THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 RIVERSIDE 
 
 Ex Libris 
 [ C. K. OGDEN '
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION
 
 THE TECHNIC 
 OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM ODLING, M.A., F.R.S. 
 
 * * i ' 
 
 HONORARY FELLOW OF WORCESTER COLLEGE 
 HON. MATH. PHYS. DOCT. (LUGD. BAT.), M.B. LOND., F.R.C.P, 
 
 PARKER fc? CO. 
 
 27, BROAD STREET, OXFORD 
 
 LONDON : SJMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO.
 
 DEDICATED TO 
 
 ONE INTERESTED MUCH IN VERSIFICATION 
 
 AND 
 BEGETTER OF THESE PAGES 
 
 E. M. O. 
 
 ' A CODE WOM MAN IS MAN NES BLVS, 
 WHERE HER LOVE RIGHT AND STEDPASTK YS.'
 
 PREFACE 
 
 IN a magazine article on ' The Rationale of Verse,' Poe 
 in 1843-47, himself a lively critic, wrote as follows: 
 
 ' There is, perhaps, no topic in polite literature . . . 
 which has been more pertinaciously discussed; and there 
 is certainly not one about which so much inaccuracy, 
 confusion, misconception, misrepresentation, mystification 
 and downright ignorance on all sides, can be fairly said 
 to exist. Were the topic really difficult ... we should 
 have less reason to wonder at all this contradiction and 
 perplexity; but in fact the subject is exceedingly simple. 
 
 ' But if this is the case, how,' it will be asked, ' can so 
 much misunderstanding have arisen ? Is it conceivable 
 that a thousand profound scholars, investigating so very 
 simple a matter for centuries, have not been able to 
 place it in the fullest light, at least, of which it is sus- 
 ceptible ? ' Can it not be, however, ' that the " thousand 
 profound scholars" may have failed, first, because they 
 were scholars, secondly, because they were profound, and 
 thirdly, because they were a thousand the impotency 
 of the scholarship and profundity having been thus 
 multiplied a thousandfold ? ' 
 
 On the above so positive an assurance that ' in fact the 
 subject is exceedingly simple,' and with a good conscience 
 in respect to not being amenable to any charge in regard 
 to it of profundity or of scholarship, I have ventured by 
 way of recreation for my now old age to string together a 
 few notes on what has been from an early day a matter of 
 interest to me. I am, moreover, not without the example 
 of a Professor of Natural Science taking a like interest
 
 viii PREFACE 
 
 in versification and putting pen to paper on the subject. 
 My late eminent colleague and long-while close personal 
 friend Professor J. J. Sylvester, while holding at the time 
 the Savilian Chair of Geometry, published in 1870 an 
 elaborate treatise on ' The Laws of Verse, or Principles 
 of Versification, exemplified in Metrical Translations.' 
 What is here of my own, as set forth in the few pages 
 introductory to the real subject undertaken namely, 
 the presentment of a specially classified compilation 
 of mostly well-known verses has, however, no pre- 
 tension to stand side by side with Professor Sylvester's 
 contribution to the subject, valuable alike by way of 
 exposition and of original illustration. 
 
 In regard to the production of this attempt as a whole, 
 compilation of verses and introductory notes taken 
 together, I am not without a modest hope that in addi- 
 tion to its having served as an amusement to myself, and 
 in despite of its having been undertaken as it was without 
 any view to publication, it may yet prove, even though 
 in but small measure, of interest to a few others. Should 
 this hope, however, not be gratified I shall hardly be able 
 to console myself by attributing blame to the particular 
 subject presented for consideration one, indeed, that can 
 lay claim to having been in vogue with writers and readers, 
 more or less continuously, for century after century. 
 
 As some warrant for the above statement, I give at 
 the conclusion of this short preface a list of some early 
 works on versification published between 1586 and 1702, 
 copies of which are to be found in the Bodleian 
 Library. As regards more recent productions, Mr. R. F. 
 Brewer, in a new edition, published in 1912, of his work 
 on ' The Art of Versification, and the Technicalities of 
 Poetry,' gives on page 295, a list of twenty-six works on 
 English versification published between 1804 and 1892, 
 two of them in the United States at New York, 1880, and 
 Boston, 1884, respectively and one entitled ' Englische 
 Metrik,' by a Dr. Schipper, at Bonn, 1882.
 
 PREFACE ix 
 
 In addition to what is set forth in these and other con- 
 siderable works on the subject, most of them of some 
 hundred of pages in length, more or less exposition and 
 discussion of the technic of versification is afforded here 
 and there in the prefixes to, and remarks upon, their 
 several writings by certain of the poets themselves as, 
 for instance, by Campion, Ben Jonson, Cowley, Dryden, 
 and later by Coleridge and by Poe. 
 
 The bulk of the following pages is made up of a fairly 
 large and much varied selection of mostly well-known 
 verses ; while the preliminary notes, alike in substance as 
 in form, are what they profess to be mere notes, devoid 
 of disquisition or criticism, but just explanatory of the 
 generalities of the subject ; or else declaratory of the 
 particular rhythmic character of the several forms of verse 
 set out later on for consideration. It is this systematically 
 arranged series of excerpts that forms the real subject- 
 matter of what is here offered to the reader. The selec- 
 tion, which may claim, it is thought to be looked 
 upon as fairly representative, is constituted for the most 
 part of about four or five examples of each of some forty 
 or so distinct commonly occurring varieties of verse and 
 verse -combination. 
 
 That readers of poetry are interested generally in 
 versification may be taken as a matter of course; but 
 further than this not a few among them would, it is 
 thought, be glad, even at the cost of some effort, to make 
 themselves more decidedly familiar with the subject. 
 The means at their disposal for doing so are, however, 
 scarcely encouraging. There is offered to them, on the 
 one hand, the perusal of lengthy treatises discussing the 
 subject with undeniable thoroughness, but it must be 
 allowed with not inconsiderable prolixity and unimportant 
 detail. While, on the other hand, there is but little of 
 less pretentiousness available to them beyond the very 
 bald chapters on prosody set forth in ordinary English
 
 x PREFACE 
 
 grammars. One motive accordingly that has led to 
 the printing and the publication of these pages has 
 been my wish to put before those interested in versifi- 
 cation and that less by the Notes than by the Illus- 
 trations an intermediate presentment of the subject. 
 It is left to the verses themselves, arranged as they are in 
 definite seriation to furnish the general reader with, it is 
 hoped, a sufficiently full and particularized setting forth of 
 the Technic of Versification, to afford him some measure 
 of information and of satisfaction with regard to it. 
 
 It will be observed that a special method on the face 
 of it a rather uncouth method of setting up the selected 
 verse-illustrations has been made use of throughout. 
 This method has been resorted to with the object of 
 manifesting as clearly as possible the simple correspon- 
 dences with one another, and simple differences from one 
 another, of the widely various forms of verse presented 
 here in one continuous series. I can only hope that 
 the method may be held to fulfil its intention ; and that 
 it may serve to justify the view put forward at the 
 beginning of this preface, that, in accordance with Poe's 
 dictum already quoted, the subject of versification, how- 
 ever elaborate in its details, is in its essence ' ex- 
 ceedingly simple.' 
 
 OXFORD, 
 
 July, 1916.
 
 TITLES OF SOME EARLY WORKS ON 
 
 VERSIFICATION TO BE FOUND IN THE 
 
 BODLEIAN LIBRARY 
 
 1580. ' Three proper and wittie familiar letters lately 
 passed between two universitie men touching . . . 
 our English reformed versifying.' . . . 'Two other 
 very commendable letters of the same men's writing ; 
 both touching the foresaid artificiall versifying.' 
 [By Edmund Spenser & Gabriel Harvey.] 
 
 1586. 'A Discourse of English Poetry,' by William Webbe. 
 
 1575-86. ' Certain Notes of Instruction concerning the 
 Making of Verse or Ryme in English,' by George 
 Gascoigne. 
 
 1589. ' The Arte of English Poesie,' by George Putten- 
 ham; reprinted in 1811. 
 
 1602. ' Observations in the Art of English Poesie,' by 
 Thomas Campion. 
 
 1603. ' Defence of Ryme,' by Samuel Daniel. 
 
 1679. ' English Parnassus, or a Help to English Poesie,' 
 by Joshua Poole, M.A., Clare Hall, Camb. 
 
 1684. ' Of Dramatic Poesie, an Essay,' by John Dryden. 
 
 1694. ' De re Poetica: or Remarks upon Poetry,' by Sir 
 Thomas Pope Blount. 
 
 1702. ' The Art of English Poetry,' by Edw. Bysshe Gent. 
 
 XI
 
 THE 
 
 TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 i. VERSE AND PROSE. 
 
 Consideration of opening lines of Scott's * Lay of the 
 Last Minstrel.' 
 
 ' r 
 
 ' The wdy was long, the wind was cold, 
 The minstrel was infirm and old.' 
 
 Narration itself as simple as could be, and expressible 
 in prose as under 
 
 ' The wind was chill, the way long, and the minstrel was 
 old and infirm.' 
 
 Identical statement made in both cases, and almost 
 in same fourteen words; save for substitution of word 
 ' chill ' in prose- version for word ' cold/ to avoid in such 
 short sentence unpleasing alliteration of syllables ' cold ' 
 and ' old ' ; and save for avoidance in prose- version of 
 threefold use of the word ' was,' howsoever much a grace 
 in the metric version. 
 
 The fourteen words of the two versions constituted alike 
 of sixteen syllables, eight stressed and eight without stress. 
 Order of stressed syllables in metric version 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 
 12, 14, and 16, that is to say alternate throughout. Order 
 in prose-version 2, 4, 6, 7', 10, 12, 13', and 16, thatjis 
 irregular throughout. Verse or metre distinguished 
 accordingly from prose by occurrence of stressed syllables 
 
 i
 
 2 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 in some or other definite order different in different 
 varieties of verse. 
 
 Stress as above noted on particular syllables in lines 
 of verse, often spoken of as accent ; or from stressed 
 syllables taking longer time to speak than unstressed 
 syllables, as quantity. Preferential use of one or other of 
 the words ' accent ' and ' quantity/ in relation to stress, 
 a matter of contention among writers. Prevailing re- 
 cognition nowadays, however, as to rhythm of English 
 verse being based rather on accent than on quantity. 
 The synonymous word ' emphasis,' howsoever fitting in 
 itself, not available, from its being applied by convention 
 to particular words of a sentence rather than to par- 
 ticular syllables of a word. 
 
 Alike in prose and verse, the syllabic stress in polysyllabic 
 words or so-called tonic accent fixed and determinate. 
 Neglect or violation of this in a line of verse tantamount 
 to use, that is, of a false quantity though occasionally 
 met with in writings of even most careful versifiers, always 
 to be deprecated. Meaning of expression ' tonic accent,' 
 as the distinguishing stress laid invariably on some one 
 syllable (and one syllable only) of every disyllabic and 
 polysyllabic word. Illustrative examples of differently 
 stressed di- and tri-syllabic words set out in next section. 
 
 As regards monosyllabic words, the stress or emphasis, 
 while variable in prose solely with the intention of the 
 user, determined in verse largely by requirements of the 
 rhythm or sequence of stressed and unstressed syllables; 
 and accordingly placed at times on monosyllables in 
 themselves insignificant, such as conjunctions and preposi- 
 tions, words of more weight being on the other hand 
 simply glided over. 
 
 Metric version further distinguished from prose-version 
 in being constituted of lines having determinate length 
 the lines in this particular instance ending in syllables of 
 similar sound that is to say, being in rhyme. The 
 setting forth of the subject-matter in successive definite
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 3 
 
 lines, alike with the definite sequence of stressed syllables, 
 an essential character of verse as distinguished from 
 prose, the rhyming of these lines not an essential, and 
 dispensed with altogether in so-called blank verse; and 
 in part or wholly in yet other instances. 
 
 2. METRIC FEET. 
 
 With alternation of one stressed with one unstressed 
 syllable, the two syllables together considered to form a 
 metric foot. With the unstressed preceding the stressed 
 syllable, the foot or measure called an iambus, x a; with 
 the stressed syllable precedent, the foot called a trochee, 
 dx. (See page 5.) 
 
 With alternation of one stressed with two unstressed 
 syllables, the three together taken also to constitute, in this 
 case, a trisyllabic foot. With the two unstressed syllables 
 preceding the stressed syllable, the foot designated an 
 anapaest, x x a ; with the stressed syllable preceding the 
 two unstressed syllables, the foot known as a dactyl, a xx; 
 and with the stressed syllable between the two unstressed 
 syllables, the foot known as an amphibrach, x a x. 
 
 Disyllabic feet constituted severally, sometimes of a 
 single word, sometimes of two words, sometimes of one 
 word and a syllable of another word, sometimes of a 
 syllable taken from each of two different words. Similarly 
 the trisyllabic feet constituted sometimes of a single 
 word, sometimes of three words, and sometimes of various 
 combinations of words and parts of other words. (See 
 illustrations on succeeding pages; and later on.) 
 
 Rhythm and metre each a matter alike not of individual 
 words but of syllables, and of feet or measures constituted 
 of such and such syllables. Every successive foot or 
 measure cognizable accordingly as a particular sequence 
 of stressed and unstressed syllables. Disyllabic words 
 very commonly, and trisyllabic words most usually, 
 broken up in metre; and as often as not, constituent
 
 4 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 syllables of a single word distributed into two successive 
 feet. Occurrence, for instance, in admired lines of 
 Wordsworth, set out below, of seven disyllabic and one 
 trisyllabic word. Of the seven disyllabic words one only 
 maintained entire as a foot in itself the other six di- 
 syllabic, and the one trisyllabic word broken up into their 
 constituent syllables, severally forming parts of two 
 successive feet : 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 A per- 
 To warn, 
 
 feet wo- 
 to com- 
 
 man, no- 
 fort, and 
 
 bly planned 
 command ; 
 
 And yet 
 With some- 
 
 a spir- 
 thing of 
 
 it still, 
 angel- 
 
 and bright, 
 ic light.' 
 
