"The duty of the poet is to examine not the individual, but the species; to observe general properties and comprehensive phenomena; he does not count how many stripes a tulip flower has, nor describe the different shades in the green color of the forest... He must also depict, when he paints nature, those prominent and striking features which bring the original to everyone's mind...
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Author
Dr. Samuel JohnsonAll Translations
All Translations
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The duty of the poet is to examine not the individual, but the species; to observe general properties and comprehensive phenomena; he does not count how many stripes a tulip flower has, nor describe the different shades in the green color of the forest... He must also depict, when he paints nature, those prominent and striking features which bring the original to everyone's mind...
""Datoria poetului e să examineze nu individualul, ci specia; să observe proprietăți generale și fenomene cuprinzătoare; el nu numără câte dungi are o floare de lalea, nici nu descrie diferitele nuanțe în culoarea verde a pădurii... El trebuie si înfățișeze, când pictează natura, acele trăsături proeminente și izbitoare care aduc originalul în mintea tuturor..."