103. The didactic poem seeks to teach some moral, philosophical, or literary truth: as, Pope's Essay on Man, Wordsworth's Excursion.

Allied to the didactic poem is the satire, or satiric poem, the ob

ject of which is to vilify and lash, or it may be also to reform, the victim. Butler's Hudibras, Pope's Dunciad, Byron's English Bards and Scotch Reviewers, and Lowell's Fable for Critics are illustrations.

104. The dramatic poem is a picture of human life adapted to representation on the stage. It resembles the epic in containing a story, and differs from it in the fact that the story is not narrated, but acted.

The main divisions of the drama are tragedy and comedy. I. Tragedy was defined by Aristotle as "the representation of a completed action, commanding or illustrious in its character; the language being poetically pleasing; and with the moral effect of purifying the passions generally, by means of the two special passions-pity and fear." This definition applies best to high tragedy, as the Lear of Shakspeare; the more moderate tragedy, while retaining tragic elements, allows happy conclusions. II. Comedy is the adaptation of the dramatic form to yield the pleasures of the ludicrous, in company with as many other pleasing effects as are compatible with it. Among the varieties of comedy are the genteel comedy, the low comedy, the farce, and the travesty, or mock heroic.

III. The modern drama allows the mixture of tragedy and comedy in the same piece.

APPENDIX.

A.

SUMMARY OF PUNCTUATION.

THE COMM A.

I. Three or more words used in a series in the same construction are generally set off by commas: as

1. The lofty, majestic, snow-capped Himalayas extend across Asia.

2. California produces wool, wine, and gold.

II. Two words used in the same construction should not be separated by a comma, unless the connective is omitted: as

1. The lofty and majestic Himalayas extend across Asia.

2. California produces wine and wool.

3. He was a brave, bold man.

To this there are two exceptions, viz.:

1. When two words connected by or mean the same thing, they may be separated by commas: as

The bed, or channel, of the river.

2. In the case of two words joined by way of contrast, a comma is placed after the first: as

1. He is poor, but honest.

2. Though deep, yet clear.

III. Pairs of words of the same part of speech are separated from other pairs in the same series by commas: as

Truth is fair and artless, simple and sincere, uniform and consistent. IV. Nouns in apposition, when accompanied by modifying words or phrases, are separated from the rest of the sentence by commas: asHomer, the greatest poet of antiquity, is said to have been blind.

OBS.-A single appositional noun unaccompanied by adjuncts is not usually separated by a comma from the noun it explains; thus we write, "The Poet Homer;" "Paul the Apostle." But the reason of the omission in these cases seems to be that the appositional noun has come to be, in a manner, part of the name. When an appositional noun is not closely associated with the name (as, for instance, when it is preceded by the indefinite article), the comma is used even when the noun is unqualified; thus, "John Heavyside, a blacksmith, was drowned last night."

V. The noun of address is set off by a comma, or by commas: as1. My son, forget not my law.

2. Tell me, my friend, all the circumstances.

VI. In a succession of phrases or clauses, each phrase or clause should be set off by commas, unless they are in pairs, connected by conjunctions: as

1. They came on the third day, by the direction of the peasants, to the hermit's cell.

2. Washington fought in New York and in New Jersey, during the years 1776 and 1777.

3. When public bodies are to be addressed on momentous occasions, when great interests are at stake and strong passions excited, nothing is valuable in speech, etc.

VII. An adjective phrase is generally set off by a comma; or, if parenthetical, by two commas: as—

1. Having completed their arrangements for the work of the morrow, they retired to snatch a few hours' repose.

2. The Indian monarch, stunned and bewildered, saw his faithful subjects falling around him.

But if the phrase is restrictive, no comma is required: as

A city set on a hill cannot be hid.

VIII. Adverbial phrases on which any stress is laid, either by transposition or otherwise, and adverbs having the force of phrases (however, therefore, indeed, etc.), are generally set off by commas: as

1. In spite of all difficulties, they resolved to make the attempt.
2. They resolved, in spite of all difficulties, to make the attempt.

3. In truth, I am wearied by his importunities.

4. I am, in truth, wearied by his importunities.

5. The signal being given, the fleet weighed anchor.

IX. Adverbial clauses, especially when they introduce a sentence, are generally set off by the comma: as—

1. While the world lasts, fashion will continue to lead it by the nose.
2. As my heart was entirely subdued by the captivating strains I had
heard, I fell down at his feet.

X. Adjective clauses are set off from the words they modify by commas, except when they are restrictive: as

1. Franklin, who became a great statesman and philosopher, was in youth a poor printer's boy.

2. The friar pointed to the book that he held.

XI. Parenthetical clauses are to be set off by commas: as

The project, it is certain, will succeed.

XII. The members of a compound sentence, whether full or contracted, are generally set off by commas, and always when there are more than two: as

1. On these trees they placed large stones, and then covered the whole with damp earth.

2. The rich and the poor, the high and the low, the old and the young, were alike subjected to the vengeance of the conqueror.

XIII. In contracted compound sentences, the omissions within the propositions are indicated by commas: as—

To err is human; to forgive, divine.

XIV. The comma may be used in introducing a quotation not sufficiently formal to be introduced by the colon: as

Lawrence said, "Don't give up the ship."

XV. The words as, namely, and to wit, introducing an example, is generally followed by a comma: as—

There are three cases; namely, the nominative, possessive, and objective.

XVI. Yes and no, when followed by a word of address, should be set of by the comma: as

No, sir.

XVII. The introductory words Voted, Resolved, Ordered, should be followed by a comma: as

Voted, To appoint Mr. William Rich commissioner.

THE SEMICOLON.

The members of a compound sentence, which are themselves subdivided by commas, are separated by the semicolon: as

1. When Columbus had landed, he prostrated himself; and, having erected a crucifix, he took possession of the country in the name of Spain. 2. You may quit the field of business, though not the field of danger; and though you cannot be safe, you may cease to be ridiculous.

THE COLON.

I. When a compound sentence contains a series of distinct propositions, and concludes with a member on which they all depend, that member is preceded by a colon: as

that

That the diamond should be made of the same material as coal; water should be chiefly composed of an inflammable substance; that acids should be almost all formed of different kinds of air; and that one of those acids, whose strength can dissolve almost any of the metals, should be made of the self-same ingredients with the common air we breathe: these, surely, are things to excite the wonder of any reflecting mind.

II. A direct and formal method of introducing a quotation should be followed by a colon. By the direct and formal method of introducing a quotation is meant the use of such expressions as the following, as follows, these: as—

Governor Dix made the following statement: "Our finances are in a sound condition."

III. In a compound sentence, when the introductory member is followed by some remark or illustration that is not introduced by a conjunction, it is separated by a colon: as—

No man should be too positive: the wisest are often deceived.

IV. The connectives to wit, namely, and as, introducing an example, are generally preceded by the colon: as

There are three cases: namely, the nominative, possessive, and objective. V. Yes and no should be followed by the colon when there comes after them a statement in continuation or repetition of the answer: asIs it wise to live beyond our means? No: it is not wise.

THE PERIOD.

I. A period should close every declarative sentence (affirmative or negative), and also most imperative sentences.

II. A period is used after every abbreviation: as

G. Washington. C. O. D.

III. A period is used after a title or heading, and after an address and a signature: as

Milton's Paradise Lost. Chapter III. A. T. Stewart, Broadway, New

York.