 Illustration of metric feet in respect of single words 
 given below. By far the greater number of English 
 disyllabic words trochaic. Use in verse of single- word 
 trisyllabic feet of any sort but seldom only, though less 
 seldom in case of dactyls ; but use of variously composite 
 trisyllabic feet far from uncommon and characteristic of 
 certain varieties of rhythm. 
 
 x a, IAMBICS array, despair, relief, alarm, delight. 
 
 a x TROCHAICS winter, market, parent, fortune, meadow. 
 
 x x a, ANAPAESTS cavalier, disagree, intervene. 
 
 x d x AMPHIBRACHS eternal, disable, belonging, relation. 
 
 a x x DACTYLS chronicle, excellent, tenderly, fortify. 
 
 Consideration later on of relationship subsisting be- 
 tween particular disyllabic and particular trisyllabic feet, 
 and especially of that between iambics and amphibrachs. 
 
 The words ' rhythm ' and ' metre,' or ' meter,' used in 
 strictness, the former to signify the character of the feet 
 iambic, trochaic, dactylic, etc. of which a line of 
 verse is constituted; and the latter to signify the number 
 of constituent feet, or staves, or measures present in 
 the line, noted accordingly as pentameter, tetrameter,
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 5 
 
 trimeter, etc. But both words further used in a quite 
 general sense, as denoting alike any some, or other, char- 
 acter appertaining to verse in contradistinction to prose; 
 and similarly with the adjectives rhythmic and metric. 
 
 The designations 'iambus,' 'trochee,' 'dactyl,' etc., ap- 
 plicable strictly not to particular sequences of stressed 
 and unstressed syllables, but to like sequences of long and 
 short syllables. Correspondence of the accentual symbols 
 used here for the several varieties of stressed feet, x a, 
 dx, a xx, etc., with the well-known quantitative nota- 
 tion as under for iambics, trochees, and dactyls respec- 
 tively ; as also with that for anapaests and amphibrachs. 
 
 Non-existence of words other than iambus, trochee, 
 dactyl, etc., to designate the sequences expressed in these 
 notes by the accentual symbols x a, a x, a x x, etc. But 
 in accordance with such properly quantitive designations 
 being used in this fashion to denote different stress se- 
 quences, so the familiar quantity-marks, - and , used 
 very commonly to denote stress or want of stress. This 
 use, though unwarrantable and even misleading, not per- 
 haps altogether without excuse. Nevertheless the noting 
 of stressed and unstressed syllables respectively by long- 
 quantity and short-quantity marks liable to confuse, by 
 reason of stressed syllables being as often as not properly 
 short syllables, and of unstressed syllables being as often 
 as not definitely long. But no proper accentual symbols 
 of any kind in very general use. Those employed in 
 these notes, introduced about 1840 by Latham, ' The 
 English Language/ not open, it is thought, to substantial 
 objection. 
 
 English rhythm being accepted as accentual, feet of two 
 short syllables , or pyrrhics, as also of two long syl- 
 lables , or spondees, not recognizable; or cognizable 
 
 only at expense of the rhythm. By stressing a short 
 syllable in the one case, and unstressing a long syllable
 
 6 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 in the other, the pyrrhic and the spondee foot alike 
 transformed into accentual iambus or trochee. 
 
 Occurrence, for instance, in English verse of such two- 
 word quasi-pyrrhics as 
 
 'and the/ 'but the,' 'of his,' etc. 
 
 Stress usually laid upon the first of the two words, 
 whereby the foot made into a trochee; and similarly 
 in the case of quasi-spondees. 
 
 Thus, in introductory speech of ' Comus,' occurrence 
 of quasi-pyrrhic disyllables ' Now the/ ' In the/ and ' Of 
 his/ as initial foot of the second, the fifth, and the ninth 
 line respectively, all three feet being stressed on the first 
 syllable as trochees. Occurrence similarly in the third 
 line and in the sixth line of the disyllabic ' And the,' 
 stressed, however, in the third line as a trochee and in 
 the sixth line as an iambus, thus : 
 
 ' And the | gilded | star of | day/ 
 
 ' And the | slope sun | his up- | ward beam.' 
 
 Similarly the quasi-spondee disyllabic word ' upright ' 
 stressed usually as a trochee, but sometimes as an iambus, 
 as, for instance, in Campion's line below; and similarly 
 in the case of disyllabic word ' farewell ' or ' farewell.' 
 
 ' The man of life upright.' 
 
 In accordance with English rhythm being viewed as 
 accentual and not quantitive, frequent occurrence, as 
 already noted, of stressed short and of unstressed long 
 syllables. Thus, in Milton's trochaic ' L' Allegro ' couplet, 
 consisting of twelve words with eight stressed syllables, 
 presence of only one stressed long syllable, other than 
 the final rhyming syllables of the lines : 
 
 ' Come and trip it as you go 
 On the light fantastic toe.'
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 7 
 
 But notwithstanding admittedly accentual character of 
 English rhythm, advantage to the ear of having, save in 
 very sprightly verse, a fair proportion of the accents 
 placed on syllables naturally long. 
 
 3. RHYME. 
 
 Rhyme a function appertaining for the most part to 
 final feet of the several rhyming lines not indeed to 
 last syllable of the foot, but to last stressed syllable, 
 whether or not followed by unstressed, as in the instances 
 of trochaic, amphibrachic, and dactylic feet. With such 
 following unstressed syllables also rhyming, as usually 
 the case, production thereby of additional subsidiary 
 rhymes, and in this way of so-called double and treble 
 rhymes as under : 
 
 tend tender tenderly 
 
 blend slender slenderly. 
 
 In instance of dimeter couplets, the two rhyming lines 
 of the couplet often written together as a single tetra- 
 meter line; whereby the rhyming in this case occurrent 
 not between final feet of two separate lines, but be- 
 tween central foot of so-constituted line with final foot 
 of the same line. Thus the two short couplets 
 
 Thou being Still take her 
 
 All seeing And make her, 
 
 instead of being set out as above, written (together with 
 intermediate trimeter lines) as under : 
 
 Thou being; all seeing; 
 O hear my fervent prayer. 
 Still take her ; and make her, 
 Thy most peculiar care. 
 
 R. Burns. 
 
 Suchlike manifestation of rhyme between other than 
 final syllables of different lines hardly usual, but not 
 wanting in examples, as under; or in advocacy. See
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 also excerpt ' Be it right or wrong, these men among, 3 
 dd 
 
 under heading D dd 
 
 All our joys 
 
 Idle 
 
 None hath power 
 
 In their 
 
 are but toys, 
 thoughts de-ceiving; 
 
 of an hour 
 
 life be-reiving 
 
 *j 
 
 T. Campion. 
 
 Occurrence of proper final rhyme for the most part 
 either between consecutive or between alternate lines, and 
 this in both cases usually between two, but sometimes 
 between three or yet more lines. Special cross-rhyming 
 in some instances of lines more or less remote from one 
 another. 
 
 In tetrameter and in joint tetrameter-trimeter four- 
 line stanzas or quatrains with rhyming alternate lines, the 
 rhyming of the even or 2-4 lines important, as marking 
 the conclusion of the quatrain. The rhyming or not of 
 the uneven or 1-3 lines less important, and determinate 
 in most instances at free choice of the writer. In ordi- 
 nary three-line stanzas or triplets, consecutive-ihyming 
 usually of all three lines with one another. 
 
 The essentials of rhyme between any two or more words 
 or stressed syllables of rhyming lines, as under; first an 
 identity, howsoever expressed, of the vowel-sound of each 
 syllable ; and further an identity or approximate identity 
 in sound of the consonant, if any, following the vowel, as 
 in examples set out below: 
 
 care, fair, bear, keen, scene, lean, bite, might, height, 
 
 home, foam, more, boar, door, law, rule, fool, 
 
 earth, birth, woe, snow, go, beau, new, you, do, 
 
 stuff, rough, plough, now, bought, sort. 
 
 Further, the particular consonants, if any, preceding 
 the like-sounding vowels to be not one and the same; 
 otherwise the two or three words professedly rhyming, 
 instead of being like-sounding different words or syllables, 
 merely repetitions of the same syllable. Similarly in
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 9 
 
 regard to so-called feminine or double rhymes, the co- 
 relationship of the unstressed final syllables of the lines a 
 relationship not of likeness but of identity; and so also 
 in the case of treble rhymes : 
 
 wrin-kle trea-sure rig-idly 
 
 sprin-kle mea-sure frig-idly. 
 
 In addition to true rhyme characterized as above, 
 frequent recourse had to imperfect rhymes; and even 
 to what can only be called make-believe rhyme, or mere 
 assonance. Among passable rhymes commonly met with, 
 chief varieties those having the vowel sounds only ap- 
 proximately alike; those having whatever the ortho- 
 graphy the final consonantal sounds only approximate; 
 and those with like-sounding unstressed syllable made to 
 rhyme with stressed syllable. A few instances of these 
 several varieties of imperfect rhyme set out below : 
 
 prove moon mute ease set free 
 
 love stone lute cease pity 
 
 gone foot 
 
 rear none be-neath disagree 
 
 air mourn charm breathe vanity. 
 
 turn warm 
 
 With a few out-of-the-way exceptions, and with the 
 notable exception of standard blank verse, English 
 versification characterized by being in rhyme, and the 
 particular rhyming (alike with the particular metre, 
 rhythm, and stanzaic disposition of the verses) a con- 
 sideration of importance as to whether single, double, 
 or treble; whether consecutive, alternate, or crossway; 
 and whether twofold, as most usually, or threefold, or 
 even fourfold, etc. 
 
 4. FORMS OF VERSE. 
 
 Scheme set forth later on of about forty or so 
 varieties of distinct usually occurring forms of versifica- 
 tion; together with one or two varieties nearly related
 
 io THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 to some or other of these, but in themselves less note 
 worthy, and of less frequent occurrence. Innumerable 
 yet other more or less special varieties of metric com- 
 binations made use of by different writers, and frequently 
 met with in reading. 
 
 Among the verses selected for illustration, very many, 
 not indeed all of them, characterized by marked poetic 
 feeling and expression, recognizable even in the neces- 
 sarily fragmentary sets of lines available mostly for selec- 
 tion as excerpts. These ones not chosen, however, on 
 account of their poetic merit, or others set aside for their 
 want of it, but both alike adduced simply as examples 
 of different, commonly met with, varieties of metre. 
 
 Verse-lines either indefinitely continuous with one 
 another, or broken up into particular sets of lines that 
 is to say, into stanzas. Such stanzas constituted severally 
 of different numbers of lines, usually say from four to 
 fourteen, in different instances. Collocations of two lines 
 and of three lines seldom spoken of as stanzas, but rather 
 as couplets and triplets respectively. A particular 
 sequence of alternate-ihymmg triplets known as Terza 
 Rima. Stanzas of four lines designated usually as 
 quatrains. (See pages 4 and 13.) 
 
 For notes as to, and illustrations of, five-line stanzas 
 or quintains and six-line stanzas or sextets, see further on; 
 and yet later in regard to special seven-line, eight-line, 
 nine-line, and fourteen-line stanzas, known as Rhyme 
 Royal, Ottava Rima, Spenserian Metre, and Sonnet 
 Metre respectively. Other forms of seven-line, eight- 
 line, and nine-line stanzas also sometimes met with. 
 
 Stanzas when constituted of from three to eight lines or 
 so, and more especially those constituted of four lines, 
 very commonly but quite erroneously spoken of as verses 
 every single line in metre, as distinguished from prose 
 constituting a verse in itself. Accordingly the expres- 
 sion used here and there in these notes of ' a line of verse ' 
 really a pleonasm, in strictness indefensible, and to be
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 ii 
 
 looked upon as used apologetically for the sake merely 
 of clearness the proper simple word ' verse ' being so 
 commonly taken to signify a stanza, and more particularly 
 a four-line stanza or quatrain. 
 
 Disposition as above noticed of lines of verse that is to 
 say, of verses either in continuous sedation or broken 
 up into distinct sets of successive lines, in form of coup- 
 lets, triplets, quatrains, etc. Mention just made also of 
 five-line, six-line, and of yet more complex stanzas; but 
 consideration, especially as regards particular seriation of 
 rhyme consecutive, alternate, or crossway given chiefly 
 hitherto to four-line stanzas or quatrains, and to three- 
 line stanzas or triplets. These by far the most usual 
 varieties met with; but five-line stanzas or quintains, and 
 especially six-line stanzas or sextets, of not unfrequent 
 occurrence. 
 
 Rhyming in five-line stanzas very various, but nearly 
 always of three lines with one another and of two lines 
 with one another the three rhyming lines being mostly 
 perhaps the alternate uneven 1-3-5 lines; as in instance 
 set out below : 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 I won- 
 As I 
 
 der do 
 have felt 
 
 you feel 
 since, hand 
 
 to-day 
 in hand, 
 
 We sat 
 
 In spir- 
 This morn 
 
 down on 
 it bet- 
 of Rome 
 
 the grass, 
 ter through 
 and May ? 
 
 to stray 
 the land, 
 
 R. Browning. 
 
 Rhyming of six-line stanzas also very various; some- 
 times alternate threefold, alike of even and of uneven lines ; 
 sometimes of even or 2-4-6 lines only. Not unfrequent 
 occurrence, moreover, of six-line stanzas constituted of an 
 alternate-rhyming quatrain, followed by a consecutive- 
 rhyming couplet. 
 
