1824.3 Criticism upon Akenside's Pleasures of the Imagination. 



abstract nature of liis poem. It is ge- 

 nerally maintained, to be sure, that sub- 

 jects of a didactic nature arc but ill- 

 suited for poetry. In this instance, 

 however, the remark does not hold 

 good ; for there is certainly no subject, 

 ill the whole range of nature, which 

 affords greater scope for the incander- 

 ings of fancy, or even for brilliant de- 

 scri|)tions, and which may be brought to 

 touch, to a greater degree, the more 

 delicate vibrations of the heart. Tiie 

 fact is, he could scarcely have pitched 

 upon one more happy ; and any praise 

 that is to be awarded to him on this 

 account, must arise from tlie manner in 

 vvliiuh lie has accomplished his task, 

 considering that he was traversing a 

 region in one sense unknown to the 

 muses; or, as he himself beautifully 

 says— 



■ the laureate vale's profound recess, 



AVIiere never poet gain'd a wreath before. 

 Even this assertion may be said to be 

 entirely nominal ; for surely, although 

 no previous author had set himself 

 down expressly to depict poetically the 

 pleasures of fancy, yet it is evident as 

 noon-day, that the subject had been 

 many a time incidentally alluded to 

 before. How is it possible it could 

 have been otherwise, for it may almost 

 be said to he the very dements of 

 poetry. In short, the pleasures of the 

 imagination is a subject with which all 

 poets must be well acquainted; for a 

 talent for poetical comj)ositiou must 

 originate chiefly from a correct and 

 brilliant imagination ; and hence Aken- 

 .side, as a poet, bad only to disclose bis 

 own feelings and sym[)athics, in doing 

 which he has evinced the most correct 

 and delicate taste. But it is not poets 

 only that have access to this '' holy 

 ground." There are scarcely any but 

 wlio, ill a greater or less degree, taste 

 of its " Castalian-like" sweets; with 

 this diflercnee, that, without being ac- 

 (piaintcd with the cause and the nature 

 of their happiness, they are engrossed 

 chiefly with their enjoyment. 



The merits of the " Pleasures of the 

 Imagination," as a poem, consist chiefly 

 in the beauty of the language employed, 

 the correctness of its philosophical opi- 

 nions, and the elegance with which they 

 are embellished, and the lofty senti- 

 ments inculcated. The subject is of 

 such a nature, as could scarcely admit 

 of a regular plan; yet the author has 

 evidently had a plan in his mind, obvi- 

 ously suggested to him by Addison's 



211 



Essays in the Spectator upon the same 

 subject; improved, however, and consi- 

 derably enlarged by Akenside. The 

 poem is divided into three parts; in the 

 first of which are discussed, the objects 

 of primary importance from which the 

 pleasures of the imagination are derived. 

 These are classed, as usual, into three, — 

 the sublime, the wonderful, and, the 

 beautiful. After which, the author 

 akes a summary, and, at the same 

 time, a correct view of those objects 

 which are considered secondary. The 

 two next parts might, without any in- 

 consistency, have been put into one, as 

 they are occupied with what the author 

 seems to consider secondary means for 

 aft'ording pleasure to the imagination, — 

 unless, intlccd, the length of the poem 

 should be urged as a reason for a divi- 

 sion, which would be dividing for the 

 sake of dividing. 



A more particular analysis of this 

 poem will now be attempted. In going 

 along, such observations will be made 

 as have suggested themselves, at the 

 same time jioiiiting out any defects that 

 have been discovered. 



Part I. opens with an invocation, as 

 customary; with this difTerence, that the 

 author's muse seems to be inclined to 

 Poly-theism, for he invokes not one, but 

 many objects. He then describes the 

 ideas that must have "rolled" in the 

 Divine mind previous to the creation of 

 the world; and afterwards points out 

 the benevolent intention of the Author 

 of nature, in giving dilTerent capacities 

 and inclinations to mankind ; some, 

 happily for the state of society, being 

 capable of receiving hut little pleasure 

 Irom the imagination ; while, on the 

 other hand, it afl'ords the most sublime 

 source of happiness to others; and calling 

 upon such to listen to his song. He 

 then jiroceeds to state, as has been 

 already mentioned, three divisions of 

 natural objects, considered primary, 

 from which the pleasures of the imagi- 

 nation are derived, — the sublime, the 

 wonderful, the fair. The description of 

 the influence of the first upon the mind 

 is certainly exceedingly grand ; and the 

 author seems, here, to have given full 

 scope to his imagination. In stating 

 the final cause of our being acted upon 

 by such motives, he is exceedingly 

 happy, — (verses 150-200.) His re- 

 marks upon the second class are cer- 

 tainly most excellent of their kind; but, 

 instead of depicting the effect of wonder 

 upon the mind, he has exhibited, in a 

 very forcible manner, the effect of 

 novelty 



