一个文学的观念里头，有一种关于人生普通一般的趣味的重要要素存在那里。是以单是与地方的、专门的、或个人的趣味相投合的东西，虽则他的表现是成一本书形，却不是属于文学的。”
“What is it that we mean by literature? Populary, and amongst the thoughtless,it is held to include everything that is printed in a book. Little logic is required to disturb that definition; the most thougtless person is easily made aware, that in the idea of literature one essential element is—some relation to a general and commouinterest of man, so that, what applies to a lacal, or professional, or merely personal interest, even though pressnting itself in a shape of the book, will not belong to literature.”
第琴稷又把文学分为知的文学与力的文学。他的意思是知的文学重在教我们以知识，力的文学重在使我们感动。前者是柁，后者是櫂或帆。前者只对论证的知力说话，后者是该对比较高尚的知力（即理性）说话的，然而它系常由享乐、同情等性情来说话的。
“There is first, the literature of knowledge, and secondly the literature of power.The function of the first is—to teach; the function of the second is—to move. The frist is the rudder, the second, an oar or a sail. The first speaks to more discusive understanding, the second speaks ultimately, it may happen, to a higher understanding or reason, but always through affections of pleasure and sympathy.”
此外又有俄国托尔斯泰（L. Tolstoi, 1828—1910）的定义。他在他的“什么是艺术？”一书里，攻击快乐主义、耽美主义，虽很猛烈，不足为训；但他这本书的前半，介绍历来各家的学说甚详。他自家的定义，也不能说他不对。他的大意是“自己经验过的感情，自己回想起来，回想出来以后，用了运动、线、颜色、音响、或以言语来表现的形式，来传达这感情，使他人也可以感到同样的经验，这就是艺术的活动。”
“To evoke in one-self a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in one-self, then, by means of movenents, lines, colours, sounds, or forms expressed in words, so to transmit that feeling, that other may experience the same feeling, that is the activity of art.”
英国诗人塞理（Shelley, 1792—1822）在他死的前二年做的论文《诗的防御战》 里头也有这样的主张。托尔斯泰又说：“艺术是人用了外的记号，将自己经验过的感情有意识的传给他人，他人受了这感染，自己也经验这种感情的一种活动。”
此外还有密尔顿（Milton, 1608—1674）把诗的意义作为单纯的感觉冲动（A simple sensuous impulsion）看的，也有如哥尔利治（Coleridge, 1772—1834）的一流人，把文学当作最好的序次的最好文字（The best words in the best order）看的。
若更把德法诸家的定义拿来排列起来，怕单是文学的定义，也有几本书好写。现在我想引了约翰孙博士（Johnson, 1709—84）在他替颇普所做的传里所说的话，来笑那些硬下定义的先生们的狭小，“To circumscribe poetry
【打 印】 【来源：读书之家-dushuzhijia.com】