 Among the various examples of verse-combinations 
 set forth in general scheme, recognizability of one or two 
 among them as being constituted of six lines each. These
 
 12 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 mostly, however, not true sextets, designed as such by 
 the author, but personal selections of certain six lines 
 from stanzas constituted of a greater number, and 
 especially from fourteen-line stanzas or sonnets. Illus- 
 trations of quintains and of true sextets presented under 
 special heading F. 
 
 In addition to iambic sextets as presented under this 
 heading, a considerable variety of six-line trochaic, etc., 
 stanzas also to be met with. 
 
 5. TERMINAL FEET OF LINES. 
 
 Occasional addition of unstressed syllable to final foot 
 of iambic line x a, thereby constituted a trisyllabic amphi- 
 brach foot x a x. 
 
 Frequent excision of unstressed syllable from final foot 
 of trochaic line a x, thereby constituted a monosyllabic 
 foot a, known as a caesura. 
 
 Notable differentiation in this way, by purposed 
 syllabic excess or defect, of final foot from previous 
 characteristic feet of line, properly declarative of the 
 rhythm; and especially in instances just noted of iambic 
 lines with amphibrach-ending, and of trochaic lines with 
 caesura-ending terminal feet. General formulation of 
 tetrameter verses, for example, as under of iambic lines 
 with and without amphibrach-ending, and of trochaic 
 lines with and without caesura-ending final feet : 
 
 Iambic 4x0, and 3 x a + x a x 
 
 Trochaic 4 a x ,, 3 a x + a 
 
 Iambic foot proper x d, from its ending with stressed 
 syllable, formative characteristically of single-rhyme lines. 
 But final iambic foot elongated by addition of unstressed 
 syllable, and so made into amphibrach foot, formative 
 in this way of double-rhyme lines. 
 
 Trochaic foot proper d x, from its ending with unstressed 
 syllable, formative characteristically of doiible-rhyme
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 13 
 
 lines. But final trochaic foot truncated by cutting off 
 of unstressed syllable, and so become a caesura, formative 
 of single-rhyme lines. The word ' caesura/ as made use 
 of in these notes, used in a special sense, hi adoption of 
 view put forward by Poe, to signify not a mere component 
 syllable of some or other foot preceding a definite pause, 
 but as being itself an entire monosyllabic foot the 
 truncated form and representative, that is, of a trochee ; 
 or sometimes of a dactyl. 
 
 Example of trochaic quatrain with alternate single and 
 double rhymes, and example of iambic quatrain with 
 alternate double and single rhymes, given below : 
 
 
 i. n. in. 
 
 
 Fill the 
 
 bumper fair ; ( 
 
 Trochaic 
 
 Ev"ry 
 
 drop we 
 
 sprinkle 
 
 a x 
 
 On' the 
 
 brow of 
 
 care ( 
 
 
 Smoothes a- 
 
 way a 
 
 wrinkle. 
 
 I loved 
 
 a lass, 
 
 a fair (one, 
 
 As fair 
 
 as er'e 
 
 was seen ; 
 
 She was 
 
 indeed 
 
 a rare (one, 
 
 Anoth- 
 
 er She- 
 
 ba queen. 
 
 Iambic 
 x d 
 
 Any number of like examples to be met with of 
 properly single-rhyming iambic verses with amphibrachic 
 double rhymes, and conversely of properly double- 
 rhyming trochaic verses with caesura-ending single rhymes 
 the several verses being tetrameter, trimeter, and con- 
 joint tetrameter-trimeter, etc., and the rhyming either 
 alternate or consecutive in different instances. See 
 under headings E. and G. Lines as above with syllable 
 wanting, said to be catalectic; with syllable in excess, 
 hypermetric. 
 
 Co-relationship and characteristic rhyming of the 
 several mono-, di-, and tri- syllabic feet as under : 
 
 Monosyllabic caesura final foot d, formative of single 
 rhyme. 
 
 Disyllabic iambic final foot x d, formative of single 
 rhyme.
 
 i 4 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 Trisyllabic anapaest final foot x x a, formative of single 
 rhyme. 
 
 Faculty of forming single rhymes limited to these three 
 feet. 
 
 Disyllabic trochaic final foot a x, formative of double 
 rhyme. With excised unstressed syllable =caesura a, 
 and so formative of single rhyme. 
 
 Trisyllabic amphibrach final foot % a x, formative of 
 double rhyme. With excised unstressed last syllable = 
 iambus x a, and so formative of single rhyme. 
 
 Trisyllabic dactyl final foot a x x formative of treble 
 rhyme. With excised unstressed last syllable =trochee 
 a x, and so formative of double rhyme. With excised 
 unstressed last two syllables =caesura a, and so formative 
 of single rhyme. 
 
 Conversely, disyllabic iambic final foot x a formative 
 of single rhyme. With supernumerary unstressed syl- 
 lable = amphibrach x a x, and so formative of double 
 rhyme. 
 
 6. IAMBUS-TROCHEE RELATIONSHIPS. 
 
 Occasional substitution in lines, otherwise regular in 
 rhythm, of some foot different from characteristic pre- 
 vailing feet of the line. Not infrequent use, in this way, 
 of a trochaic in place of an iambic foot in line otherwise 
 regularly iambic. Such substitution at times casual 
 only; but for the most. part intentional to effect some or 
 other purpose. One such purpose to emphasize a par- 
 ticular word and break monotony of the line. Thus, 
 instead of its appearing as under, 
 
 ' There comes the squall more black than night/ 
 the actual line written thus, 
 
 ' There comes the squall blacker than night.'
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Another purpose to allow the use more especially at 
 the beginning of a line of some or other trochaic word 
 specially demanded by the sense of the writing, as in the 
 following examples : 
 
 ' Whether thou choose Cervantes' serious air.' Pope. 
 ' Tyrants swim saf-est in a pur-pie flood.' Marlow. 
 ' Helen, thy beauty is to me.' Poe. 
 
 Noteworthy existence of same general sequence of 
 stressed and unstressed syllables in iambic and in 
 trochaic verse. Difference between the two rhythms 
 manifested chiefly in respect to first foot and last 
 foot of the several lines. Convertibility accordingly of 
 trochaics into iambics by simple expedient of prefixing 
 unstressed syllable to each of the several lines. Con- 
 version thereby of caesura-ending trochaic lines into di- 
 syllabic-ending iambics proper, and of full trochaic lines 
 into trisyllabic amphibrach-ending iambics : 
 
 Trochaic 
 
 Iambic 
 
 I. II. 
 
 Fill the 
 Ev'ry 
 On the 
 
 bumper 
 drop we 
 brow of 
 
 Smoothes a- 
 
 way a 
 
 Then) fill 
 Since) ev- 
 Up-)on 
 So) smoothes 
 
 the bum- 
 ry drop 
 the brow 
 away 
 
 in. 
 
 fair; ( 
 sprinkle 
 care ( 
 wrinkle. 
 
 per fair, 
 we sprin(kle 
 of care 
 a wrin(kle. 
 
 Hence occurrence at times, and almost unnoticed by the 
 ear, of intermingled lines of iambic and trochaic feet 
 the successive truncated trochaic and full iambic lines 
 frequently rhyming with one another. 
 
 In addition to occasional interposition of trochaic foot 
 in properly iambic line, combinations not infrequently 
 met with of iambic and trochaic lines with one another, 
 sometimes in quatrains or sextets, but more usually in 
 continuous verse.
 
 1 6 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 Example of set of iambic lines being followed by set of 
 trochaic lines instanced in excerpt from Shakespeare's 
 ' Measure for Measure.' (See under heading H.) 
 
 Example of iambic and trochaic lines intermingled 
 irregularly and rhyming consecutively with one another 
 instanced in illustration from Milton's ' Comus.' In both 
 instances, difference between the iambic and trochaic 
 lines unless attention called thereto hardly noticeable 
 to the ear. 
 
 In illustrative lines from Shelley, ' When the lamp is 
 shatter'd/ intermixture manifested of lines of trochaic 
 feet alternating with lines of iambic or amphibrach-iambic 
 feet. (See also heading, as above.) 
 
 7. RHYTHM. 
 
 Rhythm of verse a matter primarily for the ear, and in 
 strictness to be taken note of solely by the ear. Nature 
 of any particular rhythm set out by written scansion of 
 the lines. This in most cases determinate readily by 
 observation of the actual succession to one another of 
 the stressed and unstressed syllables. 
 
 But in certain instances, and especially in the case of 
 trisyllabic rhythms, the scansion to some extent arbitrary, 
 and affected largely by view taken of more or less negli- 
 gible extra syllable prefixed not unfrequently to first 
 foot of a line. Scansion, for instance, of lines below, 
 from Byron's ' Destruction of Sennacherib,' indifferently 
 as amphibrachic or anapaestic, and similarly with other 
 lines of the poem. For a yet different mode of scansion 
 of this couplet, see further on, page 27. 
 
 And) the sheen of 
 When) the blue wave 
 
 And the sheen 
 When the blue 
 
 their spears was 
 rolls nightly 
 
 of their spars 
 wave rolls night- 
 
 like stars on 
 on deep Gal- 
 was like stars 
 ly on deep 
 
 the s6a, 
 ilee. 
 
 on the sea 
 Galilee. 
 
 Liability of properly disyllabic feet, alike iambic and 
 trochaic, to supernumerary syllabification. Accordingly,
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 17 
 
 both in iambic and, more especially, in trochaic lines cer- 
 tain particular feet of three syllables one alone stressed 
 often met with. This introduction of particular tri- 
 syllabic feet, how much soever apparent in the written 
 scansion, scarcely noticeable in the rhythm of the spoken 
 lines. Result effected in some instances by use of certain 
 contractions of two syllables into one, and so of three 
 syllables into two, by well-recognized elisions as under; 
 but even these elisions more apparent in the written than 
 in the spoken i.e., well-spoken lines; spoken, that is, 
 with regard alike to the meaning of the words and to the 
 rhythm of the syllables. 
 
 We have been, I will go, It was then, It is told, There is no, 
 We've been, I'll go, 'Twas then, 'Tis told, There's no, 
 
 The oaks and, Overthem, Even that, Never was, So taken, 
 Th' oaks and, O'er them, E'en that, Ne'er was, So ta'-en. 
 
 In the series of excerpts forming the subject of these 
 notes, with the intention of making evident the par- 
 ticular rhythmic syllabification of the several lines, the 
 written mark of elision used overmuch. The elision in 
 sound, however the real elision, that is to say best 
 left as far as may be to the individual appreciation and 
 skill of the reader. 
 
 In addition to above-noted contractions by elision, any 
 number of trisyllabic words known, commonly pronounced, 
 more especially in verse, not indeed absolutely, but 
 approximately as disyllables, or as quasi-disyllables ; 
 such words, for instance, as : 
 
 ancient, orient, radiant, brilliant, lovelier, milkier, 
 flowery, towering, glorious, beauteous, virtuous, powerful. 
 
 Various other contractions also met with, as, for ex- 
 ample, complete suppression of the vowel (mostly e) 
 before r in the syllables ring or ry ; and in other instances
 
 1 8 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 before the letter n. This suppression practised, though 
 quite inexcusably, both in speaking and writing, whence 
 such makeshift disyllabic words as the following: 
 
 ev-ry, silv-ry, mem-ry, rev-rend, wand-rer, 
 
 gath-ring, whisp-ring, flutt-ring, loit-ring, murm-ring, 
 
 heav'nly, sev'nfold, list-ning, threat-ning, desp-rate. 
 
 Right pronunciation of all these makeshift words as 
 unmistakably trisyllabic, but with the three syllables 
 spoken so ' trippingly on the tongue,' as to render the 
 words equivalent rhythmically to trochaics. Their de- 
 signation accordingly by Poe as pseudo-trochaics. In 
 these pseudo-trochaic feet the several syllables of the 
 foot enunciated, not with proper dactylic or other tri- 
 syllabic stress, nor wholly slurred over, but uttered in 
 sort of trochaic fashion, so rapidly and trippingly as not to 
 interfere with the proper trochaic rhythm of the line. 
 Suggestion by Poe, a staunch upholder of quantitive 
 view of rhythm, that whereas in trochaic feet proper the 
 one unstressed syllable considered to have half the length, 
 in pseudo-trochaic feet the two or more unstressed sylla- 
 bles to be taken as having jointly that same half-length; 
 or as having severally only a quarter, or in some cases 
 even a less fraction, of the length of the stressed syllable. 
 
 The notion of trisyllabic pseudo-trochaic (and in other 
 instances pseudo-iambic) feet applicable, not only to tri- 
 syllabic single words, but to trisyllabic feet in general, 
 whether constituted as above, or formed of one disyllabic 
 plus one monosyllabic word, or of three several mono- 
 syllabic words. Not infrequent occurrence, by allowed 
 rhythmic licence (mis-called 'poetic licence') in a disyl- 
 labic, and especially in a trochaic, rhythm of some un- 
 stressed supernumerary monosyllabic word ; and charac- 
 teristically, as already taken note of, in first foot of the 
 line. Intrusion of such word for the most part not 
 appreciable by the ear as interfering with the rhythm,
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 19 
 
 but cognizable only by the eye in the written scansion. 
 Examples of three-word and two-word trisyllabic pseudo- 
 trochaics afforded in instances such as the following, met 
 with in verses by writers of highest standing : 
 
 and) like an and) let us and) ever of) lovely 
 
 many (a of) highest than) labour the) tideless. 
 
