PRE, FACE l'oetry reflects the poet's heart. Noble sentiments uttered in the choicest language and concentrated into short, pithy, pregnant aid melodious expressions form the chief material of poetry and, as such, at once captivate the human heart. The scintiments and their outer-garb, the language, come first, and the rhythm and melody next. IPoetry thus places at the student's disposal a vast stock «of ideas and a beautiful, un que way of expressing them. The student commands brevity, the soul of beauty in language Considered from the for if of utility therefore, mastery Over poetry means mastery over language. The present poetical compilation is inteded to help the middle bo's of over /// Srhoo/s to form an acquaintance: with the best lengali poets, ancient and modern, and to acs.uire, through this means, a knowledge of the Bengali language which is neither poor in ideas, nor lacking in inelody. The compiler hopes, too, that the moral gain accruit is to the student from a cultivation of poetry will be im 11. 'asurable. In ic follow ng few pages have been introduced Aescrite, Warrative, Aeflective, Aidactic and /yrical poens selected from the works of the celebrated masters of the Bengali Muse. These varieties will, it is hoped, familiarise the student with different poctical moods resulting in different forms of eafre's ston. They will teach hin) how eforession follows tdeas and not vice-versii. They will (enable tha student to select expressions suiting ideas and will thus be a great aid to independent composition. Variety, moreover, will remove monotony, create novelty and uphold charm. The pieces have been graduated in order of difficulty. Suggestive questions arising out of the subject-matter and s-n general composition have been appended to each picce, the object being simply to help both the teacher and the pupil in forming similar other questions. In the appendix notes, allusions, meanings of difficult words and expressions have been given. In a separate appendix will be found short
