Inter cuncta micans I gniti sidera cœl I, 3. From the manner of treating a subject, a poem is either Exegetic, Dramatic, or Mixt The Exegetic, where the poet always speaks himself, is of three kinds, Historical, Didactic, or Instructive, (as the Satire or Epistle; and Descriptive Of the Dramatic, the chief kinds are COMEDY representing the actions of ordina ry life, generally with a happy issue; and TRAGEDY, representing the actions and distresses of illustrious personages, commonly with an unhappy issue. To which may be added Pastoral poems, or BUCOLICS, representing the actions and conversations of shepherds; as most of the eclogues of Virgil. The Mixt kind is where the poet sometimes speaks in his own person, and sometimes makes other characters to speak. Of this kind is chiefly the EPIC or HEROIC poem, which treats of some one great transaction of some great illustrious person, with its various circumstances; as the wrath of Achilles in the Iliad of Homer; the settlement of Eneas in Italy, in the Eneid of Virgil; the fall of man in the Paradise Lost of Milton, &c. 4. The style of poetry, as of prose, is of three kinds, the simple, ornate, and sublime. COMBINATION OF VERSES IN POEMS. In long Poems there is commonly but one kind of verse used. Thus Virgil, Lucretius, Horace in his Satires and Epistles, Ovid in his Metamorphōses, Lucan, Silius Italicus, Valerius Flaccus, Juvenal, &c. always use Hexameter verse; Plautus, Terence, and other writers of Comedy, ge. nerally use the lambie, and sometimes the Trochaic. It is chiefly in shorter poems, particularly those which are called Lyric poems, as the odes of Horace and the Psalms of Buchanan, that various kinds of verse are combined. A poem which has only one kind of verse, is called by a Greek name, MONOCOLON, SC. poema, v. carmen; or MoxocōLOS, Sc. ode; that which has two kinds, DicozōN; and that which has three kinds of verse, TRICOLON. If the same sort of verse return after the second line, it is called DicoLON DISTRŎPHON; as when a single Pentameter is alternately placed af ter an HEXAMETER, which is named Elegiac verse, (carmen Elegiăcum), because it was first applied to mournful subjects; thus, Flebilis indignos, Elegëia solve capillos; Ah! nimis ex vero, nunc tibi nomen erit. Ovid. This kind of verse is used by Ovid in all his other works except the Metamorphoses; and also for the most part by Tibullus, Propertius, &c. When a poem consists of two kinds of verse, and after three lines returns to the first, it is called Dicōlon Tristrophon; when after four lines Dicolon Tetrastrophon; as, Aaream quisquis mediocritatem Sordibus tecti; caret invidendâ Horat! When a poem consists of three kinds of verse, and after three lines always returns to the first, it is called Tricolon Tristrophon; but if it returns after four lines, it is called Tricolon Tetrastrophon; as, when after two greater dactylic alcaic verses are subjoined an archilochian iambic and a lesser dactylic alcalc, which is named Carmen Horatianum, or Horatian because it is frequently used by Horace; thus, verse, Virtus recludens immeritis mori Coelum, negatâ tentat iter viâ; Spernit humum fugiente penna Any one of these parts of a poem, in which the different kinds of verse are comprehended, when taken by itself, is called a Strophe, Stanza, or Staff DIFFERENT KINDS OF VERSE IN HORACE AND BUCHANAN. 1. ODES and PSALMS of one kind of verse. 1. Asclepiadean, See No 3. p. 270. Hor. I. 1. IV. 8. III. 30.- -Buch. 2. Choriambic Alcaic Pentameter, consisting of a spondee, three chori. 3. Iambic trimeter, N° 11.-Hor. Epod. 17.-) -Buch. Ps. 25, 94, 106. 5. Iambic Dimeter, N° 12.-Buch. Ps. 13, 31, 37, 47, 52, 54, 59, 86, 6. The Greater Dactylic Altaic, N° 8.-Buch. Ps. 26, 29, 32, 49, 61, 7. Trochaic, consisting of seven trochees and a syllable; admitting also 8. Anapestic, consisting of four anapestuses, admitting also a spondee 9. Anacreontic Iambic, consisting of three iambuses and a syllable; in II. ODES and PSALMS of two kinds of verse following one another al- 1. Glyconian and Asclepiadean, N° 4. and 3.