Summary
Beach, Joseph Warren. Romantic View
of Poetry
Summary by David Marra
Beach calls poetry "the sovereign
means of realizing that satisfaction
which we take in living" (2). His
whole first chapter is devoted to
defining poetry and giving a fairly
interesting overview of themes common
in Romantic poetry. Next he goes
into the attempts at concrete realization
of abstractions such as truth and
reality. In a chapter entitled "Poetry
as Release of Emotion," Beach discusses
how beauty is made up of character
and energy, and how it is expressed
in poetry. He states that "poetry
is largely of service to men as a
means of discharging emotions which,
if left unexpressed, would remain
to poison the system" (98), and supports
his assertion with extensive reference
to Byron. Finally, he shows how
poetry is the oscillation between
the two poles of the imagination,
the real and the ideal, and concludes
insinuating that poetry enables us
to experience "life on its highest
and most rewarding levels" (133).
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Jesse D. Hurlbut--Last Updated November 5, 1993