The iambic and trochaic, on the other hand, are
metres of movement, the one representing that of life and action, the
other that of the dance. Still more unnatural would it appear, it one
were to write an epic in a medley of metres, as Chaeremon did. Hence
it is that no one has ever written a long story in any but heroic
verse; nature herself, as we have said, teaches us to select the metre
appropriate to such a story.
Homer, admirable as he is i.e.ery other respect, i.e.pecially so in
this, that he alone among epic poets is not unaware of the part to be
played by the poet himself in the poem. The poet should say very
little in propria persona, as he is no imitator when doing that.
Whereas the other poets are perpetually coming forward in person, and
say but little, and that only here and there, as imitators, Homer
after a brief preface brings in forthwith a man, a woman, or some
other Character--no one of them characterless, but each with
distinctive characteristics.
The marvellous is certainly required in Tragedy. The Epic, however,
affords more opening for the improbable, the chief factor in the
marvellous, because in it the agents are not visibly before one.
Pages:
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89