Then his courăge ’găn fail him, 2. The second species consists of three Anapæsts. This is a very pleasing measure, and much used, both in solemn and cheerful subjects. 3. The third kind of the English Anapæstic, consists of four Anapæsts. May I gōvěrn my passions with absolute sway; This measure will admit of a short syllable at the end: as, On the warm cheek of youth, smiles and roses are blending. The preceding are the different kinds of the principal feet, in their more simple forms. They are capable of numerous variations, by the intermixture of those feet with each other; and by the admission of the secondary feet. We have observed, that English verse is composed of feet formed by accent; and that when the accent falls on vowels, the feet are equivalent to those formed by quantity. That the student may clearly perceive this difference, we shall produce a specimen of each kind. O'ĕr heaps of ruins stalk'd the stately hind. Here we see the accent is upon the vowel in each second syllable. In the following line, we shall find the same lambic movement, but formed by accent on consonants, except the last syllable. Then rústling, cráckling, cráshing, thúnder down. Here the time of the short accented syllables, is compensated by a short pause, at the end of each word to which they belong. We now proceed to show the manner in which poetry is varied and improved, by the admission of secondary feet into its composition. Múrmuring, and with him fled the shades of night. The first foot here is a Dactyl; the rest are Iambics. O'er mány ǎ frozen, mány a fiery Alp. This line contains three Amphibrachs mixed with Iambics: Here, in the second foot, we find a Tribrach. See the bold youth stráin úp the threat'ning steep. In this line, the first foot is a Trochee; the second a genu ine Spondee by quantity; the third a Spondee by accent. In the following line, the first foot is a Pyrrhic, the second a Spondee. That on weak wings from far pursues your flight. From the preceding view of English versification, we may see what a copious stock of materials it possesses. For we are not only allowed the use of all the ancient poetic feet, in our heroic measure, but we have, as before observed, duplicates of each, agreeing in movement, though differing in measure,* and which make different impressions on the ear; an opulence peculiar to our language, and which may be the source of a boundless variety. OF POETICAL PAUSES. THERE are two sorts of pauses, one for sense, and one for melody, perfectly distinct from each other. The former may be called sentential, the latter, harmonic pauses. The sentential pauses are those which are known to us by the name of stops, and which have names given them; as the comma, semicolon, colon, and period. * Movement and measure are thus distinguished. Movement expresses the progress sive order of sounds, whether from strong to weak, from long to short, or vice versa, Measure signifies the proportion of time, both in sounds and pauses. The harmonic pauses may be subdivided into the final pause and the casural pause. These sometimes coincide with the sentential pause, sometimes have an independent state, that is, exist where there is no stop in the sense. The final pause takes place at the end of the line, closes the verse, and marks the measure: the cæsural divides it into equal or unequal parts. The final pause preserves the melody, without interfering with the sense. For the pause itself perfectly marks the bounds of the metre; and being made only by a suspension of the voice, not by any change of note, it can never affect the sense. This is not the only advantage gained to numbers, by this final pause or stop of suspension. It also prevents that monotony, that sameness of note at the end of lines, which, however pleasing to a rude, is disgusting to a delicate ear. For as this final pause has no peculiar note of its own, but always takes that which belongs to the preceding word, it changes continually with the matter, and is as various as the sense. It is the final pause which alone, on many occasions, marks the difference between prose and verse; which will be evident from the following arrangement of a few poetical lines. "Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste brought death into the world, and all our wo, with loss of Eden, till one greater man restore us, and regain the blissful seat, sing heavenly muse!" A stranger to the poem would not easily discover that this is verse; but would take it for poetical prose. By properly adjusting the final pause, we shall restore the passage to its true state of verse. Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit Restore us, and regain the blissful seat, These examples show the necessity of reading blank verse, in such a manner, as to make every line sensible to the ear: for, what is the use of melody, or for what end has the poet composed in verse, if, in reading his lines, we suppress his numbers, by omitting the final pause; and degrade them, by our pronunciation, into mere prose? The cæsura is commonly on the fourth, fifth, or sixth syllable of heroic verse. as, as, On the fourth syllable, or at the end of the second foot: The silver eel" in shining volumes roll'd, The yellow carp" in scales bedropp'd with gold. On the fifth syllable, or in the middle of the third foot: as, Round broken columns" clasping ivy twin'd, On the sixth syllable, or at the end of the third foot: as, Oh say what stranger cause" yet unexplor'd, A line may be divided into three portions, by two cæsuras: Outstretch'd he lay" on the cold ground" and oft" There is another mode of dividing lines, well suited to the nature of the couplet, by introducing semi-pauses, which divide the line into four pauses. This semi-pause may be called a demi-casura. The following lines admit of, and exemplify it. Glows' while he reads" but trembles' as he writes. OF MELODY, HARMONY, AND EXPRESSION. HAVING shown the general nature of feet and pauses, the constituent parts of verse, we shall now point out, more particularly, their use and importance. Melody, harmony, and expression, are the three great objects of poetic numbers. By melody, is meant, a pleasing effect produced on the ear, from an apt arrangement of the constituent parts of verse, according to the laws of measure and movement. By harmony, an effect produced by an action of the mind, in comparing the different members of a verse with each other, and perceiving a due and beautiful proportion between them. By expression, such a choice and arrangement of the constituent parts of verse, as serve to enforce and illustrate the thought or the sentiment. We shall consider each of these three objects in versification, both with respect to the feet and the pauses. 1st, With regard to melody, From the examples which we have given of verses composed in all the principal feet, it is evident that a considerable portion of melody is found in each of them, though in different degrees. Verses made up of pure lambics have an excellent melody. That the final and cæsural pauses contribute to melody, cannot be doubted by any person who reviews the instances, which we have already given of those pauses. To form lines of the first melody, the cæsura must be at the end of the second, or of the third foot, or in the middle of the third. 2d, With respect to harmony. Verses composed of lambics have indeed a fine harmony; but as the stress of the voice, in repeating such verses, is always in the same places, that is, on every second syllable, such a uniformity would disgust the ear in a long succession; and therefore such changes were sought for, as might introduce the pleasure of variety, without prejudice to melody; or which might even contribute to its improvement. Of this nature was the introduction of the Trochee, to form the first foot of an heroic verse: as, Favours to none, to all she smiles exténds, O'ft she rejects, but never once offends. Each of these lines begins with a Trochee; the remaining feet are in the lambic movement. In the following line of the same movement, the fourth foot is a Trochee. All these our notions vain, sees and derides. The next change admitted for the sake of variety, without prejudice to melody, is the intermixture of Pyrrhics and Spondees; in which, two impressions in the one foot make up for the want of one in the other; and two long syllables compensate two short ones, so as to make the sum of the quantity of the two feet, equal to two lambics. |