On the other hand, it is admitted that rhyme is an additional embellishment to the harmony of sound; and it adds, likewise, to the force of expression: but this effect is most conspicuous in its simplest forms and modes of arrangement. Our English poets have one circumstance in favor of rhyming which the antients had not. Our English language contains a great number of words, whose orthoepic sounds are similar; such as night, light, bright; glade, shade; nation, station; sound, round, bound; all, call, hall, wall; &c. In these similarities of sound our language abounds, much more than the antient languages of Greece and Rome; and, from this circumstance, we may infer, the English have adopted the mode of rhyming; and which the antients neglected, from a reverse of circumstance. Rhyming is a real improvement, under due limitations. Some of our English poets, Dryden, Pope, Gay, Swift, Parnell, Gray, Scott, and several others, have excelled in that, and embellished their verse with rhyme. Rhyme is adapted to small poems, and to the shorter metres; it is adapted to hymns, songs, odes, ballads; &c. To most of these, simple arrangements of rhymes, as well as the simple style, is preferable. Rhyme also adds force of expression, and keenness to the satire; and the quatrain stanza is well adapted to the elegy. The different metres also have their uses: the pentameter line is well adapted to epic verse, and to most others of the nobler kinds. The four feet metre couplet, iambic, is adapted to narrative, descriptive, and other kinds of composition; as in Walter Scott, Gay's Fables, &c. And in one kind of verse or another, the several metres have their uses; and, in tho Pindaric ode, all of them by turns. But there is a fault in many of our poets, in their arrangements of rhyme and metre; in their composition of odes, more so than in other poems; in Pindaric odes, as also in others. I will illustrate this point, as respecting the rhyme, by citing a part of a strophe. "A jetty mixture of the darkness spread And that which angels drew And rising, off their hanging funerals shook; And fleeting past, exposed their bloodless breasts to view; Yet find it not so dark, and to their dormitories glide.” On this I remark, some of those rhymes are not well arranged; the two last lines are at too great a distance from their correspondents, to have any good effect on the ear; having, each of them, three lines between, whereas, two between, may be considered enough, in any case, and, in common cases, more than enough. Another thing is also observable, that, in the arrangement of me tres, the ear is sometimes offended by too great and sudden changes in the metre, sometimes from short to long, but more commonly from long to short, And sometimes, also, in the too frequent use of the hexameter, and septameter lines, which should seldom occur, and when they do, by a regular gradation of metre. By these frequent failures, in the distribution of rhyme and metre, a rhythmus of sound is not produced, and the ear is not satisfied. In Pindaric odes, which are intended for sublime compositions, the style should be simple, and the arrangements simple and harmonious. These remarks, which are intended as applying to Pindaric compositions more directly, may apply also to other odes, and to other kinds of verse, occasionally. SECTION VII.-Rules for Writing Verse. 1. Every line in verse, long or short, should begin with a capital letter. 2. In blank verse, and verse composed in couplets. which follow in succession, an equal space should be observed, between line and line, throughout, the same as in prose. 3. In stanzas or strophes, an equal space should be observed, in like manner, between line and line, till the stanza or strophe is ended. 4. In verse which is composed in stanzas or strophes, a space should be observed between stanza and stanza, and between strophe and strophe, of about twice the distance of that which pertains between lines in succession, as a general rule. 5. In all compositions, in blank verse, couplets, or stanzas, when lines are of equal metres, they should be placed even at the first end. 6. When lines pertaining to stanzas, strophes, &c. are of unequal metres, the shorter lines should begin farther on from the margin. If they are one foot shorter than the longest lines, they should begin (as a general rule) one half of a foot onwards at the first end; and so in regular gradation for lines of shorter metres. This is according to the examples of the poets, and is necessary in order to give a synopsis of the different gradations of metre. 7. When a line or more of verse is quoted, in prosaic composition, it should not be written in the lines with the prose, like a quotation from prose; but separately and detached; as, in the following example: "On his returning to London, he was seized with a fever, of which he died on the fourth of November, 1732; and as Pope had said of him five years before: "Gay dies unpension'd with a thousand pounds." 8. When a part of a line is written, in connection with whole lines, or singly, it should be placed at the end of the line from which it was taken, with a blank mark or dash, shewing that the other part of the line is wanting; as, in the following examples: "Bless'd are the meek. choose for thy command Some peaceful province in acrostic land." "Whence sprung this glorious frame? or whence began Questions and Exercises on the foregoing. What is form, as it relates to verse? Are there various forms pertaining to verse? Describe the most antient kind, as respects its form. What is the form of German poetry? What is rhyme? What is blank verse? What is the form of the latter? What are the forms pertaining to rhyme? What is a couplet? What a triplet? Cite examples. What is a stanza? Are there various kinds of stanzas? How do they vary? Cite examples of the various forms of stanzas in iambic verse, which consist of four lines. Cite examples of other forms, such as pertain to