one or more lines with a supernumerary syllable, or with one syllable lacking; as may be seen by citing another stanza, and striking the bars between the feet in each stanza.

"One moment, and nought but I the bugle | was heard
And nought but the war-whoop | given;

The next, and the sky seem'd | convulsively stirr'd,
As if by the lightning | riven."

Here is a specimen of this kind of verse which we call irregular in its order: these irregularities in the order and metre may be considered a kind of diversification, which, although not needed, are occasionally admissible, as in the poem from which those stanzas were cited, and in such cases as when these may be restricted within due bounds, as not to mar the harmony of the verse. But this is sometimes the case, the harmony of verse is sometimes marred by the irregular construction of it: the poem from which the following stanza is taken may stand as an example of it.

On, ôn, | to the just | ănd glöri | oüs strife!

With your swords | your freedom | shielding:
Nay, resign, if it must | bě sō, | évěn life;

But die, | ǎt least, unyielding."

This is from a poem, said to be written as an address to the Greeks, in the time of their struggle for independence, inciting them to be valiant and persevering in defence of their country and their rights. It is not a mean composition, but is worthy of the pen of a Byron. The sentiments and also the verse are adapted to the subject. The verse is a species of the composite order, but very irregular: being composed in stanzas of four and three feet metre; and the feet being of various kinds, no two stanzas, nor scarcely two lines, are found to be alike. It is a rare specimen of verse, pertaining to the composite order, but, in some instances the harmony of the verse is marred by irregular arrangements of sounds. stanza above cited presents an example of this, as also of the irregularity and diversity of its numbers: the first line containing four kinds of feet, the next three, the third three and with two amphimacs, and the last two.

The

SECTION X-Verse Diversified, and without Order.

Before closing this chapter, I will present an example of a kind of verse, without order and without metre; and which principally consists in diversified numbers. This is commonly written like prose; but I shall write it in lines, like verse; but of no regular and determinate lengths, as the kind of verse does not admit of it.

"O thou that rollest above, round as the shield of my fathers! Whence are thy beams, O sun! thou everlasting light?

Thou comest forth in thy awful beauty, and the stars hide themselves in the sky;

The moon, cold and pale, sinks in the western wave;

But thou thyself mov'st alone: who can be a companion of thy

course?

The oaks of the mountains fall; the mountains themselves decay with years;

The ocean shrinks and grows again; the moon herself is lost in heaven;

But thou art forever the same, rejoicing in the brightness of thy

course.

When the world is dark with tempests; when thunder rolls and lightning flies;

Thou lookest in thy beauty from the clouds, and laughest at the

storm.

But to Ossian thou lookest in vain; for he beholds thy beams no

more;

Whether thy yellow hair flows on the eastern clouds, or thou tremblest at the gates of the west.

But thou art, perhaps, like me, for a season, and thy years will have an end.

Thou shalt sleep in the clouds, careless of the voice of the morning. Exult then, O sun, in the strength of thy youth! age is dark and

unlovely;

It is like the glimmering light of the moon, when it shines through broken clouds, and the mist is on the hills;

The blast of north is on the plain, and the traveller shrinks in the midst of his journey." Ossian's Address to the Sun.

This is a kind of verse which is unlike all others; being without form, without order, and without metre, like other poems. It is a species of verse more resembling prose than any other; but it is not prose. It is one of the most antient kinds, and perhaps the most antient of any, and not much used in modern times; but more perhaps by the Germans and some others, than by the English. Our other kinds of verse, of more recent origin, are improvements upon this: our common blank verse is an improvement upon it, by being composed in metre, and by some regular order in the arrangement of its numbers; and rhyme is an improvement upon blank verse, by its being in lines ending with similar sounds; and in addition to this we have other improvements, consisting of the various forms of stanzas, &c. These are real improvements; but are found, however, to be, in some respects, of the retrograde kind; for, in due proportion as the minor qualities, the decorations of verse are attended to, the nobler beauties of verse are neglected and found wanting. In these respects, this antient kind of verse stands preeminent: this allows the greatest scope to the imagination, and the greatest scope to diversified numbers; and is best adapted to sublime and awful descriptions. In these respects, blank verse stands before rhyme; and rhyme which is most improved by forms is behind all others, in these respects. Thus, on review of the whole we may say, each kind of verse has its excellencies and its uses, and each has its

defects; and each also is liable to degenerate. Those minor kinds of verse are liable to degenerate by too much refinement, so called; by substituting sounds and forms for sense and sentiment. This antient kind may degenerate also, but in a different way; it may assimilate to prose, or to something like prose run mad; and this should be guarded against in compositions of this kind.