 Occurrence occasionally, and by like licence as of 
 quasi-trisyllabic foot in lines of disyllabic rhythm, of 
 quasi-tetrasyllabic foot in lines of properly trisyllabic 
 rhythm; by intrusion in same way of negligible extra 
 syllable, devoid, or almost so, of effect on the lines as 
 spoken. 
 
 8. SYN^ERESIS AND DLERESIS. 
 
 Occasional occurrence of redundant unstressed syllable 
 in some or other metric foot, and more especially, as just 
 above noted, in first foot of a trochaic line. 
 
 Instances afforded as under from Milton's ' L'Allegro': 
 
 ' Mirth which 
 And) laughter 
 
 wrinkled 
 holding 
 
 care de- 
 both its 
 
 rides, 
 sides. 
 
 ' Sometimes 
 The) upland 
 
 with se- 
 hamlets 
 
 cure de- 
 will in- 
 
 light 
 vite.' 
 
 This particular extra syllabification sufficiently general 
 and well-recognized to have received a special, though 
 hardly called for, designation, namely ' anacrusis.' Occur- 
 rence of such redundant syllable not intentional, but 
 casual only, and without appreciable effect on the spoken 
 rhythm. Feet with such redundant syllables remarked 
 upon a little while back, and designated as pseudo-tro- 
 chaic, pseudo-iambic, etc. Condensation of two syllables 
 into one (and expression accordingly of a trisyllable 
 as disyllabic) spoken of as synceresis. 
 
 Substitution in an iambic line of terminal foot of the 
 line by a trisyllabic amphibrachic foot an altogether
 
 20 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 different case. Such substitutive extension of last iambic 
 foot systematic and intentional, with view to affect both 
 the rhyme and the rhythm. 
 
 Conversely, occasional deficiency met with in particular 
 metric foot of some or other unstressed syllable. Such 
 deficiency also not intentional, but casual only, and with- 
 out appreciable effect on the spoken rhythm. This nega- 
 tive result achieved at times, and that advantageously, 
 by resort to a decided mid-line pause. In other cases by 
 prolongation, in different ways in different instances, of the 
 enunciation of the mutilated foot. In some cases, for 
 instance, by breaking up a diphthongal sound into con- 
 stituent vowel sounds. In other cases, by like breaking 
 up into its constituents of certain disyllables usually 
 slurred over and read as monosyllables the terminal 
 syllables, for example, of words like ' orient,' ' ancient/ 
 ' glorious,' ' ocean,' etc. In yet other cases by putting 
 a prolonged trill on the letter r in such words as 
 ' hour ' or ' our,' ' dire/ ' fire/ etc., pronounced for the 
 occasion almost as if written how-ur, dy-ur, figh-ur ; and 
 similarly in case of the word ' towards/ pronounced as 
 too-wards. 
 
 And again, among other devices, prolonged enunciation 
 where called for, of g-hard before /, as if written ge, and 
 of b before I, as if written be, in such words, for example, 
 as ' g-lance/ 'g-lorious/ ' b-land/ 'b-looming/ stretched 
 out in speaking almost as if written ge-lance, ge-lorious, 
 be-land, be-looming, and so forth. Dissevering in utterance 
 of one diphthongal or other complex syllable into 
 simpler syllables designated as dieeresis. 
 
 Substitution in trochaic line of last properly disyl- 
 labic foot of the line by monosyllabic caesura foot an 
 altogether different matter. Such caesura foot enunciated 
 decidedly and with especial stress as a monosyllable 
 The substitution in this case not casual, but systematic, 
 and made with intention to affect alike the rhyme and 
 the rhythm.
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 21 
 
 9. ESSENTIALS OF VERSE. 
 
 In addition to the setting forth of 'the subject-matter 
 of verse in some particular sequence of stressed and un- 
 stressed syllables, further requirement demanded, as 
 already noted, of its being set forth in lines of deter- 
 minate length. This requirement rarely in itself an 
 interference with the continuous syllabic sequence. Its 
 object and effect not to arrest or alter the sequence, but 
 to break up a possibly interminable sequence into separate 
 portions; and so mark off to the ear, by more or less 
 emphatic pause, a particular curtailed sequence; and 
 thereby provide for an ordered succession of such cur- 
 tailed sequences, or lines, whether or not rhyming. 
 Familiar notion of verse as a succession of at least two 
 usually more than two curtailed sequences or lines. 
 But in strictness, as previously noted, every such cur- 
 tailed sequence in itself a verse; and what is commonly 
 called a verse really a particular succession of verses. 
 
 Recognizability for the most part of even a single 
 isolated line as being not a short line of prose, but a line 
 of verse that is to say, as being itself a verse. Such 
 recognizability dependent mainly on mode of expression 
 however indefinable specially characteristic of verse. 
 But further than this, even quite commonplace lines of 
 verse distinguishable from lines of prose by the two con- 
 ditions of strictly curtailed length and regular sequence 
 of stress such lines, for example, as the following : 
 
 ' Richard, who now was fast asleep.' Prior. 
 
 ' So three doors off the chaise was stayed.' Cowper. 
 
 ' He was a man of middle age.' Sir W. Scott. 
 
 Real difference, however, of verse from prose far beyond 
 this. Taking, for example, each single line of Othello's 
 speech before the Senate :
 
 22 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 ' That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter, 
 It is most true; true I have married her; 
 The very head and front of my offending 
 Hath this extent no more.' 
 
 In addition to regular sequence of the stressed syllables 
 and definite curtailment of the several lines, recognition 
 at once of a something else, wanting altogether in any 
 prose-version, however close such, for instance, as the 
 following : 
 
 ' It is true that I have taken away, and indeed have married, 
 this old man's daughter. This is the full extent, or, so to speak, 
 the head and front of my offence.' 
 
 The original, with its inversional and elliptic modes 
 of expression that count for so much, notably vivid and 
 impressive. The prose-version, however close and even 
 with the inappropriately retained words ' head and front ' 
 altogether flat and effectless. 
 
 10. TRISYLLABIC RELATIONS. 
 
 Difference in actual sequence of stressed and unstressed 
 syllables in the three varieties of trisyllabic rhythm, con- 
 fined to first foot and last foot of the several lines 
 to the particular feet, that is, especially liable to irregu- 
 larity. Identity of sequence in remaining variously tri- 
 syllabic feet of the lines every stressed syllable being in 
 each case intermediate between two and two unstressed 
 syllables, as shown in following table : 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 TT. Anapaest x x a, x x a x x a x x a 
 
 (f>. Amphibrach x a x, x axxaxxax (or a 
 
 S. Dactyl a xx, axxaxxaxx (or ax or a. 
 
 Accordingly, as noted in next section, frequent real 
 intermixture, both of different trisyllabic varieties of
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 23 
 
 lines with one another, and of different trisyllabic feet in 
 the same line, the ear scarcely appreciating the variation. 
 Hence, moreover, yet more frequent differences in 
 written scansion of same identical line of trisyllabic verse 
 by different writers, the scansion being, indeed, to con- 
 siderable extent, expression merely of some or other 
 personal view taken of the rhythm. 
 
 In instance, for example, of Wolfe's well-known lines 
 ' On the Burial of Sir John Moore/ the rhythm to the ear 
 flowing and impressive, and far from suggestive of doubt 
 as to its character. Facile recognition upon scansion, of its 
 being in the main jointly anapaestic and amphibrachic, and 
 anyhow chiefly trisyllabic. But the particular scansion, 
 more especially of the earlier lines, set out differently 
 and in some cases rather questionably by different 
 writers. As regards the first stanza the rhythm fairly 
 open to alternative modes of scansion; but that of the 
 second stanza more determinate; whence advisability, 
 it would seem, of preference being given to mode of 
 alternative scansion of the first stanza accordant with the 
 determinate scansion of the second and third stanzas 
 not that the rhythm of successive stanzas always con- 
 tinuously the same. (See page 71.) 
 
 In respect to written scansion generally, alike of 
 tetrameter, trimeter, etc., lines, dominant requirement 
 to be fulfilled that of introduction in each constituent 
 measure or foot of the line of one and but one stressed 
 syllable, the distribution of the unstressed syllables being 
 an altogether secondary consideration : 
 
 35 8 10 
 
 ' Not a drum was heard, not a fune'ral note, 
 
 3 5 8 
 
 As) his corse to the ram-part we hur-ried. 
 
 2 5 8 10 
 
 We biir-ied him dark-ly at dead of night, 
 
 2 5 8 
 
 The sods with our bay-o-nets turn -ing.'
 
 24 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 This or that particular seriation as above of the stressed 
 syllables in a line of verse, a matter of actuality; the 
 formation of particular trisyllabic or disyllabic feet by 
 allocation to one or other of these syllables of interven- 
 ing unstressed syllables, largely a matter of individual 
 fancy. 
 
 Further illustration afforded in instance of Swinburne's 
 brilliant poem, ' Itylus.' The first two feet of the several 
 lines of this poem constituted of altogether five syllables, 
 as shown in opening lines set out below: 
 
 ' Sw&llow, my sister, 
 How can thine h6art be 
 
 O sister swallow, 
 full of the spring ? ' 
 
 As to question of these five syllables forming in suc- 
 cession a disyllabic and a trisyllabic foot, or a trisyllabic 
 and a disyllabic foot, the decision one way or the other 
 a matter of mere scansion, and of entire indifference in 
 regard to the spoken rhythm. 
 
 ii. DISYLLABIC VERSIFICATION. 
 
 Noticeable common variations as under in forms of 
 disyllabic verse. In respect of metre; intermingling in 
 various ways of pentameter and tetrameter with trimeter 
 and dimeter lines. In respect of rhythm ; intermingling 
 of iambic and trochaic rhythms in successive lines or sets 
 of lines, alike of continuous and of stanzaic verse. In 
 respect of rhyme; intermingling of alternate-rhyming 
 with consecutive-rhyming lines generally, and especially 
 of set of alternate-rhyming lines with sequent consecutive- 
 rhyming couplets; also of double-rhyming with single- 
 rhyming lines, whether of amphibrach-ending with proper 
 iambic lines, or of proper trochaic with caesura-ending lines. 
 
 These several departures from continuous strict regu- 
 larity distinguished nevertheless by a secondary regularity
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 25 
 
 of their own, and hardly to be stigmatized as decidedly 
 irregular. With regard also to substitution of ter- 
 minal double-rhyming amphibrachic foot for single- 
 rhyming iambic foot, and converse substitution of single- 
 rhyming csesura-foot for double-rhyming trochaic foot, 
 these variations too systematic to be rightly spoken 
 of as irregularities at all. 
 
 Definite relationship to trisyllabic amphibrach foot, 
 alike of trochaic and of iambic foot, as under: 
 
 T. Trochee a x 
 
 $. Amphibrach x & x 
 
 P-. Iambus x A 
 
 Conceivable formation of amphibrach accordingly, as 
 well by prefix of unstressed syllable to first syllable of 
 trochee, as by suffix of unstressed syllable to second 
 syllable of iambus. Previously considered systematic 
 replacement after this fashion of final foot of iambic line 
 by trisyllabic amphibrach foot. Like replacement, but 
 in this case only casually, of initial foot of trochaic line 
 by trisyllabic amphibrach foot. Replacement actually 
 effected in instances previously noticed of so-called 
 ' anacrusic ' prefixing of casual extra syllable to first foot 
 of trochaic line. (See pages 12 and 19.) 
 
 With above-noted well-recognized variations or substi- 
 tutions excepted, lines of disyllabic verse characterized as 
 a whole by marked regularity, notwithstanding occasional 
 introduction here and there of quasi-trisyllabic or so- 
 designated pseudo-trochaic or pseudo-iambic foot in place 
 of strictly disyllabic foot. 
 
 In respect of the two forms of disyllabic rhythm, 
 trochaic lines recognizable by stress on uneven syllables of 
 each foot, and notably on first syllable of initial foot of line ; 
 iambic lines characterized by stress on even syllables of 
 each foot, and notably on second syllable of initial foot of 
 line.
 
 26 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 12. TRISYLLABIC VERSIFICATION. 
 
 Irregularity, conversely, in case of trisyllabic rhythms, 
 so general and considerable as to be almost characteristic. 
 Habitual intermingling of anapaest (TT), amphibrach (</>), 
 and dactyl (S), lines with one another, and of the different 
 trisyllabic feet with one another in the same line. Fre- 
 quent occurrence, moreover, of lines constituted, as to 
 one part, of trisyllabic, and as to another part of di- 
 syllabic feet. One or two illustrations given below; 
 and again more fully, along with yet others, under excerpt 
 heading I. 
 
 i. ii. 
 
 TT. T. 'Tis the last rose of 
 
 (f>. p. Left blooming alone. 
 
 in. 
 summer, 
 
 i. 
 
 <f>. Mount Blanc is 
 . TT. We crown'd him 
 
 n. 
 
 the monarch 
 long ago. 
 
 in. 
 of mountains: 
 
 Strew on her 
 And never 
 
 roses, 
 a spray 
 
 roses, 
 of yew. 
 
 In instance further of Byron's ' Destruction of Sen- 
 nacherib ', the successive quatrains similar to one another 
 in respect of the lines being alike trisyllabic-tetra- 
 meter. Some of the quatrains, however, mainly amphi- 
 brachic, some of them anapaestic, and some of them with 
 particular lines amphibrachic and others anapaestic ; yet 
 all the lines musical alike and not suggestive to the ear of 
 any rhythmic irregularity. Particular couplet of inter- 
 mingled anapaestic and amphibrachic lines instanced 
 below. (For further illustrations, see under heading I.) 
 
 i. 
 
