280 CALLOGRAPHY. 



poetic age appears to have preceded the scientific. The world has 

 witnessed four remarkable periods when Literature especially flou- 

 rished, anterior to our own times. They are, 1. The Grecian age, 

 from the times of Pericles to those of Alexander the Great ; 2. The 

 Roman age, in the days of Julius and Augustus Caesar; 3. The 

 Romantic age, or times of Leo X. in Italy, Francis I. in France, 

 and Elizabeth in England, sometimes called the Italian or Elizabethan 

 age ; and 4. The Gallant age, or times of Louis XIV. and Queen 

 Anne, in which German Literature first began to excite general atten- 

 tion. Chateaubriand remarks that Homer, Dante, Rabelais, and 

 Shakspeare, are the four great fountains, from which all other writers 

 have more or less derived their subjects, and imbibed their ideas ; a 

 remark which, though quite ingenious, is true only to a very limited 

 extent. 



Poetry, so named from the Greek rtot^stj, is the language of feeling 

 and imagination : and its proper subjects are the sublime and the 

 beautiful, in nature and morals ; including the human affections in 

 general, but especially those which most attach us to our Creator and 

 our fellow men ; religion, patriotism, friendship, and love. In a 

 technical sense, Poetry is understood to be any composition formed 

 in regular verses or stanzas ; although many highly poetical compo- 

 sitions are in the form of prose. A verse, is a single line of poetry, 

 of determinate length ; so called from the Latin verto, I turn, because 

 we turn back from it to the next line. A stanza, signifies several 

 lines, completing the poetic measure, and ending in a pause. The 

 word is Italian, but derived from the Latin stans, standing or stopping. 

 The distinction between rhyme and blank verse, with the common 

 poetic feet, has been already explained, in the branch of General 

 Grammar, (p. 48). 



Epic or heroic poetry, has for its subject the exploits of some hero, 

 or heroes, of national celebrity. The plot, action, or fable of an epic 

 poem, is sometimes called an epopeia; and should possess the requi- 

 site unity and interest : this being regarded as the highest kind of 

 poetry. Lyric poetry, is that kind which is designed to be set to 

 music ; as psalms, hymns, odes, and songs : and it was originally 

 accompanied, when sung, with the lyre or harp ; whence it derives 

 its name. Odes, have been classed as sacred, heroic, moral or philo- 

 sophical, and festive, or amorous. Elegiac poetry, is that employed 

 for solemn purposes, or on mournful occasions ; as in elegies on 

 deceased friends. Epitaphs, or inscriptions on tombstones, are 

 often elegiac in their character. Pastoral poetry, is such as would 

 be appropriate to shepherds, treating of rural affairs and the social 

 affections. An idyl is a short pastoral poem, so named from a Greek 

 word signifying a little image or picture: and an eclogue, is a pastoral 

 poem, in which shepherds are introduced as conversing together. 

 Didactic poetry, has for its chief object to convey instruction ; and 

 it is almost exclusively written in verse. Satiric poetry, is designed 

 to reprove the vices, errors, and follies of mankind, by holding them 

 up to censure or ridicule. Descriptive poetry, is that which simply 

 describes interesting objects, either mental or material. Romantic 

 poetry is usually descriptive ; but its subjects are tales and remarkable 



