# Dedication explained — The Portent

> Chapter companion for The Portent by George MacDonald.

## What happens

In the dedication, George MacDonald addresses his father's friend, Duncan McColl, and explains his intentions for the story. He defends the romance genre, asserting that a tale can be marvellous yet true to human nature, and apologizes for his treatment of the Celtic legend of the Second Sight, acknowledging his non-Celtic upbringing.

## Themes in this chapter

### Art and Expression

MacDonald discusses the nature of romance and the importance of truth to human nature in art.

### Second Sight and the Supernatural

The dedication explicitly mentions the story is founded on 'The Second Sight,' a supernatural belief.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

The author, George MacDonald, speaks in first person, dedicating the book and explaining his literary philosophy.

### Duncan Campbell

The dedicatee, Duncan McColl, is addressed as 'my dear sir' and 'my father's friend.'

## Key lines

> The name of one friend is better than those of all the Muses.

A single friend's name is more valuable than all the Muses combined.

_MacDonald honors his friend over classical inspiration._

> Truth to Humanity, and harmony within itself, are almost the sole unvarying essentials of a work of art.

The only constant requirements for a work of art are truth to human nature and internal consistency.

_MacDonald defines his artistic criteria._

> But, seeing so much of our life must be spent in dreaming, may there not be a still nook, shadowy, but not miasmatic, in some lowly region of literature, where, in the pauses of labour, a man may sit down, and dream such a daydream as I now offer to your acceptance...

Since much of life is spent dreaming, there should be a place in literature for a harmless, shadowy nook where one can rest and dream, as this story offers.

_MacDonald justifies the romance genre as a respite from labor._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_portent_se/chapters/dedication
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_portent_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_portent_se/chapters