large/10022/essayoncriticism_1505_librivox_64kb_mp3/essayoncriticism_02_pope_64kb_43
large/10022/essayoncriticism_1505_librivox_64kb_mp3/essayoncriticism_02_pope_64kb
English
10022
Leave such to tune their own dull rhymes, and know What's roundly smooth or languishingly slow; And praise the easy vigor of a line, Where Denham's strength, and Waller's sweetness join. [361] True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, As those move easiest who have learned to dance 'Tis not enough no harshness gives offense, The sound must seem an echo to the sense. LEAVES SUCH TO TUNE THEIR OWN DOLL RUNS AND KNOW WHAT'S ROUNDLY SMOOTH OR LANGUISHINGLY SLOW AND PRAISE THE EASY VIRGER OF A LINE WHERE DUNDRUM STRENGTH AND WALLER'S SWEETNESS JOIN TRUE EASE IN WRITIN COMES FROM ART NOT CHANCE AS THOSE MOVE EASIEST WHO HAVE LEARNED TO DANCE TIS NOT ENOUGH NOR HARSHNESS GIVES OFFEND THE SOUND MUST SEEM AN ECHO TO THE SENSE
 yet the last to lay the old aside But most by numbers judge a poet's song And smooth or rough, with them is right or wrong. In the bright muse though thousand charms conspire, Her voice is all these tuneful fools admire, Who haunt Parnassus but to please their ear, Not mend their minds, as some to church repair, Not for the doctrine but the music there These equal syllables alone require, Though oft the ear the open vowels tire; While expletives their feeble aid do join; And ten low words oft creep in one dull line, While they ring round the same unvaried chimes, With sure returns of still expected rhymes, Where'er you find "the cooling western breeze," In the next line it "whispers through the trees" If crystal streams "with pleasing murmurs creep" The reader's threatened (not in vain) with "sleep" Then, at the last and only couplet fraught With some unmeaning thing they call a thought, A needless Alexandrine ends the song [356] That, like a wounded snake drags its slow length along. THE FIRST BY WOUNDING YOU ARE TRIED NOT YET THE LAST TO LAY THE OLD ASIDE BUT MOST BY NUMBERS JUDGE A POET SONG AND SMOOTH OR ROUGH WITH THEM IS RIGHT OR WRONG IN THE BRIGHT MUSE THOUGH THOUSANDS CHARM CONSPIRE HAVE VOICES ALL HIS TUNEFUL FOLKS ADMIRE WHO HAUNTS PENASUS BUT TO PLEASE THEIR EAR NOT MEND YOUR MIND AS SOME TO CHURCH REPAIR NOT FOR THE DOCTRINE BUT THE MUSIC THERE THESE EQUAL SYLLABLES ALONE REQUIRE THEY OFTEN THE EAR THE OPEN VOWS TIRE WHILE EXPLOSIVES THEIR FEEBLE AGE DO JOIN AND TEN LOW WORDS OFT CREEP IN ONE DULL LINE WHILE THEY RING ROUND THE SAME ON VARIED CHIMES WITH SUCH RETURNS OF STILL EXPECTED RHYMES WHEREVER YOU FIND THE COOLING WESTERN BREEZE IN THE NEXT LINES IT WHISPERS THROUGH THE TREES IF CRYSTAL STREAMS WITH PLEASING MURMURS CREEP THE READERS THREATEN NOT IN THE VANE WITH SLEEP THEN AT THE LAST AND ONLY COUPLET FROUGHT WITH SOME UNMEANING THING THEY CALL A THOUGHT A NEEDLESS ALEXANDRIAN ENDS THE SONG THAT LIKE A WOUNDED SNAKE DRAGS ITS SLOW STRENGTH ALONG
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