-Hor. I. 3, 13, 19, 36. III 2. Every first line, (Dactylico-Trochaic,) consisting of the first four feet 3. The first line Hexameter; and the second, Alemanian Dactylic, con- 4. Every first line, Aristophanic, consisting of a choriambus, and bac- 5. The first line, (Trochaic) consisting of three trochees, and a cæsu- 6. The first line, Hexameter; the second (Dactylic Archilochian, 7. The first line. Iambic Trimeter; and the second, Iambic Dimeter, 8. The first line, Iambic Dimeter; the second (Sapphic,) consists of 9. The first line, Hexameter; the second, Iambic Dimeter. Hor. Epod. 10. Hexameter and Iambic Trimeter. Hor. Epod. 16. Buch. Ps. 2, 11. The first line Sapphic, N° 5. and the second, Iambic Dimeter, N? 11. Buch. Ps. 8. 12. Sapphic and Glyconian. Buch. Ps. 35, 70, 121, 142. 13. Iambic Trimeter and Pentameter. Buch. Ps. 36, 65. 14. The first line, Hexameter; and the second line, the three last feet of an hexameter, with a long syllable or two short syllables before. Buchf. Ps. 68. 15. Hexameter and Pentameter, or Elegiac verse. Buch. Ps. 88, 114, 137. 16. The first line, (Trochaic,) three trochees and a syllable, admitting sometimes a spondee, tribrachys, &c. The second line, Iambic Dimeter. N° 11. Buch. Ps. 100. III. ODES and PSALMS of two kinds of verse, and three or four lines in each stanza. 1. The three first lines, Sapphic, and the fourth, Adonian, No 5. Horat. Carm. I. 2, 10, 12, 20, 22, 25, 30, 32, 38. II, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 16. III. 8, 11, 14, 18, 20, 22, 27. IV. 2, 6, 11, Carmen Secul.-Bach. Ps. 5, 17, 51, 55, 65, 67, 72, 90, 101, 103. 2. The three first lines, Asclepiadean, and the fourth, Glyconian, Hor. Carm. I. 6, 15, 24, 33, II. 12. III. 10, 16, IV. 5, 12.- -Buch. Ps. 23, 42, 75, 99, 102, 144. 3. The two first lines, Ionic Trimeter, consisting of three lonici minores; the third line, Ionic Tetrameter, having one lonicus minor more. Hor. III. 12. 4. The two first lines have four trochees, admitting, in the second foot, a spondee, dactyl, &c. The third line the same; only wanting a syllable at the end. Buch, Ps. 66. 5. The three first lines, Glyconian, No 4. admitting also a spondee, or jambus, in the first foot; the fourth line, Phereeratian, No 6. Buch. Ps 116, 122, 128. IV. ODES and PSALMS of three kinds of verse, and three or four lines in each stanza. 1. The two first lines, Asclepiadean, No 3. the third line, Pherecratian, No 6. and the fourth, Glyconian, No 4. Hor. Carm. I. 5, 14, 21, 23. III. 7, 13. IV. 13. -Buch. Ps. 9, 64, 84, 130. 2. The two lines, the Greater Dac'ylic Alcaic, N9 8. The third, Archilochian Tambic, N° 9. The fourth, the Lesser Alcaic, N° 10. Hor. Garm. I. 9, 16, 17, 26, 27, 29, 31, 34, 35, 37. II. 1. 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20. III. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 17, 21, 28, 26, 29. IV. 4, 9, 14, 15.4 Buch. Ps. 7, 11, 15, 19, 30, 46, 50, 56, 58, 77, 82, 91, 123, 125, 140, 146. 5. The first line, Glyconian, the second, Asclepiadean; the third a spondee, three choriambases, and an iambus, or pyrrhichius. Buch. Ps. 16. 4. The first line, Hexameter; the second, Jumbic Dimeter and the third, two dactyls and a syllable; Hor. Epod. 13.-Buch. Ps. 158. Sometimes the two last verses are joined in one or inverted; as, Buch. Ps. 145. ENGLISH VERSE. The quantity of syllables in English verse is not precisely ascertained. With regard to this we are chiefly directed by the ear. Our monosyllables are generally either long or short, as occasion requires. And in words of two or more syllables, the accented syllable is always long. Of English verse there are two kinds, one named Rhyme, and the other Blank verse. In rhyme the lines are usually connected two and two, sometimes three and three, in the final syllables. Two lines following one another hus nected, are called a Couplet, three lines, a Triplet. In blank verse similarity of sound in the final syllables is carefully avoided. In measuring most kinds of English verse we find long and short syllables succeeding one another alternately; and therefore the accents should rest on every second syllable. The feet by which English verse is commonly measured, are either Tambic, i. e. consisting of a short and a long syllable; as, aloft, create: or Trochaic, i. e, consisting of a long and a short syllable; hōly, lofty. In verses of the former kind the accents are to be placed on the even sylla bles; in the latter, on the odd syllables. But the measure of a verse in English is most frequently determined by its number of syllables only, without dividing them into particular feet. 1. IAMBIC MEASURE comprises verses, 1. Of four syllables, or of two feet; as, With ravish'd ears, Dryden. 