Now I fancy that to preserve an exact harmony and
variety none of these pauses should be continued above
three lines together without the interposition of another;
else it will be apt to weary the ear with one continued
tone; at least it does mine.
- It is not enough that nothing offends the ear, that
the verse be (as the French call it) coulante; but a good
poet will adapt the very sounds, as well as words, to the
things he treats of. So that there is (if one may express it
so) a Style of Sound: as in describing a gliding stream the
numbers should run easy and flowing, in describing a
rough torrent or deluge, sonorous and swelling, and so
of the rest. This is evident everywhere in Homer and
Virgil, and nowhere else that I know of to any
observable degree.... This, I think, is what very few
observe in practice and is undoubtedly of wonderful
force in imprinting the image on the reader. We have one
excellent example of this in our language, Mr Dryden’s
ode on St Cecilia’s Day entitled ‘Alexander’s Feast, or
the Power of Music’.
An Essay on Criticism
’Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill
Appear in writing or in judging ill;
But, of the two, less dangerous is the offence
To tire our patience, than mislead our sense:
Some few in that, but numbers err in this,
Ten censure wrong for one who writes amiss;
A fool might once himself alone expose,
Now one in verse makes many more in prose.
’Tis with our judgements as our watches, none
Go just alike, yet each believes his own. 10
In poets as true genius is but rare,
True taste as seldom is the critic’s share,
Both must alike from Heaven derive their light,
These born to judge, as well as those to write.
Let such teach others who themselves excel,
And censure freely who have written well.
[254–9]