the works of edgar allan poe-5-第34章

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his　own　language；　he　has　imprisoned　his　own　conceptions　by　the　barrier　he
has　erected　against　those　of　others。　It　is　lamentable　to　think　that　such　a
mind　should　be　buried　in　metaphysics；　and；　like　the　Nyctanthes；　waste　its
perfume　upon　the　night　alone。　In　reading　that　man's　poetry；　I　tremble　like
one　who　stands　upon　a　volcano；　conscious　from　the　very　darkness　bursting
from　the　crater；　of　the　fire　and　the　light　that　are　weltering　below。

〃What　is　poetry？…Poetry！　that　Proteus…like　idea；　with　as　many　appellations
as　the　nine…titled　Corcyra！　'Give　me；'　I　demanded　of　a　scholar　some　time
ago；　'give　me　a　definition　of　poetry。'　_'Tr鑣volontiers；'　_and　he
proceeded　to　his　library；　brought　me　a　Dr。　Johnson；　and　overwhelmed　me
with　a　definition。　Shade　of　the　immortal　Shakespeare！　I　imagine　to　myself
the　scowl　of　your　spiritual　eye　upon　the　profanity　of　that　scurrilous　Ursa
Major。　Think　of　poetry；　dear　B…；　think　of　poetry；　and　then　think　of　Dr。
Samuel　Johnson！　Think　of　all　that　is　airy　and　fairy…like；　and　then　of　all
that　is　hideous　and　unwieldy；　think　of　his　huge　bulk；　the　Elephant！　and
then…and　then　think　of　the　'Tempest'　…the　'Midsummer…Night's　Dream'…
Prospero　Oberon…and　Titania！

〃A　poem；　in　my　opinion；　is　opposed　to　a　work　of　science　by　having；　for　its
_immediate　_object；　pleasure；　not　truth；　to　romance；　by　having；　for　its
object；　an　_indefinite　_instead　of　a　_definite　_pleasure；　being　a　poem
only　so　far　as　this　object　is　attained；　romance　presenting　perceptible
images　with　definite；　poetry　with　indefinite　sensations；　to　which　end
music　is　an　_essential；　since　_the　comprehension　of　sweet　sound　is　our
most　indefinite　conception。　Music；　when　combined　with　a　pleasurable　idea；
is　poetry；　music；　without　the　idea；　is　simply　music；　the　idea；　wi　thout
the　music；　is　prose；　from　its　very　definitiveness。

〃What　was　meant　by　the　invective　against　him　who　had　no　music　in　his　soul？

〃To　sum　up　this　long　rigmarole；　I　have；　dear　B…；　what　you；　no　doubt；
perceive；　for　the　metaphysical　poets　as　poets；　the　most　sovereign
contempt。　That　they　have　followers　proves　nothing…

〃'No　Indian　prince　has　to　his　palace
More　followers　than　a　thief　to　the　gallows。

*　GJL*4@J〃J@《　6〃4　N48@F@M46@J〃J@《　（；