The Classification of Poetry

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THE CLASSIFICATION OF POETRY

William Henry Hudson

Introduction:

            In William Henry Hudson's "An Introduction to the Study of English Literature," the classification of poetry is an essential section that discusses the different types of poetry based on their forms, themes, and approaches. Hudson divides poetry into two principal categories and then further delves into each, providing examples of the specific forms that fall under these categories.

1. The Two Great Divisions of Poetry:

            Hudson broadly divides poetry into Subjective Poetry and Objective Poetry. In subjective poetry, the poet looks within himself and finds his subjects in his own experiences, thoughts, and feelings. It is therefore called personal poetry or poetry of self-expression. In objective poetry, the poet looks outside himself and deals with the actions and passions of the world around him. It is therefore called impersonal poetry or poetry of representation. Hudson also makes it clear that the boundary between the two is not always fixed because many poems contain both personal and impersonal elements.

• Subjective Poetry focuses on the poet’s internal thoughts, emotions, and experiences. It is personal and reflective, expressing the poet’s own life and opinions.

• Objective Poetry is more detached from the poet’s personal feelings. It often focuses on the external world, telling stories or depicting events and actions outside of the poet’s own immediate experience. 

2. Subjective Poetry:

            Subjective or personal poetry mainly deals with the poet's inner life. The poet expresses his emotions, thoughts, experiences, hopes, fears, joys, and sorrows. It may deal with many subjects, such as love, patriotism, religion, happiness, sadness, and other human experiences. The important thing is that the poet's own feelings and personality have an important place in the poem.

Its Simpler Forms - Lyric

The simpler form of subjective poetry is the lyric. Originally, a lyric was a poem meant to be sung with a lyre or harp. Hudson, however, uses the term mainly for poetry in which the poet is occupied with himself. A lyric may express love, patriotism, religious emotion, joy, sorrow, or the lighter experiences of life. A good lyric should express a worthy emotion with sincerity, beautiful language, vivid imagery, and proper expression. Since a lyric usually expresses one main mood or feeling, it gains strength through brevity and concentration. Too much unnecessary detail can reduce its emotional effect.

Hudson also points out that the best personal lyrics express feelings that are universal. Although a poem may begin with the poet's personal experience, other readers can recognize their own feelings in it. Thus, personal poetry can become universal poetry. Poetry may also express the feelings of a whole community, as seen in hymns, patriotic poetry, and much of Hebrew lyrical poetry.

Meditative and Philosophical Poetry

Subjective poetry often takes on a meditative or philosophical tone. In such poetry, the poet reflects deeply on existential questions, nature, life, death, or spirituality. Philosophical poetry tends to be more abstract, offering readers insights into the poet’s musings on profound or universal subjects. This form of poetry is distinguished by its depth and thoughtful exploration of human experiences.

Hudson says that while judging philosophical poetry, we must examine the value of the poet's ideas as well as his poetic expression. He uses Pope's Essay on Man as an example and argues that, although it contains brilliant passages, it is largely a versified philosophical treatise and its philosophy is confused and inconsistent.

The Ode

The Ode is an important form of subjective poetry. It is generally a serious, dignified, and enthusiastic lyric dealing with an important subject. It is often written in the form of an address and may express strong feelings towards a person, object, idea, or occasion. Odes may be regular or irregular in structure. Hudson mentions examples such as Shelley's Ode to the West Wind, Keats's Ode to a Nightingale and Ode on a Grecian Urn, Wordsworth's Ode on the Intimations of Immortality, and Tennyson's Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington. He also refers to the Horatian and Pindaric types of ode.

The Elegy

The Elegy is another important form of subjective poetry. In its simplest form, it is a poem of mourning and sorrow, usually written after the death of a person. Therefore, sincerity is especially important in an elegy. A poet must express genuine grief rather than artificial emotion.

The elegy has developed into many forms. It may be a personal elegy, expressing private sorrow; a communal elegy, mourning the suffering of a whole community; a memorial elegy, praising and remembering an important person; or a philosophical elegy, in which grief leads to thoughts about life and death. Hudson mentions works such as Milton's Lycidas, Shelley's Adonais, and Tennyson's In Memoriam.

The elegy has developed into many forms. It may be a personal elegy, expressing private sorrow; a communal elegy, mourning the suffering of a whole community; a memorial elegy, praising and remembering an important person; or a philosophical elegy, in which grief leads to thoughts about life and death. Hudson mentions works such as Milton's Lycidas, Shelley's Adonais, and Tennyson's In Memoriam.

