Lascelles Abercrombie
Lascelles Abercrombie
Lascelles Abercrombie was a British poet and literary critic, one of the "Dymock poets"...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth9 January 1881
epic exact human recurring series society straight therefore though
But the development of human society does not go straight forward; and the epic process will therefore be a recurring process, the series a recurring series - though not in exact repetition.
art constantly epic form general mean needs process profound society
By the general process of epic poetry, I mean the way this form of art has constantly responded to the profound needs of the society in which it was made.
determination men epic
With several different kinds of poetry to choose from, a man would decide that he would like best to be an epic poet, and he would set out, in conscious determination, on an epic poem.
destiny men epic
There is only one thing which can master the perplexed stuff of epic material into unity; and that is, an ability to see in particular human experience some significant symbolism of man's general destiny.
attitude epic said
Epic poetry exhibits life in some great symbolic attitude. It cannot strictly be said to symbolize life itself, but always some manner of life.
epic world artistic
The world knows of a vast stock of epic material scattered up and down the nations; sometimes its artistic value is as extraordinary as its archaeological interest, but not always.
epic firsts recitation
The first epics were intended for recitation; the literary epic is meant to be read.
epic style matter
The epic poet has behind him a tradition of matter and a tradition of style; and that is what every other poet has behind him too; only, for the epic poet, tradition is rather narrower, rather more strictly compelling.
successful epic may
The epic poet collaborates with the spirit of his time in the composition of his work. That is, if he is successful; the time may refuse to work with him, but he may not refuse to work with his time.
epic needs invention
That is to say, epic poetry has been invented many times and independently; but, as the needs which prompted the invention have been broadly similar, so the invention itself has been.
fall epic poetry-is
If epic poetry is a definite species, the sagas do not fall within it.
adjusting continuous
An epic is not made by piecing together a set of heroic lays, adjusting their discrepancies and making them into a continuous narrative.
important age borders
The Border Ballads, for instance, and the Robin Hood Ballads, clearly suppose a state of society which is nothing but a very circumscribed and not very important heroic age.
believe mean sometimes
It seems difficult, sometimes, to believe that there was a time when sentiments now become habitual, sentiments that imply not only the original imperative of conduct, but the original metaphysic of living, were by no means altogether habitual.