If a man's aspirations towards a righteous life are serious. . . if he earnestly and sincerely seeks a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from animal food, because, not to mention the excitement of the passions produced by such food, it is plainly immoral, as it requires an act contrary to moral feeling, i. e. , killing - and is called forth only by greed.
The art of poetry is to touch the passions, and its duty to lead them on the side of virtue.