177. The following is an instance of Trochaic verse,

Vital spark of heavenly flame.

This line scanned as Iambic, has a broken foot at the be ginning.

Vi tǎl spark of heav'nly flame,

Scanned as Trochaic it has the broken foot at the end

Vital spark of | heav'nly | flame.

178. In like manner if we cut off the first syllable from any form of the Iambic, we shall find that it may be scanned both ways, with the deficiency of a semifoot at the beginning or the end, according as we scan it in Iambuses or Trochees.

Thus, the line given as an exemplification of the Iambic metre, in page 54, if deprived in each form of its first syllable, becomes Trochaic:

And thus, we see, that what we call Trochaics, regularly terminate in an accented syllable, as is the case in every other form of English metre; though like every other form, they also admit an additional unaccented syllable at the end, producing a double rhyme; so that by changing maid for maiden, in each of the preceding lines (as directed under Iambic verse page 53,) we shall have twelve forms of Trochaic verse. But it may be remarked that of the six regular forms of Trochaic verse, and the six hypermeter related to them, the first three in each class are very seldom used.

OF ANAPESTIC VERSE.

179. Anapæstic verse properly consists of anapasts alone, as

ǎt the close of the day | when the hām | lět is still.

180. The first foot, however, in all the different forms of Anapæstic metre, may be a foot of two syllables provided, that the latter syllable of the foot be accented. Such are the Iambus and the Spondee. But the Pyrrhic and the Trochee

which have not the second syllable accented, are on that account inadmissible.

181. Different kinds of feet frequently occur in all the different kinds of verse, as has been stated in number 168. But it is not always that they can be exactly discriminated. Concerning the Trochee, the Spondee and the Pyrrhic, there can be little doubt; but with respect to the Dactyle, the Anapest, and the Tribrach the case is different; because by a poetic license, the writer may make the foot in question a Trochee, a Spondee or a Pyrrhic.*

It remains to be observed, that if from any verse of ordinary construction, we remove any number of syllables, and substitute an equal number of others, exactly corresponding with them in accent, the metre will still be perfect, although the sense may be altered. Thus,

altered thus:

altered thus:

Pělidĕs' wrath to Greece the direful spring
Of wões unnumbered, heavenly goddess sing.

The Frenchman's ārts, to Spain the direful spring
Of feuds and carnage, heavenly goddess, sing.
Hark! the numbers, soft and clear,
Gently steal upon the ear.

Hark! the thunders loud and clear,
Rudely burst upon the ear.

OF THE CEÆSURA.

183. The Cæsura (which word means a division) is the separation, or pause which is made in the body of a verse in utterance; dividing the line as it were, into two members. In different species of verse and in different verses of the same species, this pause occurs in different parts of the verse; and serves to give variety to the line. Its position is, for the most part, easily ascertained, by the grammatical construction and the punctuation, which naturally indicate the place where the sense either requires, or admits a pause.

184. The most advantageous position for the Cæsura is generally after the fourth, fifth, or sixth syllable; although it occasionally takes place after the third or the seventh.

* See Carey's English Prosody, London edition 1816, p. 49.

185. In the following lines the figures denote the number of the syllable where the casura belongs.

The Saviour comes 4 || by ancient bards foretold.
From storms a shelter 5 || and from heat a shade.
Exalt thy towering head 6 || and lift thy eyes.
Exploring 3 till they find their native deep.
Within that mystic circle 7 || safely seek.

186. Sometimes, though rarely the cæsura occurs after the second or the eighth syllable; as

Happy 2|| without the privilege of will.

In different individuals || we find.

187. Sometimes the line requires or admits two pauses or cæsuras. This double pause is by some writers called the cæsura and the demi cæsura, as:

188.

Cæsar, 2 | the world's great master, 7 || and his own.
And goodness 3 || like the sun 6 || enlightens all.

