ABSTRACT
But this is far from being the case. For ... the more august poetry disclaims, as unsuited to its state and dignity, that inquisitive and anxious diligence, which pries into Nature's retirements, and searches through all her secret and hidden haunts, to detect a forbidden commerce, and expose to light some strange unexpected conjunction of ideas. This quaint combination of remote, unallied imagery, constitutes a species of entertainment, which, for its novelty, may amuse and divert the mind in other compositions; but is wholly inconsistent with the reserve and solemnity of the graver forms. There is too much curiosity of art, too sollicitous an affectation of pleasing, in these ingenious exercises of the fancy, to suit with the simple majesty of the epos or drama; which disclaims to cast about for forced and tortured allusions, and aims only to expose, in the fairest light, such as are most obvious and natural. And here, by the way, it may be worth observing, in honour of a great Poet of the last century, I mean Dr. DONNE, that though agreeably to the turn of his genius, and taste of his age, he was fonder, than ever poet was, of these secret and hidden ways in his lesser poetry; yet when he had projected his great work 'On the progress of the Soul' (of which we have only the beginning), his good sense brought him out into the freer spaces of nature and open day-light. (iii) From 'On the Marks of Imitation' : You see with what a suspicious eye, we, who aspire to the name of critics, examine your writings. But every poet will not endure to be scrutinized so narrowly.
