A skilful literary artist has constructed a tale. If wise, he has
not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate his incidents; but having
conceived, with deliberate care, a certain unique or single effect
to be wrought out, he then invents such incidents- he then combines
such events as may best aid him in establishing this preconceived
effect. If his very initial sentence tend not to the out-bringing of
this effect, then he has failed in his first step. In the whole
composition there should be no word written, of which the tendency,
direct or indirect, is not to the one pre-established design. And by
such means, with such care and skill, a picture is at length painted
which leaves in the mind of him who contemplates it with a kindred
art, a sense of the fullest satisfaction. The idea of the tale has
been presented unblemished, because undisturbed; and this is an end
unattainable by the novel. Undue brevity is just as exceptionable here
as in the poem; but undue length is yet more to be avoided.
We have said that the tale has a point of superiority even over
the poem. In fact, while the rhythm of this latter is an essential aid
in the development of the poem's highest idea- the idea of the
Beautiful- the artificialities of this rhythm are an inseparable bar
to the development of all points of thought or expression which have
their basis in Truth.
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