4. While dangers hourly round us rise, No caution guards us from surprise. Francis' Horace. Of ten syllables, or of five feet, which is the common measure of heroic and tragic poetry; as, Poetic fields encompass me around. And still I seem to tread on classic ground; For here the Muse so oft her harp has strung, That not a mountain rears its head unsung. Addison. Obs. 1. In measures of this last sort, we sometimes find the last line of a couplet of triplet stretched out to twelve syllables, or six feet, which is termed an Alexandrine verse; thus, A needless Alexandrine ends the song, Which, like a wounded snake, drags its slow length along. Pope. Waller was smooth: but Dryden taught to join Pope. We also find the last verse of a triplet stretched out to fourteen syllables, or seven feet, but then it has commonly an Alexandrine verse before it; thus, For thee the land in fragant flow'rs is drest; For thee the ocean smiles, and smooths her wavy breast, } } Dryden. Rowe, At length by fate to pow'r divine restor'd, Obs. 2. The more strictly iambic these verses are, the more harmonious. In several of them, however, particularly in those of ten syllables, we often meet with a trochee, and likewise a spondee, instead of an iambus. Verses of heroic measure sometimes also admit a dactyle, or an anapestus, in place of the iambus; in which case a verse of five feet may comprehend eleven twelve, thirteen, and even fourteen syllables; thus, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 And many an humorous, many an amorous lay, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Was sung by many a bard, on many a day. This manner of writing every syllable fully is now generally used by the best poets, and seems much more proper than the ancient custom of cutting off vowels by an apostrophe. Our language abounds too much in consonants of itself; the elision of Vowels therefore should be avoided as much as possible, and ought only to be admitted where it is absolutely necessary; as, o'er, for over; e'er, for ever, &c. The same ob servation may be applied to every kind of measure, II. TROCHAIC MEASURE comprises verses, 1. Of three syllables; as, Dreadful gleams, Dismal screams, &c. 2. Of five syllables; as, In the days of old, 3. Of seven syllables; as, Fairest piece of well form'd earth, Pope Waller. These are the measures which are most commonly used in English pos etry, especially those of seven, eight, and ten syllables. We have another measure very quick and lively, and therefore much used in songs, which may be called Anapestic measure, i. e. a verse consisting of feet of three syllables, two short and one long, in which the accent rests upon every third syllable. Verses of anapestic measure consist of two, three, or four feet; that is, of six, nine, or twelve syllables; thus, Let the loud trumpets sound, Till the roofs all around, The shrill échoes rebound. Pope, From the plains, from the woodlands, and groves, How the nightingales warble their loves! May I govern my passions with absolute sway, Shenstone. Id. In this measure a syllable is often retrenched from the first foot; as, The sword or the dárt Shall pierce my sad heart. Ye shepherds so cheerful and gáy, Addison. Whose flocks never carelessly roam, &c. I vow'd to the muses my time and my cáre, Shenstone. These measures are variously combined together in Stanzas, particu larly in short poems; for generally in longer works, the same measure is always observed. Stanzas are composed of more or fewer verses, and these variously di versified, according to the nature of the subject, and the taste of the poet. But when they are stretched out to a great length, and consist of verses of many different measures, they are seldom agréeable. Such poems as consist of Stanzas, which are not confined to a certain number of verses, nor the verses to a certain number of syllables, nor the rhymes to a certain distance, are called Irregular or Pindaric odes. Of this kind are several of the poems of Cowley. But in the odes of later authors, the number are exact, and the strophes regular. Stanzas of four lines are the most frequent, in which the first verse an swers to the third, and the second to the fourth. There is a stanza of this kind, consisting of verses of eight and of six syllables alternately, which is very often used, particularly in sacred poetry. Here for the most part the second and fourth lines only rhyme together; as, Sometimes also the first and third lines answer to one another; as,. |