[12] (1) _Tara._ By Meadows Taylor. London, 1898. (2) _Oakfield._ By William D. Arnold. London, 1853. (3) _The Wetherbys, Father and Son._ By John Lang. London, ?1850. (4) _Mr. Isaacs._ By F. Marion Crawford. London, 1898. (5) _Helen Treveryan._ By John Roy. London, 1892. (6) _On the Face of the Waters._ By Mrs. Steel. London, 1896. (7) _Bijli the Dancer._ By James Blythe Patton. London, 1898. (8) _The Chronicles of Dustypore._ By H. S. Cunningham. London, 1875. And other Novels.--_Edinburgh Review_, October 1899. [13] [Greek] 'alla chre ton katathaptein, hos ke thanesi, nelea thumon echontas, ep hemati hoakrusants.' (_Iliad_, xix. 228, 229.) [14] _Naulakha_, by Rudyard Kipling and W. Balestier. London, 1892. [15] _Transgression_, by S. S. Thorburn. London, 1899. HEROIC POETRY[16] I have taken the words 'Heroic Poetry' to signify the poetry of strenuous action, the art of describing in vigorous animating verse those scenes and emergent situations in which the energies of mankind are strung up to the higher tones, and where the emotions are brought into full play by the exhibition of valour, endurance, and suffering. It seems to me remarkable that modern English poetry, with all its splendid variety, should have produced very little in this particular form; because no one can deny that the latter-day story of the English has been full of enterprise and perilous adventure, providing ample material to the artist who knows how to use it. Nor can it be said that there is any lack of demand for this sort of poetry, and consequently little inducement to supply it. On the contrary, any one can see that hero worship is as strong as ever, that any striking incident, or example of personal valour, or exploit of war, brings out the verse-writer, and that his efforts, if only very moderately successful, are sure to win him great popularity. But it must be admitted that most of these efforts fail rather lamentably, insomuch that at the present day we may seem to be losing one of the finest forms of a noble art. From this point of view there may be some advantage in looking back to the heroic poetry of earlier ages, and in endeavouring to mark briefly and imperfectly its distinctive qualities, to recall the conditions and circumstances in which it flourished, and possibly to hazard some suggestions as to the causes of its decline.