This richness isdue to the variety of elements of which English is made of:

1. the Germanic foundation
2. the Scandinavian elements
3. the Norman French element
4. the French influence
5. the words coined by the Latin

The English language is also rich in its rythmic variety. The elements are:

1. the rythm of early Saxon verse
2. the tythm of the Norman French
3. the rythm of the Welsh
4. the influence of Latin poetry
5.  the influence of Greek poetry

It is generally thought that the greatest peoples excel in one art. Examples:

1. Italy and French in painting
2. Germany in music
3. England in poetry

This is not correct because:

1. no arts has ever been the exclusive possession of any one country of Europe
2. there have been periods in which some other country than England has taken the lead in poetry

    Exemples: the France on the second half of 19th century

 

A nation which leads in a particular art form in a particular period does not necessarily produce the greatest artists.
Example: in the Romantic period no one poet can be compared to Goethe.

 

The ability of European literature to renew itself depends on two factors:

1. its ability to receiveand assimilate influences from abroad
2. its ability to go back and learn from its own sources

• The pronoun I always refers to the author while the pronoun you to the German people.

• The verbs that express opinions are:
  

1. I has often been claim
2. I do not mean
3. I am not concerned
4. I think

 

Questions:

1. The essayist speaks to the German people.
2. The author put forward the ideas that the English language is sood to write poetry but the English litterature hasn't produced the greatest poets.
3. The author's main intention is to persuade the audience to accept that English is the best language to write poetry.
4. The essayist uses as his argument the large English vocabulary, composed of other languages elements, and the variety of metrical elements.