Tennyson's In Memoriam is especially important because it combines personal grief, tribute to a dead friend, spiritual struggle, and philosophical reflection. Hudson also mentions the pastoral elegy, in which the poet presents himself or the dead person as a shepherd. Another famous example is Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, where the word elegy has a broader meaning of a reflective and melancholy poem.

Other Kinds of Subjective Poetry

Hudson also includes descriptive poetry, the Epistle, the Satire, and the Sonnet under the general heading of subjective poetry. An epistle is a poem written in the form of a letter, while satire uses criticism, humour, or irony to expose human weaknesses and social faults. The sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines governed by certain rules of structure and rhyme. Hudson points out the difference between the regular Italian sonnet and the English or Shakespearean type.

3. Objective Poetry:

            Objective or impersonal poetry deals mainly with the outside world rather than the poet's personal thoughts and feelings. The poet projects himself into the world of action and passion and tries to keep his own personality in the background. Objective poetry naturally falls into two major groups: Narrative Poetry and Dramatic Poetry.

Narrative Poetry

The Ballad

The Ballad is a popular form of objective poetry, often rooted in folk tradition. It typically tells a simple story, often of love, adventure, or tragedy, in a straightforward and rhythmic style. Ballads are usually narrative in structure and are designed to be sung or recited aloud, making them a key part of oral tradition. Famous examples include “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Coleridge.

The Epic

The Epic is a long, narrative poem that celebrates the heroic deeds of legendary figures or gods. Epics often deal with grand themes like warfare, adventure, or the struggle between good and evil. They are concerned with public, rather than personal, matters. Famous examples include Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey” and Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” Epics are characterized by their formal structure, elevated style, and the scope of their themes.

The Metrical Romance

The Metrical Romance is another important form of narrative poetry. It generally deals with love, adventure, chivalry, knights, battles, magic, and enchantment. It developed from medieval romance traditions.

Examples include Chaucer's The Knight's Tale, Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, and Spenser's The Faerie Queene. Later poets revived romantic subjects during the Romantic movement. Hudson mentions Scott's The Lay of the Last Minstrel and Marmion, Tennyson's Idylls of the King, and Morris's The Earthly Paradise. Thus, the metrical romance connects poetry with imagination, adventure, and the revival of the past.

Other Kinds of Narrative Poetry

Objective poetry also includes other types of narrative poetry, such as idylls and pastoral poetry, which depict rural life and the beauty of nature. These forms of poetry idealize nature and country life, focusing on simplicity, peace, and the relationship between humans and their environment. Theocritus and Virgil are well-known for their pastoral works, which celebrate the rustic life.

 Dramatic Poetry:

          The final division of objective poetry is Dramatic Poetry. Hudson does not mean only poetry written for performance on the stage. He means poetry that follows the dramatic principle, in which the poet presents characters and allows them to express their own thoughts and feelings. The poet therefore hides himself behind his characters.

Hudson divides dramatic poetry into several forms. The Dramatic Lyric expresses the feelings of a character rather than directly expressing the poet's own feelings. The Dramatic Story combines storytelling with dramatic elements such as dialogue and character. The Dramatic Monologue or Soliloquy is especially important and is closely associated with Robert Browning. In a dramatic monologue, one character speaks in a particular situation and, through his speech, reveals his own personality, thoughts, feelings, and moral problems. Browning's My Last Duchess is a famous example.

The dramatic monologue is mainly psychological and analytical because it studies the inner mind of a character. Hudson also points out that the ideas spoken by a character should not automatically be treated as the poet's own ideas. A poet may use a character either to express his own philosophy directly or to present ideas that are opposed to his own.

Hudson finally mentions closet drama, which uses the form and machinery of drama but is mainly intended to be read rather than performed on the stage. Examples include Browning's Paracelsus, Arnold's Empedocles on Etna, and Ibsen's Brand and Peer Gynt.

Conclusion:

            Hudson’s classification of poetry into subjective and objective categories helps illuminate the diverse ways poets approach their craft. Subjective poetry delves into personal experiences and emotions, exploring the poet's inner world, while objective poetry focuses on storytelling, external events, and human actions. Through various forms such as the ode, elegy, ballad, epic, and dramatic verse, poets express both the individual and universal aspects of human existence, making poetry a rich and multifaceted art form. 

Reference: 

Hudson, William Henry. An introduction to the study of literature. Harrap, 1919.