Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats, and Other Essays

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1875. Excerpt: ... VI. PROSE AND VERSE: DE QUINCEY.1 In the Preface to this series of volumes (which is intended to be a more perfect accomplishment, under the author's own editorship, of a scheme of literary collection already executed very creditably by an American publisher) Mr. De Quincey ventures on something rather unusual. He ventures on a theoretical classification of his own writings for the benefit of critics. The following is the passage in which he states this classification and the grounds of it: --Taking as the basis of my remarks the collective American edition, I will here attempt a rude general classification of all the articles which compose it. I distribute them grossly into three classes: --First, into that class which proposes primarily to amuse the reader; but which, in doing so, may or may not happen occasionally to reach a higher station, at which the amusement passes into an impassioned interest. Some papers are merely playful; but others 1 British Quarterly Review, Jul', 1854.-- Selections Grave and Gay, from Writings published and unpublished. By Thomas De Quincey. Vols. I. and II., containing Autobiographic Sketches. Edinburgh, 1853-4, have a mixed character. These present Autobiographic Sketches illustrate what I mean. Generally, they pretend to little beyond that sort of amusement which attaches to any real story, thoughtfully and faithfully related, moving through a succession of scenes sufficiently varied, that are not suffered to remain too long upon the eye, and that connect themselves at every stage with intellectual objects. But, even here, I do not scruple to claim from the reader, occasionally, a higher consideration. At times, the narrative rises into a far higher key.... Into the second class I throw thpse papers which address t...