odes, &c. What are the forms of the sectional parts of Pindaric odes? Cite an example of a strophe. Cite some examples of stanzas in trochaic verse. In anapæstic and amphibrachic verse. Cite a stanza in Sapphic verse. Cite some stanzas in composite and diversified orders. What is the use and benefit of rhyming? What are those of blank verse? Which was mostly used by the antients? Who have been some of our principal writers in blank verse? What are the rules for writing verse? Cite them, and adduce examples. CHAPTER V. DIVERSIFICATIONS AND FIGURES. SECTION I. Preliminary Remarks. IN the preceding chapters, the elementary parts, the component parts, and mechanical structure of verse, have been treated of; and the finishing stroke now remains. By reading our English verse we plainly see, that among the different kinds, or different orders, each kind is interspersed, occasionally, and diversified with other kinds of feet than those of which the verse is composed. That is, iambic verse, so called, is not wholly iambic; but is occasionally interspersed with trochees, spondees, amphibrachs, and others. The other orders of verse are also diversified in like manner. Those diversifications are objected to by some prosodians, as a fault, who say, the more uniform the measures of verse, or more purely of one kind of feet, the more harmonious. By others they are tolerated, and held up as models for imitation. No rules have, in this case, been given; and none are observed by many of our poets, but to follow the dictates of genius, or dictates of fancy. And such is the liberty and licence assumed, that each poet is seen to write according to the dictates of his own fancy, or own judgment; and each critic assumes the right of judging, of censuring or commending, according to the dictates of his own judgment or fancy. Here then is the point in question; and this may be the solution of the problem: the poet should be allowed full scope to his genius, as far as he goes right, on one hand; and bounds should be set to his licence, on the other hand: poetic licences are reprehensible, as well in prosody as in syntax. In this case, it may seem necessary that there should be some restrictions, or some standing rules; but none, perhaps, can be formed which would apply in all cases. There are but two sources from which rules can be deduced. One is this: rules may be deduced from fixed and known principles. When these are wanting, another source may be resorted to as our best poets are confessedly the standard of composition, rules may be deduced from their examples, when no standing principle is found to be against it. The case at issue is concerning the use of those diversifications: the examples of the poets are apparently in their favour; for our poems, good and bad, are diversified in this manner, some more and some less, and that universally. And here the question occurs, how are rules to be deduced from these examples? In answer to this it is said, that, after the examples of our best poets, they are to be used, occasionally, to diversify the numbers. On this point, Murray has expressed himself thus: "Verses composed of iambics have indeed a fine harmony; but as the stress of the voice, in repeating such verses, is always in the same place, 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 the melody; or which might even contribute to its improvement." This is conceded to as correct; and what is the inference? It is this, that diversifications of the numbers are sometimes necessary, for reasons above stated; and that the use of them is also sanctioned by the examples of the poets. We here have an established precedent, which is also well founded. But this furnishes no definite rule concerning their use, and how, why, or when they are to be used, otherwise, than as they are occasionally needed to diversify the numbers. And whether they are needed for any other purpose than this; or whether they are used for any other purpose, or on any other principle, by the poets, does not appear from the above premises. Hence, we may look to some other source for further information, and for a solution of those problems. We now look for principles. prosody, and whence derived? radical principles of poetry, and mony of nature. What are the radical principles of From poetry. And what are the whence derived? From the har We Although this may seem a digression, it may not be amiss to attend a few moments to this subject. If we take a survey of the works of creation, and operations of nature, we behold a harmony which pervades the whole system; and which, either in the natural, the animal, or intellectual department, is uniformly similar. also see a mutual connection, and corresponding harmony betwixt different parts, connecting them together into one grand whole. And if we take a survey of our microcosm, the human soul, w there find the same principle also; and hence we trace the origin of poetry. Poetry is the natural language of the human soul, expressed by corresponding harmony of sounds. we On analyzing poetry, we find it consists of three essential properties - thoughts, expressions, and sounds. And betwixt these, which are mutually connected, a corresponding harmony should exist: the expressions should correspond to the thoughts, and the sounds to both. Sounds, properly adapted, are, in effect, another mode of expression, by means of which expression comes with a twofold force. It is known that the art of expression has employed the ingenuity of mankind from time immemorial. Rhetoric has been adopted, studied, and improved by various modes of expression, and various figures; yet the art is not perfected. Poetry has been employed in this way, and has an effect similar to rhetoric, and gives additional force to its beauty. The mode of expression by verse, in its various orders and forms, and by means of the various sounds of language, has, in numerous instances, added force and beauty to expression. But here it is |