Monsieur Bossu's Treatise of the Epick Poem/Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Of the Poem.
A Poem is a Discourse in Verse; and a Verse is a part of a Discourse measur'd by a certain number of long and short Syllables, with a grateful Cadence, that is constantly repeated. This Repetition is necessary to distinguish the Notion we have of Verse, from that of Prose. For in Prose as well as Verse, every Period and Clause are so many parts of a Discourse measured by a certain number of long and short Syllables; but Prose is ever and anon altering its Cadences and Measures, which Verse never does.
The Repetition, which the Poets make use of, seems still the same in the way of Writing: for, when one Verse is finish'd, they come back again to the beginning of another Line to write the next Verse. And this coming back again, is that which gives it the Name of [1]Verse; and this Name in Latin is common to Verses, and several other things that are rang'd, as they are, in different Lines; as Trees, for instance, which are set in Rows.
The Latins call Verses likewise by the Name of Carmina; but this is an Equivocal Term: for besides its signifying Verses, or Poems, it may be used to express other things. 'Tis a Term that is given to the [2]Singing of Birds, to the [3]Charms of Magick, to certain [4]Forms of Law, to [5]Inscriptions or Devices, to [6]Epitaphs, and other such like things.
For the making of Verses, 'tis not enough to take care of the Measure and Quantity of the Syllables, and to place six Feet just after one another in the same Line; there must be likewise some grateful Cadences, of which there are several Rules laid down in treating about Cæsura's, Synalepha's, the Length of Words, and the like. Besides this, there must be some Tenses of Verbs, some Moods, some Regiments, some Constructions, and some Words proper only to Verse, and which Prose knows nothing of.
But above all, there must be in Verse the Turn, and some ways of speaking that are elevated, bold, and metaphorical; which are so proper to this kind of Writing, that without them the most exact placing of long and short Syllables is not so much Verse as Prose in Metre: And, on the contrary, these bold Expressions, so proper to Verse, when used in a Discourse that has not Feet nor Poetical Numbers, do give it such an Air of Verse, that it is not so properly Prose, as a kind of Poesie without Numbers, and as Horace says, Disjecti Membra Poetæ.
As [7]Nature does not inspire into us the Rules of Poetry and Verse; so neither does Art and Study help us to that Air, that Force, and that Elevation, in which Horace discovers something that is Divine, and which only makes a Man deserve the Name of Poet. This is an Accomplishment a Man should be born with, owing either to the Excellency of his Nature, or to some happy Transports; but withall so extraordinary, that the Ancients, and [8]Aristotle himself, stile them Fits of Enthusiasm or Frensie: yet still there is to be supposed an exact and solid Judgment to master this Frensie and Imagination of the Poet.
From what has been said, we may conclude that the End of Poetry is to please: that its Cause is either the Excellency of the Poet's Nature, or the Poetick Frensie, and these Transports of Spirit, that are to be govern'd by Judgment. Its Matter is the long and short Syllables, the Numbers it is made up of, and the Words which Grammar furnishes it with, as well as Prose. And its Form is the ranging of all these Things in such exact and charming Verses, as may best express the Thoughts of the Author after the manner we have been describing.
But after all, how confin'd is all this, if we consider the great Name of Poet in the Honour Homer and Virgil did it, and in all the Extent it is capable of! What we have said about it has nothing of Praise-worthy in it, but what ev'ry pitiful Translator may pretend to, and what the War of Catiline turn'd into Verse might bestow upon him, that would transpose the Prose of Sallust after this manner. 'Tis with Reason then that we distinguish these mean Subjects from great Poetry, by giving them the name of Versification; and that we make, as it were, two distinct Arts of Versification and Poetry. In a word, there is as much Difference between the Art of Making Verses, and that of Inventing Poems, as there is between Grammar and Rhetorick.
This great Art consists chiefly in the Fable, in the manner of Expressing Things by Allegories and Metaphors, and in the Invention of some probable Matter; that is, of some Actions, under which the Poet very charmingly disguises the Truths he would have us learn. This is so proper to the Poet, that even in the Expression [9]Aristotle recommends nothing so much as the Metaphor. Which agrees very well with that which we have already said about the Nature of Poetry. For the Fables are so many Allegorical Disguises, and an Allegory is nothing else but a Series and Chain of Metaphors linked together.