 TT. Like the leaves 
 <f). That host with 
 
 II. 
 
 of the for- 
 their banners 
 
 in. 
 
 est when sum- 
 at sunset 
 
 IV. 
 
 mer is green 
 were seen 
 
 een,\ 
 a. /
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 27 
 
 Occurrence at times of real doubt as to actual character 
 of particular lines. Further, one single spoken rhythm 
 fitly expressible in some cases by more than one 
 mode of written scansion. And over and above this, 
 every two successive trisyllabic feet of a line, by sufficient 
 perversity of effort, susceptible of scansion as though 
 constituted of three disyllabic feet joint trochaic and 
 iambic intermingled somehow or anyhow with one 
 another; as in instances below of lines already quoted 
 some little while back : 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 ^ 
 
 ' Not a drum was 
 
 heard, not 
 
 a fiine'- 
 
 ral note, 
 
 
 As his 
 
 corse to 
 
 the ram- 
 
 part w6 
 
 hurried.' 
 
 
 Arid the 
 When the 
 
 sheen of 
 blue wave 
 
 the spears 
 rolls night- 
 
 was like 
 ly on 
 
 stars on 
 deep Gal- 
 
 the 
 ilee. 
 
 SYNOPSIS OF EXCERPTS. 
 
 Series of passages offered below in illustration of varieties 
 commonly met with of English metres. Their selection 
 chiefly from works of writers named in chronological 
 order in following list, and from ' Hymns Ancient and 
 Modern.' Selection preceded by general table of 
 distinctive characters of the several varieties; and each 
 particular variety, from A to Q, accompanied further by 
 prefixed brief statement of its special features and rela- 
 tionships. Arrangement of selected passages irrelative to 
 period, authorship, or subject, and seriate in respect only 
 to metre and rhythm. 
 
 1400. 
 1521. 
 
 1586. 
 1593- 
 
 OBIIT. 
 
 Geoffrey Chaucer. 
 S. Hawes. 
 
 1542. Sir T. Wyatt. 
 
 (Accessit) ELIZABETH, 1558. 
 
 Sir Philip Sidney. 
 Kit Marlow. 
 
 1599. E. Spenser. 
 
 1604. E. Vere, Earl of Oxford.
 
 28 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 JAMES I., 1603. 
 
 1616. W. Shakespeare. 
 1618. J. Sylvester. 
 
 1619. T. Campion. 
 1625. J. Fletcher. 
 
 1631. M. Drayton. 
 
 1632. Geo. Herbert. 
 1637. Ben Jonson. 
 1639. Sir H. Wotton. 
 
 CHARLES I., 1625. 
 
 1640. T. Carew. 
 
 1642. Sir J. Suckling. 
 
 1652. Thos. Hey wood. 
 
 1658. R. Lovelace. 
 
 CHARLES II., 1660; et seq. 
 
 1666. Jas. Shirley. 
 ,, f Geo. Wither. 
 I667 '\R. Herrick. 
 1674. A. Cowley. 
 1674. J- Milton. 
 
 1706. C. Sackville, Earl of 
 
 Dorset. 
 1721. M. Prior. 
 
 1763- 
 1770. 
 
 1678. E. Waller. 
 
 1687. A. Marvell. 
 
 1700. J. Dryden. 
 
 1701. Sir C. Sedley. 
 
 ANNE, 1702; et seq. 
 
 1732. J.Gay. 
 1744. A. Pope. 
 1759. W. Collins. 
 
 GEORGE III., 1760. 
 
 W. Shenstone. 
 M. Akenside. 
 
 1771. T. Gray. 
 
 1773. Lord Lyttleton. 
 
 1774. O. Goldsmith. 
 
 1788. J. Logan. 
 
 1796. R. Burns. 
 
 1800. W. Cowper. 
 
 1803. J. Beattie. 
 
 1821. J. Keats. 
 
 1822. P. B. Shelley. 
 1824. Lord Byron. 
 
 REGENCY, 1810; et seq. 
 
 1832. Sir Walter Scott. 
 
 1834. S. T. Coleridge. 
 
 VICTORIA, 1837; et seq. 
 
 TQ /R. Southey. 
 l8 43-{ T .Hood. 
 1844. T. Campbell. 
 
 1849. E. A. Poe. 
 
 1850. W. Wordsworth. 
 
 1851. Jo. Baillie. 
 
 1852. T. Moore. 
 
 1862. E. B. Browning. 
 
 1878. W. C. Bryant. 
 
 1882. H. W. Longfellow. 
 
 1888. M. Arnold. 
 
 1889. R. Browning. 
 1892. A. Tennyson. 
 1913. A. C. Swinburne.
 
 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 29 
 
 IAMBICS (i). 
 
 Pentameter. 
 
 A. Blank verse. 
 
 Aa. Rhymes consecutive Heroics. 
 
 Aaa. Special rhyme-sequences. 
 
 Aaaa. Rhymes alternate Elegiacs. 
 
 Ade. Conjoint with trimeter; etc. 
 
 Tetrameter. 
 
 B. Rhymes consecutive, two-line. 
 Bb. Rhymes consecutive, three-line. 
 Bbb. Special rhyme-sequences. 
 Bbbb. Rhymes alternate. 
 
 Trimeter. 
 
 C. Rhymes alternate. 
 
 Conjoint . . Tetrameter + trimeter. 
 D. Rhymes consecutive, Two lines with Two lines. 
 
 (Onejjline with Three lines. 
 Rhymes alternate, -j Two lines with Two lines. 
 1 Three lines with One line. 
 
 A mphibrach-ending. 
 
 E. Tetrameter ^ _. , . . , ,., , . 
 r- . Double rhyming of amphibrachic 
 Ee. Trimeter 
 
 r . . . alternate lines. 
 
 Eee. Conjoint ; 
 
 F. Quintains and sextets.
 
 30 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 TROCHAICS. 
 G. Trochaics proper. Double rhymes. Consecutive. 
 
 Gg. 1 Caesura-ending trochaics. [Consecutive. 
 Ggg. J Single rhymes. (Alternate. 
 
 Gggg. Conjoint trochaic proper, and caesura-ending 
 trochaics. 
 
 H. Conjoint trochaic-iambic lines. 
 
 TRISYLLABICS. 
 
 I. Anapaests. 
 
 li, Amphibrachs proper; also iambic-ending lines. 
 
 T. , ( trochaic-ending, and 
 
 In. Dactyls proper ; also 1 , . 
 
 (caesura-ending lines. 
 
 J. Irregular rhythms, and combinations. 
 
 IAMBICS (2). 
 
 Pentameter Stanzas. 
 
 K. Rhyme Royal. Seven-line. Rhyme alternate, with 
 final couplet. 
 
 L. Spencerian Metre. Nine-line. Special rhyme-se- 
 quences. 
 
 M. Sonnet metres. Fourteen-line. Rhyme variously 
 sequent. 
 
 N. Ottava Rima. Eight-line. Rhyme alternate, with 
 final couplet. 
 
 0. Terza Rima. Three-line. Rhyme continuously al- 
 ternate. Threefold. 
 
 P, Alexandrines. Hexameter. Rhyme consecutive. 
 Q, Service metre. Heptameter. Rhyme alternate.
 
 IAMBICS (i) 
 
 By far the greater portion of English verse, probably over nine- 
 tenths of the whole, constituted of iambic feet. Notes here- 
 with as to varieties of commonly occurring iambic verse, under 
 headings A, B, C, D, E, F; and later on under headings K, L, 
 M, N, O, P, and Q. 
 
 A. PENTAMETER. Unrhymed. Heroics proper. Blank 
 verse. Recognition of two chief varieties, to wit, dra- 
 matic blank verse, the metre especially of Shakespeare, 
 and narrative blank verse, the metre especially of Milton. 
 Forms of rhymeless verse other than blank verse also oc- 
 current, though somewhat rarely. (See pages 37 and 71.) 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 If ev- 
 If ev- 
 If ev- 
 If ev- 
 And know 
 
 er you 
 er been 
 er sat 
 er from 
 what 'tis 
 
 have look'd 
 where bells 
 at an- 
 your eye- 
 to pity 
 
 on bet- 
 have knoll'd 
 ygood 
 lids wip'd 
 and be 
 
 ter days, 
 to church, 
 man's feast, 
 a tear, 
 pitied, 
 
 Let gen- 
 
 tleness 
 
 my strong 
 
 enforce- 
 
 ment be. 
 
 Iwill 
 The barge 
 Burn'd on 
 Purple 
 The winds 
 
 tell you. 
 she sat 
 the wa- 
 the sails, 
 were love- 
 
 in, like 
 ter : the 
 and so 
 sick with' em; 
 
 a burn- 
 poop was 
 perfum- 
 th' oars were 
 
 ish'd throne, 
 beat'ngold; 
 ed that 
 silver, 
 
 Which to 
 The wa- 
 As am'- 
 
 the tune 
 ter which 
 rous of 
 
 of flutes 
 they beat 
 their strokes. 
 
 kept stroke, 
 to follow 
 For her own 
 
 and made 
 faster, 
 person, 
 
 It beg- 
 
 gar'd all 
 
 descrip- 
 
 tion. 
 
 
 One touch 
 
 of na- 
 
 ture makes 
 
 the whole 
 
 world kin, 
 
 That all 
 Thoughthey 
 And give 
 More laud 
 
 with one 
 are made 
 to dust 
 than gilt 
 
 consent 
 and mould- 
 that is 
 o'er-dust- 
 
 praise new- 
 ed of 
 alit- 
 ed. 
 
 born gawds, 
 things past, 
 tie gilt 
 
 Shakespeare.
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. 
 
 III. IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 The cloud- 
 The sol- 
 Yea, all 
 
 capp'd towers, 
 emn tem- 
 which it 
 
 the gor- 
 ples, the 
 inher- 
 
 geous pa- 
 great globe 
 it, shall 
 
 laces, 
 itself, 
 dissolve, 
 
 And, like this 
 
 unsub- 
 
 stantial 
 
 pageant 
 
 faded, 
 
 Leave not 
 
 a wreck 
 
 behind. 
 
 We are 
 
 such stuff 
 
 As dreams 
 
 are made 
 
 on ; and 
 
 our lit- 
 
 tie life 
 
 Is round- 
 
 ed with 
 
 a sleep. 
 
 
 
 Shakespeare. 
 
 i. ii. 
 
 III. IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 If all 
 Had fed 
 And ev'- 
 Their minds 
 
 the pens 
 the feel- 
 ry sweet- 
 and mu- 
 
 that ev- 
 ing of 
 ness that 
 ses on 
 
 er po- 
 their mas- 
 inspired 
 admir- 
 
 ets held 
 ters' thoughts 
 their hearts, 
 ed themes, 
 
 Yet should 
 
 there hov- 
 
 er in 
 
 their rest- 
 
 less heads 
 
 One thought, 
 Which in- 
 
 one grace, 
 to words 
 
 one won- 
 no vir- 
 
 ier, at 
 ;ue can 
 
 the least 
 digest. 
 
 Kit Marlow. 
 
 i. n. 
 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 But 
 of this 
 
 V. 
 
 their way 
 drear wood. 
 
 Lies through 
 
 the per- 
 
 plex'd paths 
 
 And here 
 But that 
 I was 
 And list- 
 What nev- 
 From old 
 
 their ten- 
 by quick 
 dispatched 
 en why, 
 er yet 
 or mod- 
 
 der age 
 command 
 for their 
 for I 
 was heard 
 ern bard 
 
 might suf- 
 of sov- 
 defence 
 will tell 
 in tale 
 in hall 
 
 fer peril, 
 ran Jove 
 and guard, 
 you now 
 or song 
 or bower. 
 
 
 Milton (' 
 
 Comus '). 
 
 i. [n. 
 
 III. IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 In the 
 I found 
 Gone from 
 It were 
 That f or- 
 
 midway 
 me in 
 the path 
 no ea- 
 est, how 
 
 of this 
 a gloom- 
 direct ; 
 sy task, 
 robust 
 
 our mor- 
 y wood 
 and e'en 
 how sav- 
 and rough 
 
 tal life 
 astray, 
 to tell 
 age wild 
 its growth. 
 
 Gary's (' Dante '). 
 
