Excerpt from English Songs, and Other Small Poems It may be thought paradoxical, to assert that the songs which occur in dramas are more natural than those which proceed from the author in person: yet such is generally the case. If, indeed, a poet wrote purely and seasonably only, - that is to say, if his poetry sprung always from the passion or humour of the moment, the fact might be otherwise. But it may easily be seen, that many rhymes are produced out of season and are often nothing more than the result of ingenuity taxed to the uttermost or other wise, are simply the indiscretions of 'gentlemen at ease, ' 'who have nothing, or nothing better, to do. Now Poetry is not to be thus constrained nor is it ever the offspring of ennui or languor. It demands not only the 'faculty divine, ' (so called.) but also, that it should be left to its own impulses. The in tellectual faculties are, in no one, always in a state of tension, or capable of projecting those thoughts which, in happier moments, are cast forth with perfect ease, -and which, when thrown out by the Imagination or the Fancy, constitute the charm, and indeed form the essence of poetry. Much of what I have said applies to verse in general but it applies more especially to songs and small pieces of verse - those nugce more - which, at the time that they plead their 'want of pretension, ' take due care, but too often, to justify their professed defects. When a writer commences a poem of serious length, he throws all his strength into it: he selects the happiest hour; he condenses, and amends, and rejects and, in short, does his best to produce some thing good. But in a song, or 'a trifle in verse, ' he feels no responsibility. He professes nothing, and, unfortunately, does little more. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.