The Pleasures of the Imagination
Encyclopedia
The Pleasures of the Imagination is a long didactic poem by Mark Akenside
, first published in 1744
.
The first book defines the powers of imagination and discusses the various kinds of pleasure to be derived from the perception of beauty; the second distinguishes works of imagination from philosophy; the third describes the pleasure to be found in the study of man, the sources of ridicule, the operations of the mind, in producing works of imagination, and the influence of imagination on morals. The ideas were largely borrowed from Joseph Addison
's essays on the imagination in the Spectator and from Lord Shaftesbury. Edward Dowden
complains that "his tone is too high-pitched; his ideas are too much in the air; they do not nourish themselves in the common heart, the common life of man." Samuel Johnson
praised the blank verse of the poems, but found fault with the long and complicated periods.
Akenside got the idea for the poem during a visit to Morpeth
in 1738
.
The Pleasures of the Imagination is also the term used to describe The Spectator Papers Numbered 411 through 418. These specific papers differed from the rest in that they were non-narrative and philosophical, and contained less obvious social commentary.
Mark Akenside
Mark Akenside was an English poet and physician.Akenside was born at Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the son of a butcher. He was slightly lame all his life from a wound he received as a child from his father's cleaver...
, first published in 1744
1744 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Colonial America:* John Armstrong, The Art of Preserving Health...
.
The first book defines the powers of imagination and discusses the various kinds of pleasure to be derived from the perception of beauty; the second distinguishes works of imagination from philosophy; the third describes the pleasure to be found in the study of man, the sources of ridicule, the operations of the mind, in producing works of imagination, and the influence of imagination on morals. The ideas were largely borrowed from Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was a man of letters, eldest son of Lancelot Addison...
's essays on the imagination in the Spectator and from Lord Shaftesbury. Edward Dowden
Edward Dowden
Edward Dowden , was an Irish critic and poet.He was the son of John Wheeler Dowden, a merchant and landowner, and was born at Cork, three years after his brother John, who became Bishop of Edinburgh in 1886. Edward's literary tastes emerged early, in a series of essays written at the age of twelve...
complains that "his tone is too high-pitched; his ideas are too much in the air; they do not nourish themselves in the common heart, the common life of man." Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
praised the blank verse of the poems, but found fault with the long and complicated periods.
Akenside got the idea for the poem during a visit to Morpeth
Morpeth, Northumberland
Morpeth is the county town of Northumberland, England. It is situated on the River Wansbeck which flows east through the town. The town is from the A1, which bypasses it. Since 1981, it has been the administrative centre of the County of Northumberland. In the 2001 census the town had a population...
in 1738
1738 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* During a visit to Morpeth this year, poet Mark Akenside gets the idea for his long didactic poem, The Pleasures of the Imagination, published in 1744.-United Kingdom:* Mark Akenside, A British...
.
The Pleasures of the Imagination is also the term used to describe The Spectator Papers Numbered 411 through 418. These specific papers differed from the rest in that they were non-narrative and philosophical, and contained less obvious social commentary.