VARIETIES OF POETRY AND KINDS OF POEMS.                     267
it should not be too distinctly marked, as it con-  ful character.  Gray' "Elegy, 'Written in a
sists merely in a brief suspension of the voice  Coutry Churchyard " is undoubtedly the most
without any change in tone or accent. The complete specimn3 of this class of poetry to be
following example shows its effect.         found in any language.
Final Pause.                               P
Ye who have anxiously and fondly w       In the early history of the world, throughout
Beside a fading friend, unconscious th.at                         .     .
The cheek's bright crinon, lovely to the view,  certain portions of Europe, a distinct occupa-
Like nightshade, with unwholesome beauty bloomed.  tion was that of the shepherd, whose duty was to
_care for the flocks, as they roaued in the val-
leys and among the hills. Leading thus a life
Varieties of Poetry.            of dreamy ease among the charms of nature,
the shepherds of better culture took readily to
EVE RAL leading kinds of poetry are  the writing of verse, which poetry, usually de-
named as follows: Epic, Dramatic, scriptive of rustic life, became known as Pas-
Lyric, Elegiac, Pastoral, arndidacic  toral poetry.*
Epic Poetry.                 This class, of poetry includes the poems that
Epic poetry pertains to the narrative, descrip-  relate to country scenes, and the quiet, the sim-
tive, and heroic in character, and is the highest  plicity, and the happiness found in rural life.
and most difficult of poetry to write well.   Of thes may he included, in
Among the best of the Epic poems may be     "The Old Oaken Bucket,"     1The Sower,"
mentioned,. Homer's "Iliad'" in Greek, Vir- Twenty Years Ago,"- Maud Muller," and
gil's "A.lneid" in Latin, and Milton's " Paradise  o
Lost" in English.
Dramatic Poetry.               Didactic poetry pertains chiefly to the medi-
Dramatic poetryis also an elevated speciesbf  tative and instructive, aiid includes such
poetry, and takes nearly equal rank with the  as Bryant's..Thana. ampbell'& Pleas-
Epic. This kind of poetry includes the dra-  ures of Hope," Tho s n's "Seasons," Pope's
mas, tragedies, comedies, melodramas, and op-  "Essy on Man," and kindred poems.
eras.
-Kinds of Poems.
Lyric Petry.
Lyric poetry, as its name indicates, was the      cet     n      f woim are de i   '
kind of verse originally written to be sung a       follows:
an accompaniment to the lyre. This class of
poetry is the oldest inthe langae of all ria-  Odes.-Sacred hyns  uch as are sugin
tions, comprising, as it does, the songs of the  church.
people. In the Lyric are included the Songs,  Pan.- Songs of prieand triumph.
Hym,   e, an     ones
Hm,OsadonsAn easy form of descriptive verse,
Elegiac Poetry.w        ittisuch style asto be esl ugbh
c    s     ~people, who may have littleacuitnewh
~  ,~          ~music.