song whatever. Though the tune of "Yankee Doo dle" is known by all, it yet awaits a popular song, if indeed it is possible to construct a good song in such

a measure.

Love-songs embrace some of the most finished and beautiful compositions in the language. Every affection of the heart may be expressed in this form. Indeed, Lyric Poetry has been more successfully cultivated lately than any other department. There is a good reason for this. The true region of Poetry is elevated above the ordinary tone of thought and feeling. The more intense the excitement, the shorter is the time during which it can be sustained. The best poems, therefore, are brief, and nearly all brief poems belong to the lyric class.

Odes embrace nearly all short poems except those kinds already mentioned. It would be vain to describe them, so countless is their variety. Wordsworth's "Intimations of Immortality in Childhood," Coleridge's "Address to Mount Blanc," Poe's "Song of a Raven" and his "Song of the Bells," Bryant's "Autumnal Days," Longfellow's "Excelsior," and Whittier's "Cry of a Lost Soul," and many other productions by these and other popular poets, belong to

this class.

164. Epic Poetry.-Epic Poetry, in its perfection, embraces only certain long poems of a historic form, in which the personages whose actions are described are wholly or partly imaginary. Many poems have been written in this form, but nearly all have speedily fallen into oblivion.

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The leading Epic Poems in the world are Homer's Iliad," Virgil's "Eneid," Dante's "Divina Commedia," Camoen's "Lusiad," Tasso's "Jerusalem Delivered," and Milton's "Paradise Lost." To these may perhaps be added the famous "Niebelungen Lied," whose authorship is unknown, and Pollok's "Course of Time," though the former is read but little out of Germany, and the latter but little except by those people of England and the United States who prize it highly for its religious sentiment.

Some grand purpose gives character to an Epic Poem, and it has at least one leading hero, though by way of illustration and episode a great variety of themes and characters may be introduced. Often, what has been called "machinery," or supernatural characters, are introduced, such as gods and goddesses by the heathen poets, and angels and departed spirits by Christian poets. The poets gave form to the ancient mythology.

There are many long poems, not called epic, that nevertheless are similar in character. In all long poems, such as Young's "Night Thoughts," Montgomery's "World before the Flood," Cowper's "Task," Byron's "Childe Harold," Longfellow's "Hiawatha,” Wordsworth's "Excursion," etc., extraordinary merit is necessary to sustain the interest. Indeed, long poems have but comparatively few readers, and there can be but little doubt that even the great epics of established fame are more eulogized than read.

165. Dramatic Poetry. - Dramatic Poetry is in the form of Dialogue, and is primarily designed to be recited

on the stage. The laws pertaining to this species of composition have already been given in the chapter on Representative Writing. Tragedy is noble in its character, endeavoring to illustrate some strong passion, and generally represents one or more of its characters struggling with difficulties external or internal, sometimes conquering and sometimes overcome. It deals with the strongest passions, and presents the sublimest thoughts. Comedy, on the other hand, is designed to excite mirth, sometimes contempt, and seldom rises to pathos or earnestness.

In a few instances both are blended in one composition.

A greater variety of measure is allowable in Dramatic than in Epic Poetry, and sometimes some of the characters speak in prose.

Many poems written in the form of the Drama were never designed for the theatre.

166. Humorous Poetry. - Humorous Poetry deals principally with wit. Every species of wit may be employed by the poet.

Sometimes the object of the poet seems to be only to produce laughter, by the strange combinations of thought presented. Sometimes the wit consists in ludicrous descriptions of laughable facts or groups of objects. Sometimes the strangeness of the metre and rhyme is itself witty. In this kind of writing the moderns immeasurably surpass the ancients.

Some of the best specimens of this kind of composition may be found in the writings of Thomas Hood, O. W. Holmes, and John G. Saxe.

ADVANTAGES OF WRITING VERSE. 307

167. The Ear should be cultivated. The language of Poetry is pre-eminently addressed to the ear, and therefore to be fully appreciated it should be read aloud, with proper accent and emphasis.

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168. Advantages of writing Verse. Every young writer should exercise himself thoroughly in writing various kinds of verse. It is the best kind of gymnastics for writers. It leads to searching for proper and expressive words. In all instances perfect correctness in measure and rhyme should be sought.