of words, so that those of the middle one read with either of the Rhyme is not essential to English verse. It is an ornament, and something more. Final rhyme has been called a "time-beater:" it separates each verse from the others by a distinct boundary, and thus contributes to the measure. Still, it is not essential. Measures, where there are no rhymes, are called BLANK VERSE. It is a general rule that every verse shall end with an important word. "All night the dreadless angel, unpursued, Through heaven's wide champaign held his way; till Morn, Unbarr'd the gates of light."-MILTON. The Rules of Syntax are sometimes traversed by the practice of the poets. as, 1. The verb precedes the nominative; as, "Sunk was the sun, and up the eastern heaven, Moved the meek star of eve."-MILMAN. 2. The verb follows the accusative; as, "His prayer he saith, this holy man."-KEATS. 3. The noun precedes the adjective; as, Twas in youth, that hour of dreaming, Round me visions fair were beaming."-Mrs. NORTON. 4. The infinitive mode precedes the governing word; as, "When first thy sire, to send on earth Virtue, his darling child, designed."—GRAY. 5. An intransitive verb is placed at the beginning of a sentence; "Air blacken'd roll'd the thunder, groan'd the ground."-DRYDEN. 6. Adverbs precede the words which they qualify; as, "The ploughman homeward plods his weary way."--GRAY. 7. The preposition follows its governing word; as, "Where echo walks steep hills among." 8. The article is often omitted; as, "What dreadful pleasure! there to stand, sublime, 9. Compound epithets are frequently used; as, 10. A positive is joined with a comparative; as, 11. After a pronoun its representative noun is repeated; as, 12. The relative is omitted; as, ""Tis Fancy, in her fiery car, Transports me to the thickest war!" 13. The antecedent is omitted; as, "Who never fasts, no banquet e'er enjoys." 14. Intransitive verbs are made to govern the objective; as, "Still in harmonious intercourse they lived The rural day, and talk'd the flowing heart." 15. The uncompounded form of the first and third persons imperative is used; as, "Turn we a moment Fancy's rapid flight." "Fall he who must beneath a rival's arms.' 16. In the compound tenses the auxiliary only is used; as, "What for ourselves we can is always ours." 17. The idioms of other languages are used; as, "For not to have been dipp'd in Lethe's lake "He came; and, standing in the midst, explain'd 18. Antiquated words and modes of expression are used; as, When where likes me best I can command ?" "In sooth, he was a strange and wayward wight." Some of these forms are not peculiar to poetry. SECTION DCXXXIV.-ELISION. ELISION, Latin elido, to strike off, is a general term for certain Euphonic Figures, in which there is an omission of a letter or letters. See Section CLX. "'Twas theirs alone to dive into the plan That truth and mercy had reveal'd to man.". -COWPER. "Hence British poets, too, the priesthood shared, "Who durst defy th' Omnipotent to arms ?"-MILTON. "Because the Father, whom in heaven supreme."-MILTON. CHAPTER II. IAMBIC MEASURES. SECTION DCXXXV.-IAMBIC MONOMETER. Formula x a. IN the following extract the two accented lines are each composed of a single Iambus. In the following stanzas the three accented lines consist of an Iambus and an additional syllable. In the following extract the accented lines are composed of two Iambics In this extract the accented lines are composed of two Iambics and an additional syllable. "Could love' forev'er And Time's' endeavour Be tried in vain, No oth'er pleas'ure With this could meas'ure, And, like' a treas'ure, We'd hug the chain'. "But since our sigh'ing Ends not' in dy'ing, Be only spring."-BYRON. SECTION DCXXXVII.-IAMBIC TRIMETER. Formula x a x 3. In this extract the accented lines are composed of three Iambics. "We stand among the fallen leaves, Right merrily we hunt them down, With dancing feet we leap along Where with'er'd boughs' are strewn'; Nor past nor future checks our song The present is' our own'!"-Mrs. NORTON. Formula x ax 3 +. In this extract the accented lines are composed of three Iambics, with an additional syllable. "Then out' spake brave' Hora'tius, The captain of the gate: Death cometh soon or late! And how can man' die bet'ter Than facing fearful odds For the ash'es of' his fa'thers, And the temple of his gods ?"-MACAULAY. SECTION DCXXXVIII.-IAMBIC TETRAMETER. Formula x ax 4. In the following the law of measure is, that there should be four Iambics in each line. Instead of an Iambus, there is occasionally a Trochee, as in the first foot. This is the common octosyllabic verse. "Child of the country! free as air Art thou', and as' the sun'shine fair': Of such a fair and gladsome thing. "Child of the town! for thee I sigh: A narrow street thy boundless road; Thy rushing deer's the clattering tramp Of watchmen; thy best light's a lamp; Through smoke, and not through trellis'd vines And blooming trees, thy sunbeam shines: I sing of thee in sadness! Where Else is wreck wrought in aught so fair ?"-ALLAN CUNNINGHAM. Formula x a × 4+. In this extract the accented lines are composed of four Iambics and an additional syllable. "Wee, sleek'/it, cow'/rin', tim'/'rous beas'/tie! O what a panic's in thy breastie! Thou needna start awa' sae hasty, Wi' bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee Wi' murdering pattle! "I'm truly sor'ry man's' domin'ion Which makes thee startle At me', thy poor' earth-born' compan'ion, An' fellow-mortal!"— BURNS. SECTION DCXXXIX.-IAMBIC PENTAMETER. Formula xa x 5. In these extracts the law of the measure is, that each line should This is called Heroic measure. consist of five Iambics. "Dim as'/ the bor'/row'd beams' / of moon' / and stars Is Reason to the soul! and as on high Those rolling fires discover but the sky, Not light, as here; so Reason's glimmering ray But guide us upward to a better day."-DRYDEN. "O unexpected stroke! worse than of Death! |