 Aa. Consecutive two-line (occasionally three-line) rhymes. 
 Rhyming heroics. The metre especially of Dryden and 
 Pope; and one of the two metres chiefly used by 
 Chaucer (the other being Rhyme Royal).
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 33 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 There was also a nonne, a Pri- 
 
 oresse, 
 
 And she 
 
 was clep- ed Ma- 
 
 dame Eg- 
 
 lentine. ) 
 
 Full well 
 
 she sang 
 
 the ser- 
 
 vice 
 
 devine, J 
 
 Entun- 
 
 ed in 
 
 her nose 
 
 full sweet- 
 
 ely. ) 
 
 And French 
 
 she spoke 
 
 full f aire 
 
 and fe- 
 
 tisly,/ 
 
 After 
 
 the schole 
 
 of Strat- 
 
 ford at- 
 
 te Bow, \ 
 
 For French 
 
 of Par- 
 
 is was 
 
 to her 
 
 unknowe.J 
 
 Chaucer (Prologue to 'Canterbury Tales '). 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 He said 
 
 there was ' a mai- den in 
 
 the town,"^ 
 
 Which that 
 
 of beaut- 
 
 ee had- 
 
 de great 
 
 renown. / 
 
 Al' were 
 
 it so 
 
 she were 
 
 of small 
 
 degree, ) 
 
 Suffi- 
 
 ceth him 
 
 her youth 
 
 and her 
 
 beau tee. / 
 
 Which maid 
 
 he said 
 
 he would 
 
 have to 
 
 bis wife,) 
 
 To lead 
 
 in ease 
 
 and ho- 
 
 linesse 
 
 his life. / 
 
 Chaucer (' The Merchante's Tale '). 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 A par- 
 
 ish priest 
 
 was of the pil- 
 
 grim train,) 
 
 An aw- 
 
 ful rev- 
 
 'rend and 
 
 relig- 
 
 ious man; / 
 
 His eyes 
 
 diffused 
 
 a ven- 
 
 era- 
 
 ble grace, ) 
 
 And char- 
 
 ity 
 
 itself 
 
 was in 
 
 his face; / 
 
 Rich was 
 
 his soul, 
 
 though his 
 
 attire 
 
 was poor,) 
 
 As God 
 
 hadcloth'd 
 
 His own 
 
 ambas- 
 
 sador. / 
 
 Dry den (after Chaucer}. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 And for my faith, lay this unto 
 
 your breast, ) 
 
 Old friends, like old 
 
 swords, still are trust- 
 
 ed best. J 
 
 Know this, and let 
 
 it some- what raise 
 
 your spite,) 
 
 Through dark- ness dia- monds spread their rich- 
 
 est light. J 
 
 /. Webster. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 And you, 
 
 brave Cob- ham, to 
 
 the lat- 
 
 est breath) 
 
 Shall feel 
 
 your ru- ling pas- sion strong in death; / 
 
 Such in those mo- ments as in all the past, ) 
 
 O save 
 
 my count- ry, Heav'n shall be \ your last. ) 
 
 Pope. 
 
 3
 
 34 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. 
 
 To hap- 
 Where slum- 
 To isles 
 Diffu- 
 To lands 
 Love-whisp- 
 
 n. 
 
 py con- 
 ber ab- 
 of fra- 
 sing lan- 
 of sing- 
 'ring woods 
 
 HI. 
 
 vents bos- 
 bots pur- 
 grance, li- 
 guor on 
 ing and 
 and lute- 
 
 IV. 
 
 somed deep 
 pie as 
 ly sil- 
 the pant- 
 of danc- 
 resound- 
 
 V. 
 
 in vines, 
 their wines ; 
 ver'd vales, ) 
 ing gales; / 
 ing slaves, ^ 
 ing waves./ 
 Pope. 
 
 I. 
 
 If to 
 Look in 
 
 Offend 
 Oblige 
 
 n. 
 
 her share 
 her face 
 
 her, and 
 her, and 
 
 in. 
 
 some fe- 
 and you'll 
 
 she knows 
 she'll hate 
 
 IV. 
 
 male er- 
 forget 
 
 not to 
 you while 
 
 v. 
 
 I rors fall, ^ 
 I them all./ 
 
 forgive; ^ 
 you live.J 
 
 Pope. 
 
 n. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 When A- 
 The line 
 Not so 
 Flies o'er 
 
 j ax strives 
 too la- 
 when swift 
 th' unbend- 
 
 some rocks' 
 bours and 
 Camil- 
 ing corn 
 
 huge weight 
 the words 
 la scours 
 and skims 
 
 to throw \ 
 move slow. J 
 the plain, 
 along the (ma 
 
 4 
 
 Pope. 
 
 Aaa. Quatrains, or four-line stanzas, with consecutive 
 rhyming 2-3 lines interposed between crossway-ihyming 
 1-4 lines. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 Here will 
 
 I sit 
 
 and wait, 
 
 
 While to 
 The bleat- 
 With dis- 
 All the 
 
 my ear 
 ing of 
 tant cries 
 live mur- 
 
 from up- 
 the fold- 
 of reap- 
 mur of 
 
 lands far 
 ed flocks 
 ers in 
 a sum- 
 
 away j 
 is borne, ) 
 the corn,/ 
 mer's day. | 
 
 The win- 
 
 ter eve 
 
 is warm, 
 
 
 Humid 
 The ten- 
 And that 
 She needs 
 
 the air, 
 der pur- 
 sweet cit- 
 not June 
 
 leaf-less, 
 pie spray 
 y with 
 for beau- 
 
 yet soft 
 on copse 
 her dream- 
 ty's height- 
 
 as spring ; | 
 and briers, 1 
 ing spires, / 
 ening. [ 
 
 M. Arnold.
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 35 
 
 I. II. 
 
 III. IV. V. 
 
 Avenge, 
 
 OLord, | 
 
 thy slaught- 
 
 er'd saints whose bones | 
 
 Lie scat- 
 
 ter'd on j 
 
 the Al- 
 
 pine moun- 
 
 tains cold;) 
 
 Ev'n those 
 
 who kept! 
 
 thy truth 
 
 so pure 
 
 of old, / 
 
 When all 
 
 our fath-j 
 
 ers wor- 
 
 shipp'd stocks 
 
 and stones. -\ 
 
 Forget 
 
 not : in 
 
 thy book 
 
 record 
 
 their groans./ 
 
 
 Milton. 
 
 Aaaa. Quatrains, etc., with alternate rhyming, both 
 of even 2-4 lines and of uneven 1-3 lines. Elegiacs 
 or elegiac-heroics. 
 Sequence also of elegiacs by consecutive rhyming couplets. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 The cur- 
 
 few tolls 
 
 the knell 
 
 of part- 
 
 ing day, 
 
 The low- 
 
 ing herds 
 
 wind slow- 
 
 ly o'er 
 
 the lea. | 
 
 The plough- 
 
 manhome- 
 
 wards plods 
 
 his wear- 
 
 y way, 
 
 And leaves 
 
 the world 
 
 to dark- 
 
 ness and 
 
 to me. 
 
 T. Gray. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 The care- 
 Whom his 
 
 ful hus- 
 chaste wife 
 
 band had 
 and lit- 
 
 been long 
 tie child- 
 
 away, 
 ren mourn, 
 
 Who on 
 On which 
 
 their fin- 
 their fa- 
 
 gers learn 
 ther prom- 
 
 to tell 
 ised to 
 
 the day 
 return. | 
 
 Dry den. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 
 Since there's 
 
 no help. 
 
 come, let us kiss 
 
 and part. 
 
 Nay, I 
 
 have done, 
 
 you get 
 
 no more 
 
 of me, 
 
 
 And I 
 
 am glad, 
 
 yea, glad 
 
 with all 
 
 my heart 
 
 That thus 
 
 so clean- 
 
 lyl 
 
 myself 
 
 can free. | 
 
 M. Dray ton. 
 
 i. 
 
 Were I 
 And you, 
 Yet should 
 Ascend 
 
 ii. in. 
 
 so base as is 
 
 my love, as high 
 the thoughts of me, 
 to heav'n in hon- 
 
 rv. 
 
 v. 
 
 the low- 
 as heav'n 
 
 ly plain, 
 above, | 
 
 your hum- 
 our of 
 
 ble swain, 
 my love. 
 
 /. Sylvester.
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. 
 
 II. III. IV. V. 
 
 Then felt 
 
 Hike 
 
 some watch- er of 
 
 the skies 
 
 When a 
 Or like 
 He stared at 
 
 new plan- 
 stout Cor- 
 the Pa- 
 
 et swims 
 tez when 
 cific, 
 
 into 
 with ea- 
 and all 
 
 his ken; 
 gle eyes 
 his men 
 
 Looked at 
 Silent 
 
 each oth- 
 upon 
 
 er with 
 a peak 
 
 a wild 
 of Da- 
 
 surprise, 
 rien. 
 
 
 /. Keats. 
 
 i. 
 
 II. III. IV. V. 
 
 Thus sang 
 While the 
 He touched 
 With, ea- 
 And now 
 
 the un- couth swain 
 still morn went out 
 the ten- der stops 
 ger thought warbling 
 the sun had stretched 
 
 to th' oaks and rills, 
 with san- dais grey, 
 of va- rious quills, 
 his Dor- ic lay. 
 out all the hills, 
 
 And now 
 
 was dropped into 
 
 the west- ern bay. 
 
 At last 
 To mor- 
 
 he rose and twitched 
 row to fresh woods 
 
 his man- tie blue, ^ 
 and pas- tures new.J 
 
 
 Milton (Lycidas). 
 
 i. 
 
 II. III. IV. V. 
 
 If wo- 
 
 Or that 
 
 men could 
 their love 
 
 be fair, 
 were firm, 
 
 and yet 
 not fic- 
 
 not fond, 
 kle still, 
 
 I would 
 By set- 
 
 not mar- 
 vice long 
 
 vel that 
 to pur- 
 
 they made 
 chase their 
 
 men bond- 
 good will; 
 
 But when 
 I muse 
 
 I see 
 that men 
 
 how frail 
 forget 
 
 ;hose crea- 
 ;hemselves 
 
 tures are,) 
 so far. / 
 
 E. Vere, Earl of Oxford. 
 
 Ade. Joint PENTAMETER-TRIMETER, etc., lines. Chiefly 
 quatrains, corresponding to excerpts, conjoint tetra-tri- 
 meter, and tetrameter modified, set out under headings 
 D. and E. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 My love 
 It doth 
 
 in her 
 so well 
 
 attire 
 become her. || 
 
 doth show 
 
 her wit; 
 
 For ev'- 
 For win- 
 
 ry sea- 
 ter, spring, 
 
 son she 
 and summer. || 
 
 has dres- 
 
 ses fit, 
 
 Anon., 1602.
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 37 
 
 I. 
 
 II. III. IV. V 
 
 Obest 
 
 | of wives, 
 
 O dear- 
 
 er far 
 
 to me J 
 
 Than when 
 
 ) thy vir- 
 
 gin charms) 
 
 
 
 Were yield- 
 
 j ed to 
 
 my arms, J 
 
 
 
 How can 
 
 1 my soul 
 
 endure 
 
 the loss 
 
 of thee 
 
 Lord Lyttleton. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 If ought 
 May hope, 
 Like thy 
 Thy springs 
 
 of oat- 
 chaste Eve, 
 own sol- 
 and dy- 
 
 en stop 
 to soothe 
 emn springs, 
 ing gales 
 
 or past'- 
 thy mod- 
 
 ral song 
 est ear 
 
 Now air 
 With short 
 Or where 
 
 is hush'd, 
 shrill shriek 
 the beet- 
 
 save where 
 flies by 
 le winds 
 
 the weak- 
 on leath- 
 
 eyed bat 
 era wing, 
 
 His small 
 
 but sul- 
 
 len horn. 
 
 
 
 W. Collins. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 A mist 
 The day 
 And through 
 Shew'd the 
 
 was driv- 
 was just 
 the win- 
 red au- 
 
 ing down 
 begun, | 
 dow panes 
 tumn sun. | 
 
 the Brit- 
 on floor 
 
 ish channel,: 
 and panel= 
 
 And down 
 Thunder'd 
 As if 
 And Lord 
 
 the coast, 
 the dis- 
 to sum- 
 ofthe 
 
 all tak- 
 tant forts, | 
 mon from 
 Cinque Ports.f] 
 
 ing up 
 his sleep 
 
 the burden,= 
 the Ward en = 
 
 Longfellow. 
 
 I. 
 
 ii. 
 
 III. IV. V. 
 
 There is 
 Teaches 
 The des- 
 
 a power 
 thy way 
 ert and 
 
 whose care 
 along 
 illim- 
 
 the path- 
 ita- 
 
 less coast; | 
 ble air 
 
 Lone wan- 
 
 d 'ring, but 
 
 not lost, | 
 
 
 
 He who 
 
 from zone 
 
 to zone 
 
 
 
 Guides through 
 In that 
 Will lead 
 
 the bound- 
 long way 
 my steps 
 
 less sky 
 that I 
 aright. | 
 
 thy cer- 
 must tread 
 
 tain flight, 
 alone 
 
 W, C. Bryant ('To a Water Fowl').
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 A thing 
 
 of beaut- 
 
 y is 
 
 a joy 
 
 for ever; h 
 
 Its love- 
 
 liness 
 
 increas- 
 
 es; it 
 
 will never '/ 
 
 Pass in- 
 
 to noth- 
 
 ingness, 
 
 but still 
 
 will keep) 
 
 A bow- 
 
 er qui- 
 
 et for 
 
 us and 
 
 a sleep / 
 
 Full of 
 
 sweet dreams 
 
 and health 
 
 and qui- 
 
 et breathing. 
 
 Therefore 
 
 on ev'- 
 
 ry mor- 
 
 row are 
 
 we wreathing 
 
 A flow'r- 
 
 y band 
 
 to bind 
 
 us to 
 
 the earth. 
 
 /. Keats. 
 
 B. TETRAMETER. Consecutive two-line rhymes. Hymnal 
 long measure a. The metre used more especially by Sir 
 Walter Scott, in principal poems. Occasional designation 
 oi lines as octosyllabic heroics. 
 
 i. 
 
 Come live 
 And we 
 That hills 
 Or woods 
 
 n. 
 
 with me, 
 will all 
 and val- 
 or steep- 
 
 in. 
 
 and be 
 the plea- 
 leys, dales 
 y moun- 
 
 IV. 
 
 my love, ) 
 sures prove/ 
 and fields, ) 
 tain yields. / 
 
 Kit Mar low. 
 
 n. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Come, Ho- 
 
 ly Ghost, 
 
 our souls 
 
 inspire, ) 
 
 And light - 
 
 en with 
 
 celes- 
 
 tial fire ; J 
 
 Thou the 
 
 anoint- 
 
 ing spi- 
 
 rit art i 
 
 Who dost 
 
 thy sev'n- 
 
 f old gifts 
 
 impart ; / 
 
 Thy bless- 
 
 ed unc- 
 
 tion from 
 
 above ) 
 
 Is com- 
 
 fort, life, 
 
 and fire 
 
 of love, j 
 
 Hymns A. and M. 127. 
 
