Lascelles Abercrombie

That is to say, epic poetry has been invented many times and independently; but, as the needs which prompted the invention have been broadly similar, so the invention itself has been. ↗

— Lascelles Abercrombie

#broadly #epic #epic poetry #independently #invented

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. ↗

— Lascelles Abercrombie

#balance #bottom #civilized #else #founded

The Border Ballads, for instance, and the Robin Hood Ballads, clearly suppose a state of society which is nothing but a very circumscribed and not very important heroic age. ↗

— Lascelles Abercrombie

#ballads #border #clearly #heroic #hood

The epic poet collaborates with the spirit of his time in the composition of his work. That is, if he is successful; the time may refuse to work with him, but he may not refuse to work with his time. ↗

— Lascelles Abercrombie

#composition #epic #him #his #may

The first epics were intended for recitation; the literary epic is meant to be read. ↗

— Lascelles Abercrombie

#epics #first #intended #literary #meant

The reason can only be this: heroic poetry depends on an heroic age, and an age is heroic because of what it is, not because of what it does. ↗

— Lascelles Abercrombie

#because #depends #does #heroic #only

The world knows of a vast stock of epic material scattered up and down the nations; sometimes its artistic value is as extraordinary as its archaeological interest, but not always. ↗

— Lascelles Abercrombie

#archaeological #artistic #down #epic #extraordinary

With several different kinds of poetry to choose from, a man would decide that he would like best to be an epic poet, and he would set out, in conscious determination, on an epic poem. ↗

— Lascelles Abercrombie

#choose #conscious #decide #determination #different