Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

ON THE POEMS OF OSSiAN. Ill
slan has founded upon this, one of the most beautiful
compaiisons that is to be met with in any poet. " Wilt
*' thou not listen, son of the rock, to the song of Os-
** sian ? My soul is full of other times ; the joy of my
*' youth returns. Thus, the sun appears in the west,
*' after the steps of his brightness have moved behind a
" storaa. The green hills lift their dewv heads. The
" blue streams rejoice in the vale. The aged hero
*' comes forth on his staff; and his gray hair glitters in
" the beam." Never was theije a finer group of objects.
It raises a strong conception of the old man's joy and
elation of heart, by displaying a scene, which produces
in every spectator a corresponding train of pleasing emo-
tions ; the declining sun looking forth in his brightness
after a storm ; the cheerful face of all nature ; and the
: still life finely animated by the circumstance of the
aged hero, with his staff and his grey locks ; a circum-
stance both extremely picturesque in itself, and pecu-
liarly suited to the main object of the comparison. Such
analogies and associations of ideas as these, are highly
pleasing to the fancy. They give opportunity for intro-
ducing many a fine poetical picture. They diversify
the scene ; they aggrandize the subject ; they keep the
imagination awake and sprightly. For as the judgment
is principally exercised in distinguishing objects, and
remarking the ditference among those which seem like,
so the highest amusement of the imagination is to trace
likenesses and agreements among those which seem
diif-rent.
The principal rules which respect poetical compari-
sons, are, that they be introduced on proper occasions,
when the mind is disposed to relish them ; and not in.
the midst of some severe and agitating passion, which
■ cannot admit this play of fancy ; that thev be founded
on a resemblance neither too near and obvious, bo as to
give little amusement to the imagination in tracing it,
nor too faint and remote, so as to be apprehended witlr
difficulty ; that they serve either to illustrate the prin--
cipal object, and to render the conception of it morf: