It should soothe the ruffled minds and hearts of men by bringing them in contact with loveliness of form and loveliness of ideas and emotions. It is for this reason that he does not deal with the disagreeable present, but rather with the world of the early Greeks or the middle Ages.
His attitude towards these ages is not that of a realist, but that of a romantic. He does not say anything about the darker aspects of life in the past, but paints it as it appears to his romantic imagination. The beauty of art, literature, and mythology of the ancient Greeks inspires him to poetic activity; his themes are chosen from the art and literature of Hellas and his poetry is heavily overloaded with references to their mythology.
He has their passion for perfection, and their zest for the good things of life. The chivalry, the knight-errantry, and woman-worship of the middle Ages have a special fascination for him and he renders them in his poetry with a romantic coloring from his own imagination.