Dennis, John (1658-1734)

The Grounds of Criticism in Poetry

London

Printed for Geo. Strahan

1704

"But as soon as Religion was sufficiently imprinted in the Minds of Men, and they had leisure to Treat of Human things in their writings they invented Prose, and invented it in Imitation of Verse, as Strabo tells us in the first Book of his Geography; but after that Prose was invented by them; never any of them treated of their Gods or their Religious matters in Prose, before the Age of Socrates, because they found that that way of writing, was by no means proper for it."

And we pretend to prove undeniably that not only the Gentlemen, whose works we design to examine, have succeeded and excell'd no further than their Poems have been so constituted; but that never any Poets of any Nation or any Age, ever did or can excel without it. I have already prov'd in the Advancement of modern Poetry, beyond all manner of doubt, to those who have Capacity enough to comprehend the Arguments, that the Ancient Poets excell'd the moderns in the greatness of Poetry, for no other reason, but because their Subjects were Religious in their constitution. And therefore all that I shall say of it here is, that Poetry is the Natural Language of Religion, and that Religion at first produc'd it, as a Cause produces its Effect. In the first Ages of writing among the Græcians, there was nothing writ but Verse, because they wrote of nothing but Religion which was necessary for the Cementing the Societies which in those times were but just united, and Nature had taught them, that Poetry was the only Language in which they could worthily treat of the most Important parts of Religion, or worthily perform its most Important Duties. But as soon as Religion was sufficiently imprinted in the Minds of Men, and they had leisure to Treat of Human things in their writings they invented Prose, and invented it in Imitation of Verse, as Strabo tells us in the first Book of his Geography; but after that Prose was invented by them; never any of them treated of their Gods or their Religious matters in Prose, before the Age of Socrates, because they found that that way of writing, was by no means proper for it. For the wonders of Religion naturally threw them upon great Passions, and great passions naturally threw them upon Harmony, and Figurative Language, as they most of Necessity do, any Poet as long as he continues Master of them. Which is known by Experience to all who are Poets, for never any one while he was rapt with Enthusiasm or with Ordinary Passion, wanted either Words or Harmony, and therefore Poetry is more Harmonious than Prose because it is more Pathetick. Even in Prose your Orators and all who pretend to move the Passions, have more Harmonious Periods than they who barely speak to the Reason. And in Poetry they who write with a great deal of Passion are Generally very Harmonious, whereas those who write with but little are not so Musical. Horace is an Illustrious Example of this. No Man who has read his Odes can doubt of the fineness and the Delicacy of his Ear; and therefore his Satyrs are often Harsh and Rugged because the Spirit in them is mean and little. No Man can believe that Juvenal had a finer Ear, than Horace, but yet his Satyrs are more Musical because they have a greater Spirit in them. At the same time tis a little odd to consider, that Passion which disturbs the Soul, should occasion it to produce Harmony, which seems to emply the Order and Composure of it. Whether this proceeds from the Secret Effort that the Soul makes, to Compose it self or whatever the cause is, the Effect is certain. But as Passion, which is the Disorder of the Soul; produces Harmony which is Agreement; so Harmony which is Concord Augments and propagates Passion which is Discord. All who are acquainted with Poetry or Musick must be as sensible of this, as Mr. Waller was fully convinc'd of it [...]
(pp. 96-100)

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The Grounds of Criticism in Poetry, Contain'd In some New Discoveries never made before, requisite for the Writing and Judging of Poems surely. Being A Preliminary to a larger Work design'd to be publish'd in Folio, and Entituled, A Criticism upon our most Celebrated English Poets Deceas'd. By Mr. Dennis (London: Printed for Geo. Strahan and Bernard Lintott, 1704). <Link to ECCO-TCP> [46], 127 p.

07/11/2013