The Grammar of English Grammars Part 199

_Example II--Rhymes Otherwise Arranged._

"Then, me |-thought, I | heard a | hollow | sound, _G=ath~er~ing_ | up from | all the lower | ground: _N=arr~ow~ing_ | in to | where they | sat as |-sembled, Low vo |_-l~upt~uo~us_ | music, | winding, | trembled."

ALFRED TENNYSON: _Frazee's Improved Gram._, p. 184; _Fowler's_, 657.

This measure, whether with the final short syllable or without it, is said, by Murray, Everett, and others, to be "_very uncommon_." Dr. Johnson, and the other old prosodists named with him above, knew nothing of it. Two couplets, exemplifying it, now to be found in sundry grammars, and erroneously reckoned to _differ as to the number of their feet_, were either selected or composed by Murray, for his Grammar, at its origin--or, if not then, at its first reprint, in 1796. They are these:--

(1.)

"All that | walk on | foot or | ride in | _chariots_, All that | dwell in | pala |-ces or | garrets."

_L. Murray's Gram._, 12mo, 175; 8vo, 257; _Chandler's_, 196; _Churchill's_, 187; _Hiley's_, 126; _et al._

(2.)

"Idle | after | dinner, | in his | chair, Sat a | farmer, | ruddy, | fat, and | fair."

_Murray, same places; N. Butler's Gr._, p. 193; _Hallock's_, 244; _Hart's_, 187; _Weld's_, 211; _et al._

Richard Hiley most absurdly scans this last couplet, and all verse like it, into "_the Heroic measure_," or a form of our _iambic pentameter_; saying, "Sometimes a syllable is cut off from the _first_ foot; as,

=I |-dl~e =af |-t~er d=inn |-n~er =in | h~is ch=air [,]

S=at | ~a f=ar |-m~er [,] r=ud |-d, f=at, | =and f=air."

_Hiley's English Grammar_, Third Edition, p. 125.

J. S. Hart, who, like many others, has mistaken the metre of this last example for "_Trochaic Tetrameter_," with a surplus "syllable," after repeating the current though rather questionable a.s.sertion, that, "this measure is very uncommon," proceeds with our "_Trochaic Pentameter_," thus: "This species is likewise uncommon. It is composed of five trochees; as,

=In th~e | d=ark ~and | gr=een ~and | gl=oom~y | v=all~ey, S=at~yrs | b=y th~e | br=ookl~et | l=ove t~o | d=all~y."

And again: [[Fist]] "_The SAME with an ADDITIONAL accented syllable_; as,

Wh=ere th~e | w=ood ~is | w=av~ing |gr=een ~and |_h=igh_, F=auns ~and | Dr=y~ads | w=atch th~e | st=arr~y | _sky._"

_Hart's English Grammar_, First Edition, p. 187.

These examples appear to have been made for the occasion; and the latter, together with its introduction, made unskillfully. The lines are of five feet, and so are those about the ruddy farmer; but there is nothing "_additional_" in either case; for, as pentameter, they are all _catalectic_, the final short syllable being dispensed with, and a caesura preferred, for the sake of single rhyme, otherwise not attainable. "Five trochees" and a rhyming "syllable" will make trochaic _hexameter_, a measure perhaps more pleasant than this. See examples above.

MEASURE V.--TROCHAIC OF FOUR FEET, OR TETRAMETER.

_Example I.--A Mournful Song_.

1.

"Raving | winds a | -round her | blowing, Yellow | leaves the | woodlands | strewing, By a | river | hoa.r.s.ely | roaring, Isa | -bella | strayed de | -ploring.

'Farewell | hours that | late did | measure Suns.h.i.+ne | days of | joy and | pleasure; Hail, thou | gloomy | night of | sorrow, Cheerless | night that | knows no | morrow.

2.

O'er the | past too | fondly | _wandering_, On the | hopeless | future | _pondering_, Chilly | grief my | life-blood | freezes, Fell de | -spair my | fancy | seizes.

Life, thou | soul of | _every_ | blessing, Load to | _misery_ | most dis | -tressing, O how | gladly | I'd re | -sign thee, And to | dark ob | _-livion_ | join thee.'"

ROBERT BURNS: _Select Works_, Vol. ii, p. 131

_Example II.--A Song Pet.i.tionary_.

"_Powers ce_ | -lestial, | whose pro | -tection Ever | guards the | _virtuous_ | fair, While in | distant | climes I | wander, Let my | Mary | be your | care: Let her | form so | fair and | faultless, Fair and | faultless | as your | own; Let my | Mary's | kindred | spirit Draw your | choicest | _influence_ | down.

Make the | gales you | waft a | -round her Soft and | peaceful | as her | breast; Breathing | in the | breeze that | fans her, Soothe her | bosom | into | rest: _Guardian_ | angels, | O pro | -tect her, When in | distant | lands I | roam; _To realms_ | _unknown_ | _while fate_ | _exiles me_, Make her | bosom | still my | home."

BURNS'S SONGS, Same Volume, p. 165.

_Example III.--Song of Juno and Ceres_.

_Ju_. "Honour, | riches, marriage | -blessing, Long con | _-tinuance_, | and in | -creasing, Hourly | joys be | still up | -on you!

Juno | sings her | blessings | on you."

_Cer_. "Earth's in | -crease, and | foison | plenty; Barns and | garners | never | empty; Vines with | cl.u.s.t'ring | bunches | growing; Plants with | goodly | burden | bowing; Spring come | to you, | at the | farthest, In the | very | end of | harvest!

Scarci | -ty and | want shall | shun you; Ceres' | blessing | so is | on you."

SHAKSPEARE: _Tempest_, Act iv, Sc. 1.

_Example IV.--On the Vowels_.

"We are | little | airy | creatures, All of | diff'rent | voice and | features; One of | us in | gla.s.s is | set, One of | us you'll | find in | jet;

T'other | you may | see in | tin, And the | fourth a | box with | -in; If the | fifth you | should pur | -sue, It can | never | fly from | you."

SWIFT: _Johnson's British Poets_, Vol. v, p. 343.

_Example V.--Use Time for Good_.

"Life is | short, and | time is | swift; Roses | fade, and | shadows | s.h.i.+ft; But the ocean | and the | river Rise and | fall and | flow for | ever;

Bard! not | vainly | heaves the | ocean; Bard! not | vainly | flows the | river; Be thy | song, then, | like their | motion, Blessing | now, and | blessing | ever."

EBENEZER ELLIOT: _From a Newspaper_.

_Example IV.[sic for VI--KTH]--"The Turkish Lady"--First Four Stanzas_.

1.

"'Twas the | hour when | rites un | -holy Called each | Paynim | voice to | pray'r, And the | star that | faded | slowly, Left to | dews the | freshened | air.

2.

Day her | sultry | fires had | wasted, Calm and | sweet the | moonlight | rose; E'en a | captive's | spirit | tasted Half ob | -livion | of his | woes.

3.

Then 'twas | from an | Emir's | palace Came an | eastern | lady | bright; She, in | spite of | tyrants | jealous, Saw and | loved an | English | knight.

4.

'Tell me, | captive, | why in | anguish Foes have | dragged thee | here to | dwell Where poor | Christians, | as they | languish.

Hear no | sound of | sabbath | bell?'"

THOMAS CAMPBELL: _Poetical Works_, p. 115.

_Example VII.--The Palmer's Morning Hymn_.