THE THREE GREAT AGES OF THE WORLD

 Primitive Times, Ancient Times, and Modern Times.

The same nature of civilization, or to use a more exact expression, although more extensive, the same society has not always occupied the world. The human race has grown, developed, and matured like us. He became a man from childhood, and we now witness his old age. Before the era, which modern society calls ancient, there was another era, which the ancients called fabulous, which would be more accurate to call primitive. Here, then, are three successive ages in civilization, from its origin to the present day. Since poetry always overlaps society, we will try to unravel, according to the form of the latter, what must have been the character of the former in the three great ages of the world: primitive times, ancient times, and modern times.

In primitive times, poetry wakes up with him when the man wakes up in a world that has just been born. His first word is a hymn in the presence of wonders that dazzle and intoxicate him. He is still so close to God that his meditations are hymns, and all dreams are visions of him. In the outpouring of him, he sings as he breathes. His lyre has only three strings: God, the soul, and creation, but this triple mystery envelops everything. This triple idea encompasses everything. The land is still almost deserted. There are families in it, but not towns; fathers, but not kings. Each race exists quietly, without property, without law, without friction, and without war. Everything belongs to each and every one. Society is a community, and nothing bothers the man who vegetates in the pastoral and nomadic life with which all civilizations begin and which is conducive to solitary contemplations and whimsical fantasies. Like his life, his thought is similar to a cloud that changes shape and path depending on the wind that blows it. Behold the first man, behold the first poet. He is young and lyrical; his prayer condenses his religion and the ode is all his poetry.