 Awake, 
 Thy dai- 
 Shake off 
 To pay 
 
 n. 
 
 iii. 
 
 IV. 
 
 my soul, 
 ly stage 
 dull sloth, 
 thy morn- 
 
 and with 
 of du- 
 and ear- 
 ing sac- 
 
 the sun) 
 ty run ; / 
 ly rise) 
 rifice. / 
 
 Hymns A. and M. i.
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 39 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 The way 
 The min- 
 His with- 
 Seemed to 
 The harp, 
 Was car- 
 
 was long, 
 strel was 
 ered cheek 
 have known 
 his sole 
 ried by 
 
 the wind 
 infirm 
 and tres- 
 a bet- 
 remain- 
 an or- 
 
 was cold,l 
 and old; / 
 ses grey) 
 ter day./ 
 ing joy, | 
 phan boy. J 
 
 Sir W. Scott. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 She was 
 When first 
 A love- 
 To be 
 
 a phan- 
 she gleamed 
 ly ap- 
 a mo- 
 
 tom of 
 upon 
 pari- 
 ment's or- 
 
 delight \ 
 my sight ; / 
 tion sentV 
 nament. / 
 
 A per- 
 To warn, 
 And yet 
 With some- 
 
 fect wo- 
 to com- 
 a spir- 
 thing of 
 
 man, no- 
 fort, and 
 it still, 
 angel- 
 
 bly planned, ) 
 command ; / 
 and bright,) 
 ic light. / 
 
 W or ds worth. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 How sleep 
 By all 
 When spring 
 Returns 
 
 the brave 
 their coun- 
 with dew- 
 to deck 
 
 who sink 
 try's wish- 
 y fin- 
 their hal- 
 
 to rest \ 
 es blest, / 
 gers cold ) 
 lowed mould./ 
 
 W. Collins. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Though like 
 He passed 
 His as- 
 A troubl- 
 And long 
 Rang his 
 
 a de- 
 
 and van- 
 pect and 
 ed mem'- 
 upon 
 dark cour- 
 
 mon of 
 ished from 
 his air 
 ry in 
 my star- 
 ser's hoofs 
 
 the night) 
 my sight, / 
 imprest ) 
 my breast,/ 
 tied ear^ 
 of fear. J 
 
 Lord Byron.
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 That which 
 Shall now 
 
 her slen- 
 any joy- 
 
 der waist 
 ful tern- 
 
 confined } 
 pies bind./ 
 
 A nar- 
 Dwelt all 
 Give me 
 Take all 
 
 row corn- 
 that 's good 
 but what 
 the rest 
 
 pass, and 
 and all 
 this rib- 
 the sun 
 
 yet there \ 
 that's fair./ 
 band bound, ^ 
 goes round. J 
 
 E. Waller. 
 
 Bb. Consecutive three-line rhymes, whether or not of 
 triplet stanzas; and with or without refrain. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 It was 
 The La- 
 Was pray- 
 
 a love- 
 dy Christ- 
 ing by . 
 
 ly sight 
 abel 
 the old 
 
 to see 1 
 when she j- 
 oak tree. J 
 
 Coleridge. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 You are 
 But, dear- 
 That where 
 
 a tu- 
 
 est, of 
 you grew 
 
 lip seen 
 so short 
 scarce man 
 
 to-day, "j 
 a stay, > 
 can say. J 
 
 R. Her rick. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 I blest 
 I spoke, 
 The dull 
 
 them, and 
 but an- 
 and bit- 
 
 they wan- 
 swer came 
 ter voice 
 
 dered on; "j 
 there none. I 
 was gone. J 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 OGod 
 Doth o'er 
 Accept 
 
 of life, 
 the world 
 our praise, 
 
 whose power 
 in mer- 
 for we 
 
 benign ^ 
 cy shine, 
 are Thine. J 
 
 Hymns A. and M. 134.
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Thy sil- 
 Are still 
 Than gol- 
 My Mary. 
 
 ver locks 
 more love- 
 den beams 
 
 once au- 
 ly in 
 of or- 
 
 burn bright} 
 my sight I 
 ient light, J 
 
 W. Cowper. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Forget 
 Of such 
 
 not yet 
 a truth 
 
 the tried 
 as I 
 
 intent 1 
 have meant. I 
 
 My great 
 Forget 
 
 travail 
 not yet. 
 
 so glad- 
 
 ly spent 
 
 Sir T. Wyatt. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 My God, 
 Far from 
 O teach 
 ' Thy Will 
 
 my Fath- 
 my home, 
 me from 
 be done.' 
 
 er, while 
 in life's 
 my heart 
 
 I stray ~| 
 rough way, V 
 to say, 
 
 Hymns A . and M. 1 70. 
 
 Bbb. Quatrains with consecutive rhyming 2-3 lines inter- 
 posed between crossway-rhymmg 1-4 lines. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Our hopes 
 Atob- 
 To stand 
 Is all 
 
 like tower - 
 jects in 
 aloof 
 the pleas- 
 
 ing fal- 
 an air- 
 and view 
 ure of 
 
 cons aim 
 y height ; "i 
 the flight/ 
 the game. 
 
 M. Prior. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Now dance 
 The flocks 
 And milk- 
 On wind- 
 
 the lights 
 are whit- 
 ier ev'- 
 ing stream 
 
 on dawn 
 er than 
 ry mil- 
 or dis- 
 
 and lea, 
 the vale, ~\ 
 ky sail / 
 tant sea. 
 
 Ring out 
 Ring, hap- 
 The year 
 Ring out 
 
 the old, 
 py bells, 
 is go- 
 the false, 
 
 ring in 
 a-cross 
 ing, let 
 ring in 
 
 the new, 
 the snow:^ 
 him go; j 
 the true. 
 
 Tennyson.
 
 42 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 Bbbb. Alternate even-numbered 2-4 lines, mostly of 
 quatrains, rhymed. Rhyming generally of uneven- 
 numbered 1-3 lines also. Hymnal long measure /3. 
 
 Also alternate rhyming lines as above, followed by 
 rhyming couplets. 
 
 I. II. III. 
 
 IV. 
 
 How hap- 
 That serv- 
 
 py is he born 
 eth not anoth- 
 
 and taught 
 er's will, | 
 
 Whose ar- 
 And sim- 
 
 mour is his hon- 
 ple truth his ut- 
 
 est thought, 
 most skill. 
 
 
 SirHy. Wotton. 
 
 i. n. in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 All peo- 
 Sing to 
 Him serve 
 Come ye 
 
 ple that on earth 
 the Lord with cheer - 
 with fear, His praise 
 before Him, and 
 
 do dwell, 
 ful voice; 
 forth tell, 
 rejoice. | 
 
 Hymns 
 
 A. and M. 136. 
 
 i. ii. in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Sound, sound 
 
 the clar- 
 
 ion, fill 
 
 
 the fife; 
 
 To all 
 One crowd - 
 Is worth 
 
 the sen- 
 ed hour 
 an age 
 
 sual world 
 of glor- 
 without 
 
 
 proclaim, | 
 ious life 
 a name. 
 
 
 Sir W. Scott. 
 
 i. ii. in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Across 
 Beyond 
 And deep 
 The hap- 
 
 the hills 
 their ut- 
 into 
 py prin- 
 
 and far 
 most pur- 
 the dy- 
 cess fol- 
 
 
 away, 
 pie rim, 
 ing day 
 lowed him. 
 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 i. ii. in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 ' O stay 
 ' 111 dreams 
 Like clouds 
 But melt 
 
 those tears,' 
 good for- 
 which skirt 
 before 
 
 the bel- 
 tune oft 
 the morn- 
 the mid- 
 
 
 dam cries ; 
 fore-run, | 
 ing skies, 
 day sun.' j 
 
 Chase from 
 And let 
 Thy fears 
 E'en from 
 
 thy soul 
 my words 
 perhaps 
 the garr'- 
 
 this i- 
 thine ear 
 may find 
 lous tales 
 
 
 die grief, 
 engage ; 
 relief, 
 of age. 
 
 H. Gurney (' Psyche ').
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 43 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 The glo- 
 Are sha- 
 There is 
 Death lays 
 
 ries of 
 dows, not 
 no ar- 
 his i- 
 
 our blood 
 substan- 
 mour a- 
 cy hand 
 
 and state 
 tial things. | 
 gainst fate; 
 on kings | 
 
 (Sceptre 
 
 and crown 
 
 must turn- 
 
 ble down), 
 
 And in 
 With the 
 Only 
 Smell sweet 
 
 the dust 
 poor crook- 
 the ac- 
 and blos- 
 
 be e- 
 
 ed scythe 
 tions of 
 som in 
 
 qual made \ 
 and spade./ 
 the just ) 
 their dust.J 
 
 /. Shirley. 
 
 C. TRIMETER proper. Quatrains with rhyming of al- 
 ternate even-numbered 2-4 lines always, and of uneven- 
 numbered 1-3 lines mostly. 
 
 i. 
 
 The man 
 Whose guilt- 
 From all 
 Or thoughts 
 
 II. 
 
 of life 
 less heart 
 dis-hon- 
 of van- 
 
 in. 
 
 upright, 
 is free | 
 est deeds 
 
 T. Campion. 
 
 I. II. III. 
 
 Christ is 
 
 our cor- 
 
 ner-stone, 
 
 On Him 
 
 alone 
 
 we build ; 
 
 With His 
 
 true saints 
 
 alone, 
 
 The courts 
 
 of Heav'n 
 
 are filled. 
 
 Hymns A. and M. 306. 
 
 i. 
 
 Ye have 
 Ye have 
 And ye 
 Where maids 
 
 n. 
 
 been fresh 
 been filled 
 the walks 
 have spent 
 
 I. II. 
 
 The mon- 
 
 arch saw 
 
 And bade 
 
 no more 
 
 All blood- 
 
 less waxed 
 
 And trem- 
 
 ulous 
 
 in. 
 
 and green, 
 with flowers, | 
 have been, 
 their hours. | 
 
 R. Her rick. 
 
 m. 
 
 and shook, 
 rejoice ; | 
 his look, 
 his voice. | 
 
 Lord Byron.
 
 44 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 Also separate (occasional only) dimeter lines. 
 
 I. ii. 
 
 Unheard, 
 He makes 
 
 unknown,) 
 his moan./ 
 
 The strains 
 And melt 
 
 decay,) 
 away. / 
 
 Pope. 
 
 I. II. 
 
 If thou 
 
 hadst not- 
 
 Been true 
 But left 
 
 to me, ) 
 me free,/ 
 
 I had 
 Myself 
 
 forgot 
 and thee. 
 
 Ben Jonson. 
 
 D. Joint TETRAMETER-TRIMETER. Quatrains with tetra- 
 meter 1-2 consecutive-rhyming couplets, followed by 
 trimeter 3-4 like-rhyming couplets. 
 
 Also quatrains with tetrameter 1-4 lines c^oss-rhymed ; 
 and interposed trimeter 2-3 line rhyming couplet. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 That thence 
 The trag- 
 While round 
 
 the Roy- 
 ic scaf- 
 the arm- 
 
 al act- 
 fold might 
 ed bands) 
 
 or borne,) 
 adorn, / 
 
 Did clap 
 
 their blood- 
 
 y hands. / 
 
 
 He no- 
 
 Upon 
 
 thing corn- 
 that me- 
 
 mon did 
 mora- 
 
 or mean ) 
 ble scene,/ 
 
 But bowed 
 Down as 
 
 his come- 
 upon 
 
 ly head ) 
 a bed. / 
 
 
 I. ii. 
 
 The ri- 
 Her lev- 
 Lie on 
 
 sing moon 
 el rays 
 the land- 
 
 With sha- 
 
 dows brown 
 
 I. 
 
 Whene'er 
 Whene'er 
 Our hearts 
 To high- 
 
 ill. 
 
 A. Marvell. 
 
 IV. 
 
 has hid the stars ;' 
 
 like gol- den bars 
 
 scape green,) 
 between. / 
 
 Longfellow (' Endymion '). 
 
 ii. 
 
 a no- 
 is spoke 
 in glad 
 er lev- 
 
 III. IV. 
 
 ble deed 
 a no- 
 
 is wrought, ) 
 ble thought,/ 
 
 surprise^ 
 els rise. / 
 
 
 Longfellow (' Santa Filomena ').
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 45 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 She passed 
 Her as- 
 Will nev- 
 For she 
 
 like sum- 
 pect and 
 er more 
 lies hushed 
 
 mer flowers 
 her voice ) 
 rejoice, ) 
 in cold 
 
 away; 
 decay. 
 
 T. Woolner. 
 
 Dd. Joint TETRAMETER-TRIMETER. Quatrains with line 
 3 tetrameter and lines ^-2-4 trimeter. Alternate rhyming 
 of trimeter even 2-4 lines, and also of uneven joint tri- 
 meter-tetrameter 1-3 lines. Hymnal short measure. 
 Except in form of hymns, quatrains of this pattern very 
 rare. 
 
