The reader must, in a certain sense, be himself a poet, in order to be a critic of poetry. Otherwise, he cannot sympathize with the author, and cannot judge of him at all. For, we repeat it, it is by a direct reference to our own minds, as appealed to by the mind of another, that we must judge of literary worth. Thus to qualify and attune the mind, is indeed a task. The necessity, however, is plain. We may now, also understand how it is that a man may with ease equal the critic whom he reads, and then flatter himself into the belief that he has compassed the author whom he has not the vigor and habits of mind necessary to appreciate. For want of them, the opinions of the critic will be either forgotten, or vaguely remembered or applied. In either case the mind will have gained a feeling of undue self-importance. It may seem audacious to approach in the manner we have attempted to describe, the works of those to whom we have been wont to look up with implicit reverence. But no one, we think, will be more humble in his own eyes, than he who has tried and found how hard it is to attempt fully to comprehend when fairly set before him, that which another wrought out from unshaped materials. Nor will his admiration be the less, because he sees that it is well grounded; while by a habit of raising himself to cope with great minds, he will be enabled to see in their true light, and to approach with an air of just superiority those which are inferior. We have thus attempted to show some of the preparations of mind and spirit, for the office of criticism. But there must also be a strict and severe judgment, to exercise over the mind a constant supervision, and to keep it from partaking of the unsoundness of those with which it comes in contact, as well as a sensibility to their merits. It has not been our object to dwell upon the particular points of criticism. There is one which will be found to include almost all others, and which has been already implied. We have spoken of literature as the means of correspondence between mind and mind. Of course, by far the most important point of criticism will be to study the mind and spirit of the author in his works. Much may be learned, in this way, that shall fix a lasting communion between ourselves and the author who is worthy of such intimacy. And further, by laying bare the shaping and moving spirit of that which is presented to us, and by ascertaining the precise attitude of the author with respect to his work, we shall be enabled to see more distinctly what are merits and defects, because we shall know whither to refer them. By this means, even the minutest peculiarities may be marked; that which is artificial, may be distinguished from that which is genuine; style may be clearly characterized, and the whole work will be set before us in two-fold clearness, and with two-fold interest.