We shall speak of the Fable, and these important Matters in the Sequel of this Treatise. We shall here only make this one Reflection; That the true Poems, and such as have more of the Essence and Nature of Great Poetry than any other, are the Epopéa, the Tragedy, and the Comedy; for they are all Allegorical and Fabulous. Nor has [10]Aristotle in his Poetry undertaken to treat of any more than these three sorts. If we compare them together, the Epopéa will excel the other two by that great Liberty it takes of using Metaphors and perpetual Allusions in the Fables. Allegorical Expressions would be more obscure upon the Stage, and would have something that is less probable in the Mouth of the Actors we hear speak, than in the Narration of a Poet, who writes purely to be read. Comedy must likewise yield to Tragedy, because it has little of Elevation, and the manner of its Actors Speaking, is too Natural and Familiar.
This very Thing has made some People question whether [11]Comedy were a true Poem or no. Which Difficulty is wholly grounded upon this general Notion, That a Poem is a Discourse in Verse. Now in the Latin Comedy, the Discourse has nothing in it of Verse, but Feet and Numbers. This indeed is enough for such a Poetical Subject as Comedy is. And we suppose in this we are of Horace's Opinion, at least he attributes this Doubt to a very few Persons.
But this measure only, without any Air to distinguish the Discourse from Prose, makes no Verses: And for this Reason has [12]Horace call'd his Satyrs by a Prose Name; viz. Sermons. His Epistles are the same. His Odes are of a different Air, and these he calls by a Poetical Name, Carmina.
The Case is not the same with Subjects that are not Poetical, but writ in Verse, and adorn'd with Fables and Allegories; as, the Georgicks of Virgil, Lucan's Pharsalia, the Punick War of Silius Italicus, and the like. The truth on't is, these Fables and Allegories are not sufficient for an Epopéa, and its main Action, that ought to be a Fable; so that we do not take the Georgicks or the Pharsalia to be an Epopéa; but yet this should not hinder us from thinking them to be true Poems for all that.
But if a Man writes an Epopéa in Prose, would it be an Epick Poem? No, I think not; for a Poem is a Discourse in Verse. But yet this would not hinder its being an Epopéa; just as a Tragedy in Prose is still a Tragedy, though it be not a Tragick Poem. They who have question'd whether the Latin Comedy were a Poem or no, never doubted but it was a Comedy.
I should have said less upon such trite Matters, but that I was asham'd to take no notice at all what a Poem or a Verse was, being to treat so largely about the Epick Poem.
- ↑ Versis.
- ↑ Ramoque sedens miserabile Carmen Integrat. Virg. Geor. 4.
- ↑ Ducite ab urbe domum, mea Carmina, ducite Daphnim. Carmina vel cœlo possunt deducere lunam. Carminibus Circe socios mutavit mutavit Ulyssis. Ecl. 8.
- ↑ Lex horrendi Carminis erat: Duûmviri perduellionem judicent, si à Duûmviris provocatione certârit, provocatione certato, &c. Tit. Liv. Hist. l. i
- ↑ Rem Carmine signo: Æneas hæc de Danais Victoribus Armis. Virg. Æneid. l. 3.
- ↑ Tumulo superaddite Carmen, Daphnis ego in sylvis hinc usque ad sidera notus, Formosi pecoris custos, formosior ipse. Virg. Ecl. 5.
- ↑ Ego nec studium sine divite venâ, nec rude quid profit video ingenitim. Hor. Poet.
- ↑ GREEK HERE
- ↑ GREEK HERE
- ↑ GREEK HERE
- ↑ Idcirco quidam Comœdia necne Poema effet quæsivere: quod acer spiritus ac vis nec Verbis nec rebus inest; nisi quod pede certo dissert sermoni sermo Merus. Hor. Lib. I. Sat. 4.
- ↑ Primum ego me illorum dederim quibus esse Poëtas Excerpam numero; neque enim concludere Versum Dixeris esse satis; neque si quis scribat uti nos Sermoni propiora, putes hunc esse Poëtam. ibid.