The Poetic Principle • Paragraph 5
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It is not pretended in this essay to decide what is the best form of poetry. The only question which is here at issue is the poetic principle — the ideal which should govern the poet in the composition of his works. Whatever be the precise structural form adopted, the aesthetic tone must be preserved, the unity of impression must be sought, and the poem must be so constructed as to produce an effect of beauty and completeness.