him greatest. Perhaps this is especially true with regard to definitions essayed by poets themselves. But there is a deeper reason than either of these why poetry evades exact limitations: precise matters, for instance those which obey the laws of weight and bulk and shape, invite definition, while those which deal with emotions, and ideals, and fantasies, constantly present new appearances and defy rigid formulas. And so the category of difficulties might be lengthened. Many things, however, we may say definitely regarding the nature of poetry. We know, for instance, pretty well what it is not, and we also know positively what qualities characterize most generally those expressions which by universal assent are called poetry. By this means we shall attempt to arrive at a somewhat elastic working theory of this inspired art. Thinkers of all ages have bequeathed to us many illuminating utterances regarding poetry. While these now and then have the precise form of definition, they were rarely intended to be such, but rather were designed to emphasize some of its primary qualities as they appeared to their originators. Furthermore, these expressions were often supplemented by other descriptive statements-rather literary than definitive—which will serve as side-lights. A comparative examination of such definitions and descriptions as those above referred to, gives us on the one hand an informing consensus of opinions by experts, while on the other we go directly to the poems of great poets for examples of the theories illustrated. Thus by comparison, contrast, and elimination, we have a residue of definition touching poetry as a thing produced-and not of that intangible essence, the spirit of poetry-which may serve as a working basis for our study. 1. Poetry Defined Let us now quote, without discussing, several of the more satisfactory definitions of poetry, reserving for later reference a larger group of descriptive phrases-less complete, though often more brilliant than the definitions. Poetry is "imaginative metrical discourse; or, more explicitly, the art of representing human experiences, in so far as they are of lasting or universal interest, in metrical language, usually with chief reference to the emotions and by means of the imagination."— R. M. ALDEN, Introduction to Poetry. "Poetry is the utterance of a passion for truth, beauty, and power, embodying and illustrating its conceptions by imagination and fancy, and modulating its language on the principle of variety in uniformity."-LEIGH HUNT, What is Poetry? "Poetry is rhythmical, imaginative language, expressing the invention, taste, thought, passion, and insight of the human soul."-E. C. STEDMAN, The Nature and Elements of Poetry. "By poetry I mean the art of producing pleasure by the just expression of imaginative thought and feeling in metrical language."-W. J. COURTHOPE, The Liberal Movement in English Literature. "Poetry is a particular form of art working in the material of language, and we have defined it as patterned language. If the technical art of poetry consists in making patterns out of language, the substantial and vital function of poetry will be analogous; it will be to make patterns out of life. And this is the case. This is what poetry has been doing from its earliest days and is doing still."-J. W. MACKAIL, Lectures on Poetry. To add another to these may be temerity, yet for the further development of these studies such an attempt seems needful. Poetry is the rhythmical expression of emotional thought, interpreting life in language lofty, beautiful, and imaginative, and uttered for both delight and instruction. 2. The Ten Elements of Poetry In weighing a definition, it must be remembered that not all great poems are great in every passage. Some rise to greatness by reason of general effect, while others are supreme in particular passages only. Really, this observation applies equally to all works of inspired art. Hence, to apply rigidly the foregoing working definition, or any definition, to all parts of all great poems would be destructive, and much more so to insist upon it in its entirety when measuring minor poems. Yet in greater or lesser degree each of the ten elements contained in our definition will be present in every great poem, and in proportion as these elements harmoniously exist in any literary work will it rise in the scale of poetry. Omit one, and the poem suffers, though it may still be a poem, and even a great poem. (a) Thought is the basis of all literary expression, but in the deepest sense it must characterize poetry. Thought precedes feeling and reflection and artistic expression, and unless a unified thought be the germ of the poem, no poem can there be at all. No critic was more clear in the enforcement of this truth than was Coleridge. Just how "big" must be the thought to warrant its use as the basis for a poem cannot be stated in clear terms. Two considerations, however, are fundamental: the thought should be either of permanent or of universal interest. Kipling's "Recessional" may not rise to thoughtpermanency, but as an occasional poem it certainly achieves universality of interest. The converse is true of Shelley's "The Skylark"-what it lacks in wide appeal it makes up in depth, and hence in permanency. Other poems greater ones, it goes without saying-possess both thought-permanency and thought-universality, Byron's apostrophe to the ocean in "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage." like Thought, then, is the basis of poetry even when its lighter phases are the more appealing and apparent, for poetic thought is not the thought of physical science, of logic, or of metaphysics. It may touch any of these formal subjects, but only to transmute it into beauty and feeling. (b) Emotion. During the reign of romanticism, when Byron was the cynosure, emotion was not only regarded as a sine qua non of poetry, but extremists like Moore declared that "poetry ought only to be employed as an interpreter of feeling," and Byron sang of "poetry, which is but passion." Even the philosopher Mill described poetry as "the delineation of the emotions." The presentday view is more moderate, as expressed by Theodore Watts-Dunton, in his article on Poetry in the “Encyclopedia Britannica": "No literary expression can, properly speaking, be called poetry that is not in a certain deep sense emotional." The This last view is both conservative and sound. "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings," to use Wordsworth's notable characterization, "takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity." Reflect upon this great dictum and see how true it is! Subject great poems like Tennyson's "In Memoriam" and Lowell's "Vision of Sir Launfal" to this test, and they meet it perfectly. Thought and feeling rethought and refelt give rise to a surge of poetic emotion which overflows in poetry -and that in turn mingles with the floods of feeling in him to whom the poem comes. "Evangeline" as truly arouses our emotions as it was born of emotion in the heart of Longfellow; conversely, there is nothing more pitiable than a pumped-up fountain of sham poetic feeling, for the stream can rise no higher than its emotional source. To feel rightly and deeply and sincerely is given only to genuine souls. (c) Interpretation is the poet's peculiar gift. The Greeks, it has been often said, gave the poet his name, poietes, "a maker, a creator;" and the Romans called him vates, "a seer," one whose sight was in and out and around |