Elements of the philosophy of the human mind. By Dugald Stewart. Rev. and abridged, with critical and explanatory notes, for the use of colleges and schools. By Francis Bowen ...

IMAGINATION. 3 49
uniform flow of the verse in this exquisite stanza, in retarding
the pronunciation of the reader, so as to arrest his attention to
every successive picture, till it has time t.o produce its proper
impression. More of the charm of poetical rhythm arises from
this circumstance, than is commonly imagined.
To those who wish to study the theory of poetical expression,
no author in our language affords a richer variety of illustrations than the poet last quoted. His merits, in many other
respects, are great; but his skill in this particular is more
peculiarly conspicuous. How much he had made the principles
of this branch of his art an object of study, appears from his
letters published by Mr. Mason.
I have sometimes thought, that, in the last line of the following passage, he had in view the two different effects of words
already described; the effect of some, in awakening the powers
of conception and imagination; and that of others, in exciting
associated emotions -
" Hark, his hands the lyre explore!
Bright-cy'd Fancy, hovering o'er,
Scatters from her pictur'd urn
Thoughts that breathe, and words that burn."
HII. Relation of imagination and of taste to genius. - From
the remarks made in the foregoing sections, it is obvious, in what
manner a person accustomed to analyze and combine his conceptions, may acquire an idea of beauties superior to any
which he has seen realized. It may also be easily inferred, that
a habit of forming such intellectual combinations, and of remarking their effects on our own minds, must contribute to refine and
to exalt the taste, to a degree which it never can attain in those
men, who study to improve it by the observation and comparison
of external objects only.
WT7lat constitutes genius in the fine arts.- A cultivated taste,
combined with a creative imagination, constitutes genius in the
fine arts. Without taste, imagination could produce only a
random analysis and combination of our conceptions; and without imagination, taste would be destitute of the faculty of
invention. These two ingredients of genius may be mixed
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