3
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PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
Poetry is simply the most beautiful impressive effective mode of saying
widely
and hence its importance
things
- Matthew Arnold.
To a mind brooding on the silent beauty exhibited in the varied phenomena of nature, to an interest diving deep into the mysteries that lie in the inmost coners of life, to a soul soaring high into ethereal regions of religion and philosophy, to a spirit seeking serene rest in moral sanctity and Divine grace, nothing appears so permanently beautiful, so certainly impressive and effective as the study of a fine piece of poetry. Not only does a fine poem delight us by presenting a faithful picture of nature's charms and beauties but it also impresses us with the immediate presence of a benign principle that manifests itself in all that is bright and beautiful. While it thus kindles in man the thought about a supreme being of unlimited love and kindness, it calls forth also from him love and sympathy for all animate beings which like every one of us pursue certain lines of development and fulfill certain purposes in life each in its way. It is this love, this sympathy that marks him out as superior to lower animal kingdom; it is this special quality that refine and ennobles his entire being.
Further, the soothing power of poetry is great and its influence on our mind is mild and sweet. To hearts eaten away by sorrow and worldly cares the reading of poetry comes as a healing balm; to hearts chilled by the icy hand of cruelty it appears
