, of which
Young's 'Night Thoughts,' and Cowper's 'Task,' are excellent examples.

It is deducible from the above, that poems, apparently miscellaneous,
may with propriety be arranged either with reference to the powers of
mind _predominant_ in the production of them; or to the mould in which
they are cast; or, lastly, to the subjects to which they relate. From
each of these considerations, the following Poems have been divided into
classes; which, that the work may more obviously correspond with the
course of human life, and for the sake of exhibiting in it the three
requisites of a legitimate whole, a beginning, a middle, and an end,
have been also arranged, as far as it was possible, according to an
order of time, commencing with Childhood, and terminating with Old Age,
Death, and Immortality. My guiding wish was, that the small pieces of
which these volumes consist, thus discriminated, might be regarded under
a twofold view; as composing an entire work within themselves, and as
adjuncts to the philosophical Poem, 'The Recluse.' This arrangement has
long presented itself habitually to my own mind. Nevertheless, I should
have preferred to scatter the contents of these volumes at random, if I
had been persuaded that, by the plan adopted, any thing material would
be taken from the natural effect of the pieces, individually, on the
mind of the unreflecting Reader. I trust there is a sufficient variety
in each class to prevent this; while, for him who reads with reflection,
the arrangement will serve as a commentary unostentatiously directing
his attention to my purposes, both particular and general. But, as I
wish to guard against the possibility of misleading by this
classification, it is proper first to remind the Reader, that certain
poems are placed according to the powers of mind, in the Author's
conception, predominant in the production of them; _predominant_, which
implies the exertion of other faculties in less degree. Where there is
more imagination than fancy in a poem, it is placed under the head of
imagination, and _vice versa_. Both the above classes might without
impropriety have been enlarged from that consisting of 'Poems founded on
the Affections;' as might this latter from those, and from the class
'proceeding from Sentiment and Reflection.' The most striking
characteristics of each piece, mutual illustration, variety, and
proportion, have governed me throughout.

None of the other Classes, except thos