The First Epics Were Intended For Recitation;

But The Gravest Difficulty, And Perhaps The Most Important, In Poetry Meant Solely For Recitation, Is The Difficulty Of Achieving Verbal Beauty, Or Rather Of Making Verbal Beauty Tell.

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.

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.

The Balance Of Private Good And General Welfare Is At The Bottom Of Civilized Morals But The Morals Of The Heroic Age Are Founded On Individuality, And On Nothing Else.

It Is More Difficult To Keep The Attention Of Hearers Than Of Readers.