POEM S. BY MATTHEW ARNOL D. SECOND EDITION. LONDON: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS. M DCCC LIV. PREFACE. I HAVE allowed the Preface to the former edition of these Poems to stand almost without change, because I still believe it to be, in the main, true. I must not, however, be supposed insensible to the force of much that has been alleged against portions of it, or unaware that it contains many things incompletely stated, many things which need limitation. It leaves, too, untouched the question, how far and in what manner the opinions there expressed respecting the choice of subjects apply to lyric poetry; that region of the poetical field which is chiefly cultivated at present. But neither have I time now to supply these deficiencies, nor is this the proper place for attempting it on one or two points alone I wish to offer, in the briefest possible way, some explanation. An objection has been ably urged to the classing together, as subjects equally belonging to a past time, |