Solved English Precis exercise on “The Role of Poetry” 500 Words Precis for Class 10, 12 and Competitive Examination.

Solved Precis exercise on “The Role of Poetry”

We should conceive of poetry as capable of higher uses, and called to higher destinies than those which in general men have assigned to it hitherto. More and more mankind will discover that we have to turn to poetry to interpret life for us, 10 sustain us. Without poetry, our science will appear incomplete and most of what now passes with us for religion and philosophy will be replaced by poetry. Science, I say, will appear incomplete without it. For finely and truly does Wordsworth call poetry the “impassioned expression which is in the countenance of all science,” and what is a countenance without its expression? Again, Wordsworth finely and truly calls poetry “the breath hand the finer spirit of all knowledge”: our religion, parading pieces of evidence such as those on which the popular mind relies now, our philosophy, pluming itself on its reasoning about causation and finite and infinite being, what are they but the shadows and dreams and false shows of knowledge. The day will come when we shall wonder at ourselves for having trusted to them. For having taken them seriously, and the more we perceive their hollowness, the more we shall prize. The breath and finer spirit of knowledge offered to us by poetry.

But if we conceive thus highly of the destinies of poetry, we must also set our standard for poetry high, since poetry, to be capable of fulfilling such high destinies, must be the poetry of a high order of excellence. We must accustom ourselves to a high standard and to a strict judgment. “In the order of thought, in art, the glory and the eternal honour in that charlatanism shall find no entrance; here lies the inviolableness of that noble portion of man’s being. “It is admirably said and let us hold fast to it. In poetry which is thought and art in one, it is the glory, the eternal honour, that charlatanism shall find no entrance that this noble sphere be kept inviolate and inviolable charlatanism is for confusing or obliterating the distinctions between excellent and inferior,’ sound and unsound or only half sound, true and untrue or only half-true. It is charlatanism conscious or unconscious, whenever we confuse or obliterate these. And in poetry, more than anywhere else, it is impermissible to confuse or obliterate them. For in poetry the distinction between excellent and inferior, sound and unsound or only half-sound, true and untrue and only half-true, is of paramount importance because of the high destinies of poetry. In poetry as a criticism of life under the conditions fixed for such a criticism by the laws of poetic truth and poetic beauty, the spirit of our race will find, we have said, as time goes on and as other helps fail, its consolation and stay. But the consolation and stay will be of power in proportion not the power of the criticism of life. And the criticism of life will be of power in proportion as the poetry conveying it is excellent rather than inferior, sound rather than unsound, true rather than untrue or half-true.

Solved Precis

The Role of Poetry

Poetry is capable of higher uses and called to higher destinies than have ever been assigned to it. Poetry surpasses religion, science, and philosophy. Poetry gives expression to knowledge and hence science will remain incomplete without poetry. It is indeed the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge as Wordsworth conceived of it. But in order that it may fulfill its higher destinies, it must attain to the higher order of excellence. Charlatanism has no room in poetry. It is Charlatanism that confuses the distinction between excellent and inferior, sound and unsound, true or untrue. Poetry is above all. It is excellence, truth, and beauty. Poetry according to the author is a criticism of life under the conditions fixed for such a criticism by the laws of poetic truth and beauty. The criticism of life will be of power in proportion to the excellence of poetry. Such poetry will ever provide consolation and stay when others helps fail.