The Visions of England

The Visions of England - Lyrics on leading men and events in English History

As the scheme which the Author has here endeavoured to execute has not, so far as he knows, the advantage of any near precedent in any literature, he hopes that a few explanatory words may be offered without incurring censure for egotism. Our history is so eminently rich and varied, and at the same time, by the fact of our insular position, so stamped with unity, that from days very remote it has supplied matter for song. This, among Celts and Angles, at first was lyrical. But poetry, for many centuries after the Conquest, mainly took the annalistic form, and, despite the ability often shown, was hence predoomed to failure. For a nations history cannot but present many dull or confused periods, many men and things intractable by poetry, though, perhaps, politically effective and important, which cannot be excluded from any narrative aiming at consecutiveness; and, by the natural laws of art, these passages, when rendered in verse, in their effect become more prosaic than they would be in a prose rendering. My attempt has therefore been to revert to the earlier and more natural conditions of poetry, and to offer,not a continuous narrative; not poems on every critical moment or conspicuous man in our long annals,but single lyrical pictures of such leading or typical characters and scenes in English history, and only such, as have seemed amenable to a strictly poetical treatment. Poetry, not History, has, hence, been my first and last aim; or, perhaps I might define it, History for Poetrys sake. At the same time, I have striven to keep throughout as closely to absolute p. 10historical truth in the design and colouring of the pieces as the exigencies of poetry permit:the result aimed at being to unite the actual tone and spirit of the time concerned, with the best estimate which has been reached by the research and genius of modern investigators. Our island story, freed from the falsehood of extremes,exorcised, above all, from the seducing demon of party-spirit, I have thus here done my best to set forth. And as this line of endeavour has conducted and constrained me, especially when the seventeenth century is concerned, to judgmentssupported indeed by historians conspicuous for research, ability, and fairness, but often remote from the views popularized by the writers of our own day,upon these points a few justificatory notes have been added. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 17923
Author: Palgrave, Francis Turner
Release Date: Mar 5, 2006
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Editor: Morley, Henry, 1822-1894