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EnglishEssays:SidneytoMacaulay.TheHarvardClassics.1909–14.ADefenceofPoetryPercyByssheShelleyACCORDINGtoonemodeofregardingthosetwoclassesofmentalaction,whicharecalledreasonandimagination,theformermaybeconsideredasmindcontemplatingtherelationsbornebyonethoughttoanother,howeverproduced,andthelatter,asmindactinguponthosethoughtssoastocolorthemwithitsownlight,andcomposingfromthem,asfromelements,otherthoughts,eachcontainingwithinitselftheprincipleofitsownintegrity.Theoneisthe[Greek],ortheprincipleofsynthesis,andhasforitsobjectsthoseformswhicharecommontouniversalnatureandexistenceitself;theotheristhe[Greek],orprincipleofanalysis,anditsactionregardstherelationsofthingssimplyasrelations;consideringthoughts,notintheirintegralunity,butasthealgebraicalrepresentationswhichconducttocertaingeneralresults.Reasonistheenumerationofqualitiesalreadyknown;imaginationistheperceptionofthevalueofthosequalities,bothseparatelyandasawhole.Reasonrespectsthedifferences,andimaginationthesimilitudesofthings.Reasonistoimaginationastheinstrumenttotheagent,asthebodytothespirit,astheshadowtothesubstance.1Poetry,inageneralsense,maybedefinedtobe―theexpressionoftheimagination‖:andpoetryisconnatewiththeoriginofman.Manisaninstrumentoverwhichaseriesofexternalandinternalimpressionsaredriven,likethealternationsofanever-changingwindoveranÆolianlyre,whichmoveitbytheirmotiontoever-changingmelody.Butthereisaprinciplewithinthehumanbeing,andperhapswithinallsentientbeings,whichactsotherwisethaninthelyre,andproducesnotmelodyalone,butharmony,byaninternaladjustmentofthesoundsormotionsthusexcitedtotheimpressionswhichexcitethem.Itisasifthelyrecouldaccommodateitschordstothemotionsofthatwhichstrikesthem,inadeterminedproportionofsound;evenasthemusiciancanaccommodatehisvoicetothesoundofthelyre.Achildatplaybyitselfwillexpressitsdelightbyitsvoiceandmotions;andeveryinflexionoftoneandeverygesturewillbearexactrelationtoacorrespondingantitypeinthepleasurableimpressionswhichawakenedit;itwillbethereflectedimageofthatimpression;andasthelyretremblesandsoundsafterthewindhasdiedaway,sothechildseeks,byprolonginginitsvoiceandmotionsthedurationoftheeffect,toprolongalsoaconsciousnessofthecause.Inrelationtotheobjectswhichdelightachildtheseexpressionsarewhatpoetryistohigherobjects.Thesavage(forthesavageistoageswhatthechildistoyears)expressestheemotionsproducedinhimbysurroundingobjectsinasimilarmanner;andlanguageandgesture,togetherwithplasticorpictorialimitation,becometheimageofthecombinedeffectofthoseobjects,andofhisapprehensionofthem.Maninsociety,withallhispassionsandhispleasures,nextbecomestheobjectofthepassionsandpleasuresofman;anadditionalclassofemotionsproducesanaugmentedtreasureofexpressions;and2language,gesture,andtheimitativearts,becomeatoncetherepresentationandthemedium,thepencilandthepicture,thechiselandthestatute,thechordandtheharmony.Thesocialsympathies,orthoselawsfromwhich,asfromitselements,societyresults,begintodevelopthemselvesfromthemomentthattwohumanbeingscoexist;thefutureiscontainedwithinthepresent,astheplantwithintheseed;andequality,diversity,unity,contrast,mutualdependence,becometheprinciplesalonecapableofaffordingthemotivesaccordingtowhichthewillofasocialbeingisdeterminedtoaction,inasmuchasheissocial;andconstitutepleasureinsensation,virtueinsentiment,beautyinart,truthinreasoning,andloveintheintercourseofkind.Hencemen,evenintheinfancyofsociety,observeacertainorderintheirwordsandactions,distinctfromthatoftheobjectsandtheimpressionsrepresentedbythem,allexpressionbeingsubjecttothelawsofthatfromwhichitproceeds.Butletusdismissthosemoregeneralconsiderationswhichmightinvolveaninquiryintotheprinciplesofsocietyitself,andrestrictourviewtothemannerinwhichtheimaginationisexpresseduponitsforms.Intheyouthoftheworld,mendanceandsingandimitatenaturalobjects,observingintheseactions,asinallothers,acertainrhythmororder.And,althoughallmenobserveasimilar,theyobservenotthesameorder,inthemotionsofthedance,inthemelodyofthesong,inthecombinationsoflanguage,intheseriesoftheirimitationsofnaturalobjects.Forthereisacertainorderorrhythmbelongingtoeachoftheseclassesofmimeticrepresentation,fromwhichthehearerandthespectatorreceiveanintenserandpurerpleasurethanfromanyother:thesenseofanapproximationtothisorderhasbeencalledtastebymodernwriters.Everymanintheinfancyofartobservesanorderwhichapproximatesmoreorlesscloselytothatfromwhichthishighestdelightresults:butthediversityisnotsufficientlymarked,asthatitsgradationsshouldbesensible,exceptinthoseinstanceswherethepredominanceofthisfacultyofapproximationtothebeautiful(forsowemaybepermittedtonametherelationbetweenthishighestpleasureanditscause)isverygreat.Thoseinwhomitexistsinexcessarepoets,inthemostuniversalsenseoftheword;andthepleasureresultingfromthemannerinwhichtheyexpresstheinfluenceofsocietyornatureupontheirownminds,communicatesitselftoothers,andgathersasortofreduplicationfromthatcommunity.Theirlanguageisvitallymetaphorical;thatis,itmarksthebeforeunapprehendedrelationsofthingsandperpetuatestheirapprehension,untilthewordswhichrepresentthem,become,thro