In all kinds of verse, the line of demarkation between verse and prose should be observed: melodious numbers, which are formed by the just arrangement of sounds, should be preserved in all kinds of verse. It is this which constitutes verse, and marks the distinction between verse and prose, as far as prosody is concerned. This should be preserved in all kinds of verse, that of Gesner and Ossian also, but in a less degree.

This antient kind of verse, which consists principally of diversifications, should be under some restrictions; it may be diversified too much, and thereby assimilate to prose; for prose is nothing else but the various kinds of sounds, which constitute poetic feet, iambics, trochees, amphibrachs, &c., promiscuously thrown together. Hence, this kind of verse is subject to some degree of order, and also to some restrictions. But concerning the order, no determinate and standing rules can be given which would apply: that may be better determined by the ear, and by the intuitive genius of the poet.

This kind of verse is inferior to the other kinds, in point of melody and the harmony of its sounds; but on reviewing and scanning the verse above cited, we may see some degree of poetic order pervading it; we may see iambicisms, and other kinds of feet, which are variously diversified; and, in some parts, with some degree of melody; and, in other parts, the language sounds more like prose; but its general character is that of poetry, in point of sounds, as also in point of sentiment.

Questions and Exercises on the foregoing.

What are diversifications and figures? How are they used? What is the use and benefit of diversified numbers? What of figures?

How is iambic verse diversified, and by what other kinds of feet? Cite some examples of diversifications by trochees. By spondees. By pyrrhics. By dactyles. By tribrachs. By amphibrachs. By anapæsts.

In what cases are trochees admissible in iambic verse? Spondees? Pyrrhics? Amphibrachs? Anapæsts? Dactyles? Tribrachs?

What are the uses of trochees as figures of sound? Of spondees? Of trisyllable feet?

Cite some examples of iambic verse improperly diversified.

Cite some examples in which the numbers are so arranged as that the sounds correspond to the sense. To the motions of the waves. Falling trees. The gait of Richard III. Horrible shrieks. Scylla and Charybdis. Swarms of flying insects. Regular and slow movement. Motion slow and difficult. Laborious and impetuous motion. A huge rock from the brow of a mountain.

How is trochaic verse diversified? Cite an example, by dactyles. By pyrrhics. By spondees.

Are iambics properly admissible in trochaic verse? Cite an example.

Does anapæstic verse admit of diversifications, and how?

Cite an example of anapæstic verse diversified by amphimacs. By bacchies. By spondees.

Is amphibrachic verse diversified, and how? Cite examples by bacchies. By antibacchies.

Does our composite verse admit of diversifications?

There is a kind of verse of six feet metre, the third foot a trisyllable, commonly an amphibrach, and the others iambic; how may that be diversified? Cite examples.

There is a kind of verse of four feet metre, composed of anapæsts and iambics alternately: How may that be diversified? Cite a few examples.

Miscellaneous.

Do our English Sapphics need diversifications? Do they admit them? Cite examples.

How are our English Sapphics varied from the antient Sapphics, and on what account?

What are diversified and irregular orders of verse? Are these useful? In what respects?

Are these species of verse of the composite order? How do they differ from the regular composite?

Are diversified orders and irregular orders precisely alike? Cite an example of each. How do these differ?

Cite an example from Ossian's verse.

other kinds of verse?

How does this vary from

What are the advantages of this kind of verse, and what are its disadvantages?

CHAPTER VI.

NUMBERS, HARMONY, PROPRIETY, &c.

In the foregoing chapters, I have treated of the elementary and component parts of verse, of its orders, forms, diversifications, and figures; these comprise the essential properties of verse; but a few more articles, pertaining to verse, remain to be treated of and further illustrated: these are numbers, melody, and harmony, together with the proper and appropriate use of these. These, being somewhat connected, I shall treat of severally, but not separately and in sections, after the manner of the chapters preceding.

Numbers and Melody.

The constituent parts and essential properties of verse are numbers. Numbers consist in the melodious sounds, or musical notes, of which poetry consists; and which are formed and constituted by the just distribution of sounds and pauses; and, as relates to the distribution of sounds, by the just arrangement of feet, as treated of in a chapter preceding.

The essential property of verse is melody also melody consists in the melodious sounds, or musical notes, of which poetry consists. Numbers and melody, as they relate to poetry, may hence be considered as one in essence but they are not precisely one, as melody is the qualifying property of numbers, for numbers may be sometimes unmelodious.

Numbers, however, constitute the melody, and constitute the essential properties of verse. These are called numbers, because of their melodious sounds, and because they are numerous, various, and diverse, in their sounds themselves, and also in their kinds, as they are used in composition of the different kinds of verse: hence we may call them iambic numbers, anapæstic numbers, lyric numbers, &c.

Harmony.

One very essential property of verse is harmony. Harmony and melody are somewhat similar, but are not