There are few more melodious instances of these pauses to be found, than in the following lines from one of the most polished poets which the English language has produced.

Warms in the sun, 4 || refreshes 6 || in the breeze,
Glows in the stars, || and blossoms || in the trees;
Lives through all life ; || extends || through all extent,
Spreads || undivided, operates || unspent.

189. It remains to be observed that in poetry, as in prose, it is esteemed a great beauty when the sound of the verse or of the feet of which it is composed corresponds with the signification. Thus in the lines of Goldsmith from "The Deserted Village,"

"The white washed wall, the nicely sanded floor,
The varnished clock that clicked behind the door. "

the sound is admirably adapted to express the sense, especially of the clicking of the clock.

A similar beauty may be seen in the following passage,

"On the ear

Drops the light drip of the suspended oar. "

190. So also in the following stanza from Gray's Elegy in a country church yard, the sound imitates the reluctant feeling so beautifully expressed in the verses:

"For who to dull forgetfulness a prey,

This pleasing anxious being e'er resigned;

Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
Nor cast one longing, lingering look behind." *

191. The sound of a bow string is beautifully imitated in the following lines. "The string, let fly, Twanged short and sharp, like the shrill swallow's cry."

192. Slow and swift motions are happily described in the following lines.

"When Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw
The line too labors, and the words move slow;

Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain,

Flies o'er the unbending corn, and skims along the main."

193. Smooth and rough sounds are appropriately used in the following lines:

"Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows,

And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows.
But when loud surges lash the sounding shore,
The hoarse rough verse should like the torrent-roar.

SPECIMENS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF

ENGLISH

VERSE.

194. Iambic of the shortest form, consisting of an Iambus with an additional syllable: thus coinciding with the amphitrach.

This form may be found in stanzas of other measure, but is not used alone.

195. Second form of the Iambic consisting of two Iambuses.

With ravished ears
The monarch hears.
Assumes the god
Affects to nod.

*These happy adaptations of the sound to the sense will probably remind the classical student of similar graces in the bard of Mantua, whose beauties are too often unfortunately associated "with tears, with errors and with punishment." In the 6th Book of the Æneid, the following passage occurs in his description of a horrible monster :

"Monstrum horrendum in forma ingens cui lumen ademptum.” and in another place he thus graphically mentions the galloping of a horse: "Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum.

Hypermeter of the same kind.

Upon a mountain

Beneath a fountain.

196. Three Iambuses with hypermeter of the same kind.

'Twas when the seas were roaring

With hollow blasts of wind,
A damsel lay deploring

All on a rock reclined.

197. Four Iambuses.

And may at last my weary age
Find out the peaceful hermitage.

198. Five Iambuses or the Heroic measure.
Be wise to day, 'tis madness to defer.

How loved, how valued once avails thee not
To whom related, or by whom begot:
A heap of dust alone remains of thee
'Tis all thou art, and all the proud shall be.

199. Six lambuses, or the Alexandrine measure.

For thou art but of dust; be humble and be wise.

(The latter only of the two following is an Alexandrine. )

A needless Alexandrine ends the song,

That like a wounded snake, drags its slow length along.

200. Seven Iambuses.

The melancholy days have come, the saddest of the year
Of wailing winds and naked woods and meadows brown and sere.
The robin and the wren have flown, and from the shrub the jay,
And from the wood top caws* the crow, through all the gloomy day.

* This alteration in a line of one of the sweetest pieces of poetry ever written in any language, was suggested by the lamented Mr. Bailey of the High School for Girls in this city. In compiling "The Young Ladies Class Book," he expressed a wish to one of the authors of this Grammar, to take this liberty, but he deemed it unwarrantable. The reading is adopted here as a beautiful exemplification of what is stated in 189; and indeed when we consider how easily the printer might mistake in manuscript a w for a double l, it would not be surprising if it should hereafter appear that our gifted countryman originally wrote it caws and not calls as it is generally written.