But, after all, to the honour of our own country I must add, that I think
Mr. Dryden's Ode on St. Cecilia's Day inferior to no composition of this
kind. Its chief beauty consists in adapting the numbers most happily to
the variety of the occasion. Those by which he has chosen to express
majesty, (viz.)
Assumes the God,
Affects to nod,
And seems to shake the spheres,
are chosen in the following ode, because the subject of it is great.
For the more harmony likewise, I chose the frequent return of rhyme; which
laid me under great difficulties. But difficulties overcome give grace and
pleasure. Nor can I account for the pleasure of rhyme in general (of which
the moderns are too fond) but from this truth.
But then the writer must take care that the difficulty is overcome. That
is, he must make rhyme consistent with as perfect sense, and expression,
as could be expected if he was free from that shackle. Otherwise, it gives
neither grace to the work, nor pleasure to the reader, nor, consequently,
reputation to the poet.
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