The Worlds Best Poetry, Volume 10 | Page 7

delight in heavenly lays.'"
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By no means, then, to attempt a new definition where so many more competent have failed, we may nevertheless gather some points of certainty from the opinions cited above.
Poetry concerns itself with the ideal and the emotional, in nature, life, and thought. Its language must be choice, for aptness of expression and for melodious sound. Its form will embody the recurrence of rhythmic measures, which, however elaborated and varied in later times, originated in the dim past, when singing and dancing moved hand in hand for the vivid utterance of feeling--in mirthful joy and in woe, love and hate, worshipful devotion and mortal defiance, the fierceness of battle and the serenity of peace. While through all and over all must breathe the informing spirit of Beauty--whether of the delicate or the sublime, whether of sweetness or of power--harmonizing both the interior essence and its outward expression.
In the ejaculations of delight, fear, or wonder of primitive man at the phenomena of nature--in his imaginative efforts to explain the mystery of power behind light, darkness, the seasons, storm, calm--lie the beginnings of poetry; and religion grows from the same seed--the desire of the finite to lay hold on the Infinite. Every man is a potential poet, just so far as he responds to these yearnings after some expression of the ideal and the ineffable.
Poetry, indeed, finds its inspiration in all things, from the humblest creation to the Creator himself,--nothing too low or too high for its interest. In turn, it has inspired humanity's finest deeds; and so long as humanity's aims and joys and woes persist, will mankind seek uplift and delight in its charm.
[Signature: JR Howard]

PREFACE
The Poets, by the very necessity of their vocation, are the closest students of language in any literature. They are the most exacting in their demands upon the resources of words, and the most careful of discriminations in their use. "Easy writing's curst hard reading," said an English wit; but for the poet there is no such thing as easy writing. He must "wreak thought upon expression." The veteran Bryant wrote:
"Thou who wouldst wear the name Of Poet midst thy brethren of mankind, And clothe in words of flame Thoughts that shall live within the general mind, Deem not the framing of a deathless lay The pastime of a drowsy summer day. But gather all thy powers," etc.
The prose-writer should, and the great one does, carefully weigh, select, and place his words; but the Poet must,--if he is to make any least claim to the title. Therefore poetical quotations are, as a rule, more skillfully apt to the purpose of expressing shades of thought than are the more natural and therefore usually less careful phrases of prose, even when conveying "thoughts that shall live within the general mind."
A gathering of poetical quotations is valuable in two ways. It may afford the most vivid and significant representation of a thought or feeling for some specific occasion, or it will open to the reader an alluring field for wandering at will--or even aimlessly, yet with ever-fresh interest. In case one seeks some particular phrase, some familiar quotation which is vaguely remembered but desired for more accurate use, it may easily be that the phrase sought is not among the assemblage of notable fragments in this volume, but in its own place, embodied in the poem where it had its origin, in some of the other volumes of this work. In this volume, however, will be found some 2,700 memorable passages from poems not included in the others. They are alphabetically arranged under more than 300 appropriate titles, for general topics; and the "Index of Topics" will show cross-references to other and kindred themes, so that if desired a subject may be pursued into thoughts of related interest.
It is hoped that this gathering up of admirable fragments that should not be lost to familiar use, even though their original sources could find no proper place in the plan of the work at large, will prove to be helpfully suggestive, whether to the seeker for specific thoughts and expressions or to the general appreciative reader.
THE EDITORS.
INDEX OF TOPICS.
WITH CROSS-REFERENCES.
VOL. X

INDEX OF TOPICS.
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WITH CROSS-REFERENCES.
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Absence Farewell Parting
Action Deeds Labor Resolution Success
Admiration Beauty Blush Compliment Eye Face Love Praise Woman
Adornment Beauty Dress Fashion Hair Jewel
Adventure Battle Courage Heroism Hunting War
Adversity Comfort Consolation Cowardice Grief Life Loss Memory Patience Pity Poverty Sorrow Wealth
Advice Instruction Wisdom
Age Death Life Time
Air Cloud Nature Night Season Wind
Ambition Fame Praise Reputation State-craft
Angel Deeds Spirits
Anger Hate Passion Revenge
Angling Fish
Animals Cat Dog Horse Mouse Ox Sheep Deer Wolf
Anthology Poet, The Poetry
Apparition Angel Ghost Imagination Spirits Visions
Appearance Admiration Adornment Beauty Compliment Dress Face Fashion Hair Woman
Architecture Art
Argument Conversation Oratory Reasons Speech
Aristocracy Courtesy Gentleman Labor Man Manners Nobility
Art