject, and leaft diverfified in ftrain. Yet this defect is not to be ascribed folely to barrenness of subjects. It is in a great measure the fault of the poet. For human nature and human paffions are much the fame in every fituation and rank of life. What a variety of objects within the rural fphere do the paffions prefent! The ftruggles and ambition of fhepherds; their adventures; their disquiet and felicity; the rivalship of lovers; unexpected fucceffes and disasters; are all proper fubjects for the pastoral muse..

Theocritus and Virgil are the two great fathers of paftoral writing. For fimplicity of fentiment, harmony of numbers, and richness of scenery, the former is highly diftinguished. But he fometimes defcends to ideas, that are grofs and mean, and makes his fhepherds abufive and immodeft. Virgil on the contrary preferves the pastoral fimplicity without any offenfive rufticity.

Modern writers of pastorals have in general imitated the antient poets.. Sannazarius however, a Latin poet, in the age of Leo X. attempted a bold innovation by compofing pifcatory eclogues, and changing the scene: from the woods to the fea, and the character from shepherds to fishermen. But the attempt was fo unhappy, that he has no followers. The toilfome life of fifhermen has nothing agreeable, to prefent to the imagina tion. Fishes and marine productions have nothing poetic

al in them. Of all the moderns Gefner, a poet of Switzerland, has been the most happy in pastoral compofition. Many new ideas are introduced in his Idyls. His fcenery is striking, and his defcriptions lively. He is pathetic, and writes to the heart. Neither the paftorals of Pope, nor of Philips, do much honor to Englifh poetry. The paftorals of Pope are barren; their chief merit is the fmoothness of the numbers. Philips attempted to be more fimple and natural, than Pope; but wanted genius to fupport the attempt. His topics, like those of Pope, are beaten; and instead of being natural or fimple he is flat and infipid. Shenstone's pastoral ballad is one of the most elegant poems of the kind in the English language.

In latter times paftoral writing has been extended into regular drama; and this is the chief improvement, the moderns have made in it. Two pieces of this kind are highly celebrated, Guarini's Pastor Fido, and Taffo's Aminta. Both poffefs great beauties; but the latter is the preferable poem, because less intricate, and lefs affected; though not wholly free from Italian refinement. As a poem however, it has great merit. The poetry is pleasing and gentle, and the Italian language confers on it much of that foftnefs, which is fuited to the pastoral.

The Gentle Shepherd of Allan Ramfay is a paftoral drama, which will bear comparison with any compofition of the kind in any language. To this admira

ble poem it is a difadvantage, that it is written in the old rustic dialect of Scotland, which must foon be obfolete; and it is a farther disadvantage, that it is formed fo entirely on the rural manners of Scotland, that none, but a native of that country, can thoroughly understand and relish it. It is full of natural description, and excels in tenderness of fentiment. The characters are well drawn, the incidents affecting, the fcenery and manners lively and just.

LYRIC POETRY.

THE Ode is a fpecies of poetry, which has much

dignity, and in which many writers in every age have diftinguished themfelves. Ode in Greek is the fame with fong or hymn; and lyric poetry implies that the verfes are accompanied with a lyre, or mufical inftrument. In the ode poetry retains its firft form, and its original union with mufic. Sentiments commonly conftitute its fubject. It recites not actions. Its spirit and the manner of its execution mark its chara&er. It admits a bolder and more paffionate ftrain, than is allowed in fimple recital. Hence the enthufiafm, that belongs to it. Hence that neglect of regularity, those digreffions, and that disorder, it is supposed to admit.

All odes may be claffed under four denominations. 1. Hymns addreffed to God, or compofed on religious

fubjects. 2. Heroic odes, which concern the celebration of heroes, and great actions. 3. Moral and philofophical odes, which refer chiefly to virtue, friendship, and humanity. 4. Festive and amorous odes, which are calculated merely for amusement and pleasure.

Enthufiafm being confidered, as the characteristic of the ode, it has often degenerated into licentioufnefs. This fpecies of writing has above all others been infected by want of order, method, and connexion. The poet is out of fight in a moment. He is fo abrupt and eccentric, fo irregular and obfcure, that we cannot follow him. It is not indeed neceffary, that the structure of the ode be fo perfectly regular, as an epic poem. But in every compofition there ought to be a whole ; and this whole fhould confift of connected parts. The tranfition from thought to thought may be light and delicate, but the connexion of ideas fhould be preferved; the author fhould think, and not rave.

Pindar, the father of lyric poetry, has led his imitators into enthufiaftic wildness. They imitate his diforder without catching his fpirit. In Horace's odes every thing is correct, harmonious, and happy. His elevation is moderate, not rapturous. Grace and elegance are his characteristics. He fupports a moral fentiment with dignity, touches a gay one with felicity, and has the art of trifling most agreeably. His language too is most fortunate.

W

« הקודםהמשך »