UNITY, in poetry. There are three unities to be
observed, viz. the unity of action, that of time, and
that of place. In the epic poem, the great, and al-
most the only, unity, is that of the action. Some re-
gard indeed ought to be had to that of time; for that
of place there is no room. The unity of character is
not reckoned among the unities. See POETRY, chap. ii.
24. &c.