as,

No hive hast thou of hoarded sweets.

A transient calm the happy scenes bestow.

His listless length at noontide would he stretch.
Snatched in short eddies, plays the withered leaf.

3. The infinitive mood often precedes the word on which it depends;

When first thy sire to send on earth

Virtue, his darling child, designed,
To thee he gave the heavenly birth,

And bade thee form her infant mind.

4. The verb comes frequently between its nominatives; as

Then too, they say, through all the burdened air,
Long groans are heard, shrill sounds, and distant sighs.

His praise, ye brooks, attune, ye trembling rills.

5. Prepositions are sometimes placed after the words which they govern; as,

Where echo walks steep hills among.

II. In poetry, words, idioms, and phrases, are often used which would be inadmissible in prose; as,

A man he was to all the country dear,
And passing rich with forty pounds a year.

By fountain clear, or spangled star-light sheen.
Shall I receive by gift, what of my own,
When and where likes me best, I can command?

Thy voice we hear, and thy behests obey.

The whiles, the vaulted shrine around,
Seraphic wires were heard to sound.

On the first friendly bank he throws him down.

I'll seek the solitude he sought,

And stretch me where he lay.

Not Hector's self should want an equal foe.

III. More violent and peculiar ellipses are allowable in poetry than in prose; as,

Suffice, to-night, these orders to obev.

Time is our tedious song should here have ending.

For is there ought in sleep can charm the wise?

"Tis fancy in her fiery car,

Transports me to the thickest war.

Who never fasts, no banquet e'er enjoys.

Bliss is the same in subject as a king,

In who obtain defence, or who defend.

¡V. A syllable in poetry is often either omitted or added as best suits the measure; as,

Wail, for bewail; wilder, for bewilder; plaint, for complaint; amaze, for amazement; eve or even, for evening; helm, for helmet; morn, for morning; lone, for lonely; dread, for dreadful; list, for listen; ope, for open; lure, for allure; e'er, for ever; ne'er, for never, &c.

The language of poetry may be said to be a dialect appropriated almost solely to this species of composition. Not only the nature of the thoughts and sentiments, but the very selection and arrangement of the words, gives English poetry a character, which separates it widely from common prose.

V. Adjectives in poetry are often elegantly connected with nouns which they do not strictly qualify; as,

The ploughman homeward plods his weary way.

The tenants of the warbling shade.

And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds.

VI. The rules of grammar are often violated by the poets. See Crombie Rule 14.

1. A noun and its pronoun are often used in reference to the same verb; as,

It ceased, the melancholy sound.

My banks they are furnished with bees.

2. The imperfect tense and the perfect participle are often substitated for each other, especially in rhyme; as,

Though parting from that mother he did shun,
Before his weary pilgrimage begun.

3. An adverb is often admitted betweenthe verb and to, the sign of the infinitive; as,

To sit on rocks, to muse o'er flood and fell;

To slowly trace the forest's shady scenes.

VII. A common poetic license consists in employing or and nor instead of either and neither; as,

And first

Or on the listed plain, or stormy sea.

Nor grief nor fear shall break my rest.

VIII. Intrans. verbs are often made trans. and adjectives used like abstract nouns; as,

The lightnings flash a larger curve.

Still in harmonious intercourse, they lived
The rural day, and talked the flowing heart.
Meanwhile, whate'er of beautiful or new,
By chance or search, was offered to his view,
He scanned with curious eye.

IX. Greek, Latin, and other foreign idioms, are allowable in poetry though inadmissible in prose; as,

He knew to sing, and build the lofty rhyme.

Give me to seize rich Nestor's shield of gold.

There are, who deaf to mad ambition's call

Would shrink to hear the obstreperous trump of fame.

Yet to their general's voice they all obeyed.

Never since created man

Met such imbodied force.

X. Contractions are often made in poetry, which are not allowable in prose; and letters and syllables which are silent in prose are often sounded in poetry; as,

And ne'er again the boy his bosom sought.

They praised are alone, and starve right merrily.

