Famous Reviews | Page 6

this much, at least, in common with religion, that its
standards were fixed long ago, by certain inspired writers, whose
authority it is no longer lawful to call in question; and that many
profess to be entirely devoted to it, who have no good works to produce
in support of their pretensions. The catholic poetical church, too, has
worked but few miracles since the first ages of its establishment; and
has been more prolific, for a long time, of Doctors, than of Saints: it
has had its corruptions and reformation also, and has given birth to an
infinite variety of heresies and errors, the followers of which have
hated and persecuted each other as cordially as other bigots.
The author who is now before us, belongs to a sect of poets, that has
established itself in this country within these ten or twelve years, and is
looked upon, we believe, as one of its chief champions and apostles.
The peculiar doctrines of this sect, it would not, perhaps, be very easy
to explain; but, that they are dissenters from the established systems in
poetry and criticism, is admitted, and proved indeed, by the whole tenor

of their compositions. Though they lay claim, we believe, to a creed
and a revelation of their own, there can be little doubt, that their
doctrines are of German origin, and have been derived from some of
the great modern reformers in that country. Some of their leading
principles, indeed, are probably of an earlier date, and seem to have
been borrowed from the great apostle of Geneva. As Mr. Southey is the
first author, of this persuasion, that has yet been brought before us for
judgment, we cannot discharge our inquisitorial office conscientiously,
without premising a few words upon the nature and tendency of the
tenets he has helped to promulgate.
The disciples of this school boast much of its originality, and seem to
value themselves very highly, for having broken loose from the
bondage of ancient authority, and re-asserted the independence of
genius. Originality, however, we are persuaded, is rarer than mere
alteration; and a man may change a good master for a bad one, without
finding himself at all nearer to independence. That our new poets have
abandoned the old models, may certainly be admitted; but we have not
been able to discover that they have yet created any models of their
own; and are very much inclined to call in question the worthiness of
those to which they have transferred their admiration. The productions
of this school, we conceive, are so far from being entitled to the praise
of originality, that they cannot be better characterised, than by an
enumeration of the sources from which their materials have been
derived. The greater part of them, we apprehend, will be found to be
composed of the following elements: (1) The antisocial principles, and
distempered sensibility of Rousseau--his discontent with the present
constitution of society--his paradoxical morality, and his perpetual
hankerings after some unattainable state of voluptuous virtue and
perfection. (2) The simplicity and energy (_horresco referens_) of
Kotzebue and Schiller. (3) The homeliness and harshness of some of
Cowper's language and versification, interchanged occasionally with
the innocence of Ambrose Philips, or the quaintness of Quarles and Dr.
Donne. From the diligent study of these few originals, we have no
doubt that an entire art of poetry may be collected, by the assistance of
which, the very gentlest of our readers may soon be qualified to
compose a poem as correctly versified as Thalaba, and to deal out
sentiment and description, with all the sweetness of Lamb, and all the

magnificence of Coleridge.
The authors, of whom we are now speaking, have, among them,
unquestionably, a very considerable portion of poetical talent, and have,
consequently, been enabled to seduce many into an admiration of the
false taste (as it appears to us) in which most of their productions are
composed. They constitute, at present, the most formidable conspiracy
that has lately been formed against sound judgment in matters poetical;
and are entitled to a larger share of our censorial notice, than could be
spared for an individual delinquent. We shall hope for the indulgence
of our readers, therefore, in taking this opportunity to inquire a little
more particularly into their merits, and to make a few remarks upon
those peculiarities which seem to be regarded by their admirers as the
surest proofs of their excellence.
Their most distinguishing symbol, is undoubtedly an affectation of
great simplicity and familiarity of language. They disdain to make use
of the common poetical phraseology, or to ennoble their diction by a
selection of fine or dignified expressions. There would be too much art
in this, for that great love of nature with which they are all of them
inspired;