HEINRICH HEINE - Repositories

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THE POET'S
IMPARTIALITY.
In the works of all great poets there
are, in fact, no minor characters at all;
every character in its place is the chief
personage. Such poets are absolute
monarchs, and resemble the Emperor
Paul of Russia, who, when the French
ambassador remarked that a man of importance
in his empire was interested in
a certain matter, sharply interrupted
the speaker with the memorable words
— " In my Empire there is no man of
importance except he to whom I may
happen to be speaking; and he is of importance
only so long as I address him."
An absolute poet, who also holds power
by the grace of God, in like manner
views that person in his intellectual
realm as the most important who at
that particular moment is speaking
through his pen. From this art-despotism
arises that wonderful perfection of
the most trivial and unimportant figures
which we find in the works of Homer,
Shakespeare, and Goethe.
FIELDING.
Fielding at once takes us behind the
scenes, and" there shows us all the emotions
covered with deceitful rouge ; the