The Dexterity of Poetry

詩(shī)歌之靈性

With the young of both sexes, Poetry is, like love, a passion; but, for much the greater part of those who have been proud of its power over their minds, a necessity soon arises of breaking the pleasing bondage; or it relaxes of itself; —the thoughts being occupied in domestic cares, or the time engrossed by business. Poetry then becomes only an occasional recreation; while to those whose existence passes away in a course of fashionable pleasure, it is a species of luxurious amusement. In middle and declining age, a scattered number of serious persons resort to poetry, as to religion, for a protection against the pressure of trivial employments, and as a consolation for the afflictions of life. And, lastly, there are many, who, having been enamoured of this art in their youth, have found leisure, after youth was spent, to cultivate general literature; in which poetry has continued to be comprehended as a study.

對(duì)青年男女來(lái)說(shuō)，詩(shī)歌如同愛(ài)情一樣，是一種激情。不過(guò)，即使是為詩(shī)歌動(dòng)人心弦的力量縈繞心靈而驕傲的人，也很快就必需掙脫詩(shī)歌那令人愉悅的束縛；或者這種束縛會(huì)自然而然地松懈，因?yàn)榧覄?wù)占據(jù)了頭腦，事業(yè)耗盡了時(shí)間。如此一來(lái), 詩(shī)歌就只是偶爾的消遣了。對(duì)那些一生都在追求時(shí)髦的人來(lái)說(shuō)，詩(shī)歌是一種奢侈的娛樂(lè)。而少數(shù)中老年人則借助于詩(shī)歌——就像求助于宗教一樣——來(lái)緩解瑣事帶來(lái)的壓力和撫平生活中的創(chuàng)傷。最后，還有許多自年輕時(shí)就迷上了詩(shī)歌藝術(shù)的愛(ài)好者，盡管已不再年輕，他們有了追求文學(xué)的閑暇，這時(shí)，詩(shī)歌被當(dāng)成了一門學(xué)問(wèn)。