Such are a few of the licenses allowed to poets, but denied to prose writers; and, among other purposes which they obviously serve, they enhance the pleasure of reading poetic composition, by increasing the

boundary of separation set up, especially in our language, between it and common prose. Were such licenses not permitted in poetry, the difficulty attendant upon this species of composition would probably be so great, that hardly any person would attempt the arduous task of writing verse.

§ 96. HINTS FOR CORRECT AND ELEGANT WRITING. Correct and elegant writing depends partly upon the choice of words, and partly upon the form and structure of sentences.

I. In so far as respects single words, the chief things to be observed, are Purity, Propriety, and Precision.

PURITY.

Purity consists in the rejection of such words and phrases as are not strictly English, nor in accordance with the practice of good writers and speakers.

1. Avoid foreign words and modes of expression; as, Fraicheur; politesse; he repents him of his folly.

2. Avoid obsolete and unauthorized words; as, Albeit, aforetime, inspectator, judgmatical.

EXERCISES.

The person is without encumberment. In the country, we associate with none but the bettermost sort of people. Snails exclude their horns, and therewith explorate their way. Methinks till now I never heard a sound more dreary. We walked adown the river side. Peradventure he may call to-morrow. He is a very impopular speaker. I like his great candidness of temper.

PROPRIETY.

Propriety consists in the use of such words as are best adapted to express our meaning.

1. Avoid low and provincial expressions; as, to get into a scrape. 2. In writing prose, reject words that are merely poetical; as, this morn; the celestial orbs.

3. Ávoid technical terms, unless you write to those who perfectly understand them.

4. Do not use the same word too frequently, or in different senses; as, the king communicated his intention to the minister, who disclosed it to the secretary, who made it known to the public; His own reason might have suggested better reasons.

5. Supply words that are wanting, and necessary to complete the sense; thus, instead of this action increased his former services; say, this action increased the merit of his former services.

6. Avoid equivocal or ambiguous expressions; as, his memory shall be lost on the earth.

7. Avoid unintelligible and inconsistent expressions; as, I have an opaque idea of what you mean.

EXERCISES.

The composure of this psalm is attributed to David. They will meet at eve. Regard should be paid to the pupils' intended avoca

tions. The observation of the Sabbath is incumbent upon every Christian. The negligence of this leaves us exposed to uncommon levity. He put an end to his own existence. I propose to give a general view of the subject. I wonder if he will come. He feels none of the sorrows that usually arrive at man. War should be so managed as to remember that its only end is peace. When Johnson was ill, he composed a prayer to deprecate God's mercy. There are both more and more important truths. He lives in a lone cottage. The Latin tongue in its purity was never in this island. Imprudent associations disqualify us for the instruction or reproof of others.

PRECISION.

Precision rejects superfluous words.

1. Avoid tautology; as, his faithfulness and fidelity were unequalled.

2. Observe the exact meaning of words accounted synonymous; thus, instead of, though his actions and intentions were good, he lost his character; say, he lost his reputation.

EXERCISES.

I took some wine and some water, and mixed them both together. He wandered throughout the whole city. They abhorred and detested being in debt. This man on all occasions, treated those around him with great haughtiness and disdain. His wealth and riches being collected and accumulated in meanness, were squandered in riot and extravagance. Such conduct showed a marked and obvious intention to deceive and abuse us. He had proceeded but a short way on his journey, when he returned home again.

II. With respect to Sentences, Clearness, Unity, Strength, and a proper application of the Figures of Speech, are necessary.

CLEARNESS.

Clearness demands a proper arrangement of words.

1. Adverbs, relative pronouns, and explanatory phrases, must be placed as near as possible to the words which they affect, and in such a situation as the sense requires.

2. In prose, a poetic collocation must be avoided.

3. Pronouns must be so used as clearly to indicate the word for which they stand.

EXERCISES.

By the articles subsisting between us, on the day marriage, you agreed to pay down the sum of eight thousand pounds. Not to exasperate him, I only spoke a very few words. It has not a word, says Pope, but what the author religiously thinks in it. It is true what he says, but it is not applicable to the point. Had he died before, would not then this art have been wholly unknown. Most nations, not even excepting the Jews, were prone to idolatry. He will soon weary the company, who is himself wearied.

UNITY,

Unity retains one predominant object through a sentence, or a series of clauses