Q. What, then, are the chief objects of dramatic poetry? A. Men and manners, with an exhibition of all the various passions, virtues, and vices incident to human nature. Q. How many sorts of dramatic poetry are there? A. Tragedy is founded principally upon the loftier passions, virtues, vices, successes, and distresses of mankind; comedy, on their whims, fancies, humors vagaries, foibles, and follies. Q. What are the passions which they chiefly awaken? A. Terror, pity, and indignation, are the passions chiefly excited by tragedy; ridicule and contempt, those principally produced by comedy. Q. What knowledge would the dramatic writer require partic. ularly to possess? A. An intimate acquaintance with life and character, as well as with all the different movements and operations of the human heart. Q. What must be the style of dramatic poetry? 4. Its style must depend altogether upon the nature of the subject, and the character of the different acíors. Q. Who may be regarded as the best dramatic writer? A. He who best displays the workings and effects of human passion, and gives to every character the greatest distinctness and personality. Q. Is tragedy a very common species of composition? A. Very much so; it prevailed greatly among the Greeks and the Romans, and has since found a place in the literature of every nation in Europe. Q. Can you mention any of the most distinguished ar cient dra. matic writers? A. Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, among the Greeks; and Plautus and Terence, among the Ro mans. Q. Who are among the most eminent of modern dramatic wri ters? A. Racine and Molière among the French;_and Shakspeare, Ben Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher, Dryden, Otway, and Congreve, among the English; with a few German, Italian, and Spanish names of consid arable celebrity.-(See Montgomery's Lectures, p. 149, 159, 151.) CHAPTER XV. OF HYMNS, ELEGY, ETC. Q. What do you understand by a Hymn? A. A religious poem, fit for being set to music and sung, for the purpose of awakening devotional feelings. Q. Can you mention some of the most distinguished writers of nymns? A. Watts, Pope, Addison, Logan, Cowper, Montgom ery, Edmeston, with almost all our most distinguished modern poets. Q. What is an Elegy? A. A short pathetic poem, in commemoration of the dead, though it often assumes a different character, and is applied to any plaintive subject. (See Part VI., sec. vii.) Q. Can you give an example of an elegy? A. The following is an ironical elegy, from the pen of Goldsmith, and discovers more wit than pathos : AN ELEGY ON THE GLORY OF HER SEX, MRS. MARY BLAIZE. Lament for Madame Blaize, She strove the neighborhood to please, At church in silks and satins new Q. What, then, are the chief objects of dramatic poetry? A. Men and manners, with an exhibition of all the various passions, virtues, and vices incident to human nature. Q. How many sorts of dramatic poetry are there? A. Tragedy is founded principally upon the loftier passions, virtues, vices, successes, and distresses of mankind; comedy, on their whims, fancies, humors vagaries, foibles, and follies. Q. What are the passions which they chiefly awaken? A. Terror, pity, and indignation, are the passions chiefly excited by tragedy; ridicule and contempt, those principally produced by comedy. Q. What knowledge would the dramatic writer require particularly to possess? A. An intimate acquaintance with life and character, as well as with all the different movements and operations of the human heart. Q. What must be the style of dramatic poetry? 4. Its style must depend altogether upon the nature of the subject, and the character of the different actors. Q. Who may be regarded as the best dramatic writer? A. He who best displays the workings and effects of human passion, and gives to every character the greatest distinctness and personality. Q. Is tragedy a very common species of composition? A. Very much so; it prevailed greatly among the Greeks and the Romans, and has since found a place in the literature of every nation in Europe. Q. Can you mention any of the most distinguished ar cient dramatic writers? A. Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, among the Greeks; and Plautus and Terence, among the Ro mans. Q. Who are among the most eminent of modern dramatic wri. ters? A. Racine and Molière among the French;_and Shakspeare, Ben Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher, Dryden, Otway, and Congreve, among the English; with a few German, Italian, and Spanish names of consid arable celebrity.-(See Montgomery's Lectures, p. 149, 159, 151.) CHAPTER XV. OF HYMNS, ELEGY, ETC. Q. What do you understand by a Hymn? A. A religious poem, fit for being set to music and sung, for the purpose of awakening devotional feelings. Q. Can you mention some of the most distinguished writers of nymns? A. Watts, Pope, Addison, Logan, Cowper, Montgom ery, Edmeston, with almost all our most distinguished modern poets. Q. What is an Elegy? A. A short pathetic poem, in commemoration of the dead, though it often assumes a different character, and is applied to any plaintive subject. (See Part VI., sec. vii.) Q. Can you give an example of an elegy? A. The following is an ironical elegy, from the pen of Goldsmith, and discovers more wit than pathos: AN ELEGY ON THE GLORY OF HER SEX, MRS. MARY BLAIZE. She strove the neighborhood to please, Her love was sought, I do aver, But now, her wealth and finery fled, Her hangers-on cut short all; The doctors found, when she was dead Her last disorder mortal. Let us lament in sorrow sore, For Kent-street well may say, That had she lived a twelvemonth more- Q. What is a Satire? A. A species of writing, not entirely, though chiefly, confined to poetry, and intended to correct the vices and follies of mankind, by holding them up to laughter and ridicule. Q. Can you name any poetical satirists of note? A. Horace, Juvenal, and Persius, among the Romans; with Dryden, Pope, Young, Churchill, and Wal cot, among the British, are all famous for this description of writing. Q. What do you mean by an Epigram? A. A short, witty poem, containing some peculiar conceit or point of humor, usually expressed in the concluding lines. Q. Can you give an example of an epigram? A. The following lines from Wordsworth may serve as a specimen : "Swans sing before they die-'twere no bad thing Did certain persons die before they sing." Q. What do you mean by an Epitaph? A. An inscription upon a tombstone, or some pub lic building, written sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose? Q. Can you give an example of an epitaph? A. Thomas Gray has produced one that is de servedly admired. We quote it, though familiar: "Here rests his head upon the lap of earth, A youth to fortune and to fame unknown; Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere ; He gave to misery all he had, a tear; He gained from Heaven ('twas all he wish'd) a friend. |