The World as Will and Idea, Vol. I — Arthur Schopenhauer, trans. Haldane & Kemp

remark which is ^ite foreign to his condition^ and thus

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THE WORLD AS IDEA.

BK. III.

belongs to knowledge free from will. Whoever accepts the view that has been expressed of the lyrical frame of mind, will also allow, that it is the sensuous and poetical knowledge of the principle which I established in my essay on the Principle of Sufficient Eeason, and have also referred to in this work, that the identity of the subject of knowing with that of willing may be called the miracle kut e^o)(^v, so that the poetical effect of the lyric rests finally on the truth of that principle. In the course of life these two subjects, or, in popular language”, head and heart, are ever becoming further apart; men are al^ys separating more between their subjective feeling and their objective kn^owledge. In the child the two are^till entirely blended together ; it scarcely knows to distinguish itself from its surroundings, it is at one with them. In the young man all perception chiefly affects feeling and mood, and even mingles with it, as Byron very beautifully expresses —

“ I live not in myself, but I become Portion of that around me ; and to me High mountains are a feeling.”

This is why the youth clings so closely to the _pwceptible andT" outward side of things ; thjs^^is only fit for lyrical poetry, and only the full-grown man is capable of the Crania. Tlie old ma.n ~w^c^ J^iink of as at the most an epic poet, like Ossmn. and Jlojoaei^ for narration is characteristic of old age.

In the more objective kinds of poetry, especially in the romance, the epic, and the drama, the end, the revelation of the Idea of man, is principally attained by two means, by true and profound representation of significant characters, and by the invention of pregnant situations in which they disclose themselves. For as it is incumbent upon the chemist not only to exhibit the simple elements, pure and genuine, and their principal compounds, but also to expose them to the influence of such reagents as will

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clearly and strikingly bring out their peculiar qualities, so is it incumbent on the poet not only to present to us significant characters truly and faithfully as nature itself ; but, in order that we may get to know them, he must place them in those situations in which their peculiar qualities will fully unfold themselves, and appear distinctly in sharp outline ; situations which are therefore called significant.

In real life, and in history, situations of this kind are rarely brought about by chance, and they stand alone, lost and concealed in the multitude of those which are insignificant. The complete significance of the situations ought to distinguish "the romance, thjie epic, and the drama from real life as completely as 0e aflTCGg^e5y "and selection of sighificaiit characters. .

In both, however, absolute truth is a necessary condition of their effect, and want of unity in the characters, contradiction either of themselves or of the nature of humanity in general, as well as impossibility, or very great improbability in the events, even in mere accessories, offend just as much in poetry as badly drawn figures, false perspective, or wrong lighting in painting.

For both in poetry and painting we demand the faithful mirror of life, of man, of the world, only made more dear by the representation, and more significant by the arrangement. For there is only one end of all the arts, the representation of the Ideas ; and their essential difference lies simply in the different grades of the objectification of will to which the Ideas that are to be represented bdong.

This also determines the material of the representation. Thus the arts which are most widely separated may yet throw light on each other. ( For example, in order to comprehend fully the Ideas of water it is not sufficient to see it in the quiet pond or in the evenly-flowing stream ; but these Ideas disclose themselves fully only when the water appears under all circumstances and exposed to all kinds of obstacles. The effects of the varied drcumstances and obstacles give it the opportunity of fully