 I. II. III. 
 
 Our Fa- 
 
 ther and 
 
 our Lord, 
 
 And Spir- 
 
 it we 
 
 adore. | 
 
 Omay 
 
 the Spir- 
 
 it's gifts 
 
 On me 
 
 for ev- 
 
 er more. | 
 
 IV. 
 
 be poured 
 
 I. II. III. 
 
 Soldiers 
 
 of Christ, 
 
 arise, 
 
 And put 
 Strong in 
 Through His 
 
 your ar- 
 the strength 
 Eter- 
 
 mour on, | 
 which God 
 nal Son. | 
 
 IV. 
 
 I. 
 
 Out of 
 To Thee, 
 Before 
 Be mer- 
 
 supplies 
 
 Hymns A. and M. 181. 
 
 II. III. IV. 
 
 the deep I call 
 
 O Lord, to Thee; | 
 
 Thy Throne of grace I fall; 
 
 ciful to me. | 
 
 Hymns A . and M. 288. 
 
 Ddd. Joint TETRAMETER-TRIMETER. Quatrains with 
 alternate uneven or 1-3 tetrameter lines, and even or 2-4 
 trimeter lines. Rhyming of even trimeter lines always, 
 and of uneven tetrameter lines only occasionally. 
 Variety a, with rhyming of trimeter even 2-4 lines only.
 
 4 6 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 Variety /3, with additional rhyming of tetrameter uneven 
 1-3 lines also. Hymnal common measure. Known also 
 as ballad metre. 
 
 Variety a. 
 
 I. II. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 He pray- 
 All things 
 For the 
 
 eth best 
 both great 
 dear God 
 
 who lov- 
 and small; | 
 who lov- 
 
 eth best 
 eth us, 
 
 He made 
 
 and lov- 
 
 eth all. | 
 
 
 
 
 Coleridge. 
 
 i. n. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Jeru- 
 When shall 
 
 salem, 
 I come 
 
 my hap- 
 to thee ? | 
 
 py home, 
 
 When shall 
 Thy joys 
 
 my sor- 
 when shall 
 Anon., c. 
 
 rows have 
 I see ? | 
 1600. Hymns j. 
 
 an end ? 
 i.andM. 180. 
 
 I. n. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 When day 
 And a' 
 I think 
 The lie- 
 
 is gone 
 folk bound 
 on him 
 long night, 
 
 and night 
 to sleep, | 
 that's far 
 and weep. | 
 
 is come, 
 away 
 R. Burns. 
 
 i. n. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Hail, beau- 
 Thou mes- 
 Now Heav'n 
 And woods 
 
 teous stran- 
 senger 
 repairs 
 thy wel- 
 
 ger of 
 of spring ! j 
 thy ru- 
 come ring. | 
 
 the grove, 
 ral seat, 
 
 
 
 /. Logan. 
 
 i. n. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 He soon 
 Of wo- 
 
 replied, 
 mankind 
 
 I do 
 jut one, | 
 
 idmire 
 
 And you 
 Therefore 
 
 are she, 
 it shall 1 
 
 nay dear- 
 be done.' | 
 
 sst dear; 
 
 
 
 Cowper.
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 47 
 
 I. II. 
 
 in. 
 
 
 IV. 
 
 Why then 
 And still 
 
 should I 
 make love 
 
 seek fur- 
 anew ? | 
 
 
 ther change. 
 
 When change 
 'Tis ea- 
 
 itself 
 sy to 
 
 can give 
 be true. | 
 
 
 no more 
 
 Sir C. Sedley. 
 
 i. II. 
 
 in. 
 
 
 IV. 
 
 Ye mar- 
 That guard 
 Whose flag 
 The bat- : 
 
 iners 
 our na- 
 has braved 
 tie and 
 
 
 of En- 
 tive seas, | 
 a thou- 
 the breeze, | 
 
 g-land, 
 sand years 
 
 Your glor- 
 To match 
 
 ious stand- 
 anoth- 
 
 
 ard launch 
 er foe, | 
 
 again 
 
 (And sweep 
 
 tho-rough 
 
 
 the deep) 
 
 
 
 
 When the 
 And stor- 
 
 battle 
 my winds 
 
 
 rages louc 
 do blow. 
 
 1 
 
 
 and long 
 
 Variety p. 
 
 T. Campbell. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Father 
 In ev'- 
 By saint, 
 Jeho- 
 
 of all, 
 ry clime 
 by sav- 
 vah, Jove, 
 
 in ev'- 
 adored, | 
 age, and 
 or Lord. | 
 
 ry age, 
 by sage, 
 
 Pope. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Stone walls 
 Nor i- 
 Minds in- 
 That for 
 
 do not 
 ron bars 
 nocent 
 an her- 
 
 a pris- 
 a cage; | 
 and qui- 
 mitage. | 
 
 on make, 
 et take 
 
 R. Lovelace.
 
 4 8 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 The chough 
 The owl 
 The hushed 
 
 and crow 
 sits on 
 wind wails 
 
 to roost 
 the tree, 
 with fee- 
 
 have gone, 
 ble moan, 
 
 Like in- 
 
 fant char- 
 
 ity. | 
 
 
 
 , 
 
 /. Baillie. 
 
 i. II. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Turn, gen- 
 And guide 
 To where 
 With hos- 
 
 tie her- 
 my lone- 
 yon ta- 
 pita- 
 
 mit of 
 ly way | 
 per cheers 
 ble ray. | 
 
 the dale, 
 the vale 
 
 
 
 O. Goldsmith. 
 
 i. ii. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 OGod, 
 Our hope 
 Our shel- 
 And our 
 
 our help 
 for years 
 ter from 
 eter- 
 
 in a- 
 to come, | 
 the stor- 
 nal home. | 
 
 ges past, 
 my blast, 
 
 Hymns A. and M. 197. 
 
 i. ii. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Come let 
 With An- 
 Ten thou- 
 But all 
 
 us join 
 gels round 
 sand thou- 
 their joys 
 
 our cheer- 
 ;he Throne; 
 sand are 
 are one. | 
 
 ful songs 
 their tongues, 
 
 Hymns A . and M. 302. 
 
 i. ii. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 O Brig- 
 And Gre- 
 And you 
 Would grace 
 
 nail banks 
 ta woods 
 may gath- 
 a sum- 
 
 are wild 
 are green, 
 er gar- 
 mer queen. 
 
 and fair, 
 lands there 
 
 Sir. W. Scott.
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 49 
 
 I. II. III. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Be it right 
 On wo- 
 Affirm- 
 Ala- 
 To love 
 
 or wrong, 
 men do 
 ing this, 
 hour spent 
 them well, 
 
 these m 
 complaii 
 how tha 
 in vain 
 for nev- 
 
 3n 
 i, 
 t 
 
 among 
 it is 
 er a dell 
 
 They love 
 
 a man 
 
 again. | 
 
 
 
 For let 
 
 a man 
 
 do what 
 
 he can 
 
 Their fa- 
 
 vour to 
 
 attain, 
 
 
 
 Yet if 
 Their first 
 
 a new 
 true lov- 
 
 to them 
 er then 
 
 
 pursue 
 
 Labour'th 
 He is 
 
 for naught, 
 a ban- 
 
 for from 
 ish'd man. 1 
 
 her thought 
 
 Anon. (' The Nut-Brown Maid '), Fifteenth century. 
 
 And so on, as regards mid-line rhyme, for further twenty-nine 
 similar twelve-line double stanzas. 
 
 Dddd. Joint TETRAMETER-TRIMETER. Quatrains with 
 lines 1-2-3 tetrameter, and line 4 trimeter (sometimes 
 dimeter). Rhyme sequence variable. Rhyming most 
 usually, however, of alternate 2-4 lines, tetrameter and 
 trimeter respectively. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Over 
 
 With cleav- 
 To speed- 
 A gal- 
 
 the sea 
 ing prows 
 ing wind 
 lant or- 
 
 our gal- 
 in or- 
 and bound- 
 nament. | 
 
 leys went, | 
 der brave, "( 
 less wave / 
 
 R. Browning. 
 
 I. 
 
 Oft in 
 Live o'er 
 When mid- 
 Beside the 
 
 II. 
 
 my wak- 
 again 
 way on 
 ruined 
 
 ill. 
 
 ing dreams 
 that hap- 
 the mount 
 tower. I 
 
 IV. 
 
 do I 
 
 py hour, | 
 
 Hay 
 
 Coleridge. 
 4
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 To thee, great Lord, 
 
 the One 
 
 in Three, 
 
 All praise for ev- 
 
 ermore 
 
 ascend; | 
 
 O grant us in 
 
 our home 
 
 to see 
 
 The life that knows 
 
 no end. I 
 
 
 Hymns A. and M. 165. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Soothed with the sound, 
 
 the king 
 
 grew vain,) 
 
 Fought all his bat- 
 
 ties o'er 
 
 again, / 
 
 And thrice he rout- 
 
 ed all 
 
 his foes, 
 
 And thrice he slew 
 
 the slain. 1 
 
 
 Dry den. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Ye flow- 
 
 ery banks 
 
 o' bon- 
 
 nie Doon, 
 
 How can 
 
 ye blume 
 
 so fresh 
 
 and fair ! | 
 
 How can 
 
 ye chant, 
 
 ye lit- 
 
 tie birds, 
 
 And I 
 
 so fu' 
 
 of care ! 1 
 
 
 R. Burns. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 I mind 
 
 me in 
 
 the days 
 
 departed 
 
 How oft- 
 
 en un- 
 
 derneath 
 
 the sun 'i 
 
 With child- 
 
 ish bounds 
 
 I used 
 
 to run J 
 
 To a gar- 
 
 den long 
 
 deserted. 
 
 
 E. B. Browning. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Should auld 
 
 acquaint- 
 
 ance be 
 
 forgot, 
 
 And nev- 
 
 er brought 
 
 to min' ? J 
 
 
 Should auld 
 
 acquaint- 
 
 ance be 
 
 forgot, 
 
 And days 
 
 o' lang syne ? | 
 
 
 
 For auld 
 
 lang syne, 
 
 my dear, 
 
 
 For auld 
 
 lang syne, | 
 
 
 
 We'll tak' 
 
 a cup 
 
 o' kind- 
 
 ness yet 
 
 For auld 
 
 lang syne. I 
 
 
 
 R. Burns. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Happy 
 
 the man 
 
 whose wish 
 
 and care 
 
 A few 
 
 pater- 
 
 nal a- 
 
 cres bound, | 
 
 Content 
 
 to breathe 
 
 his na- 
 
 tive air 
 
 In his 
 
 own ground, j 
 
 
 
 Pope.
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 L 
 
 O what 
 Alone 
 The sedge 
 And no 
 
 ii. 
 
 can ail 
 and pale- 
 is with- 
 birds sing. 
 
 in. 
 
 thee, knight- 
 ly loit- 
 ered from 
 
 IV. 
 
 at-arms, 
 ering ? | 
 the grass, 
 
 /. Keats. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 The ra- 
 And spent 
 The sha- 
 Creep on 
 
 diant morn 
 too soon 
 dows of 
 once more. | 
 
 hath passed 
 her gold- 
 depart- 
 
 away, 
 en store; | 
 ing day 
 
 Hymns A . and M. 274. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Sweet day 
 The bri- 
 The dew 
 For thou 
 
 so cool, 
 
 dal of 
 shall weep 
 must die. | 
 
 so calm, 
 the earth 
 thy fall 
 
 so bright, 
 and sky, | 
 to-night, 
 
 G. Herbert. 
 
 E. TETRAMETER modified. Quatrains with terminal 
 foot of uneven or 1-3 lines extended by addition of un- 
 stressed syllable; and so lengthened or amphibrachic last 
 foot of lines formative of double rhyme, the alternate even 
 or 2-4 lines forming single rhymes. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 When love- 
 And finds 
 What charm 
 What art 
 
 ly wo- 
 too late 
 can soothe 
 can wash 
 
 man stoops 
 that men 
 her me- 
 the tears 
 
 to folly,= 
 betray, | 
 lancholy ?= 
 away ? | 
 
 O. Goldsmith. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 The mer- 
 
 chant to 
 
 secure 
 
 his treasure= 
 
 Conveys 
 Euphe- 
 But Chlo- 
 
 it in 
 lia serves 
 e is 
 
 a bor- 
 to grace 
 my re- 
 
 row'd name; | 
 my measure,= 
 al flame. | 
 
 M . Prior.
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 But nev- 
 
 er eith- 
 
 er found 
 
 another 
 
 To free 
 They stood 
 Like cliffs 
 
 the hoi- 
 aloof, 
 which had 
 
 low heart 
 the scars 
 been rent 
 
 from paining ;|\ 
 remaining (/ 
 asunder.= 
 
 A drear- 
 But neith- 
 
 y sea 
 er heat 
 
 now flows 
 nor frost 
 
 between, | 
 nor thunder= 
 
 Shall whol- 
 The marks 
 
 ly do 
 
 of that 
 
 away, 
 which once 
 
 I ween, "k 
 hath been./ 
 
 Coleridge. 
 
 Ee. Like TRIMETER quatrains with similar amphibrachic 
 extension of uneven 1-3 lines, thereby formative (though 
 not always forming) double rhymes, the alternate even 
 or 2-4 lines forming single rhymes. So-called Gay's 
 stanza. 
 
 i. 
 
 Jeru- 
 
 With milk 
 Beneath 
 Sink heart 
 
 ii. 
 
 in. 
 
 salem 
 and hon- 
 thy con- 
 and voice 
 
 the golden, 
 ey blest, | 
 templation 
 opprest. | 
 
 Hymns A. and M. 142. 
 
 i. 
 
 John An- 
 When we 
 Your locks 
 Your bon- 
 
 But now 
 Your locks 
 But bles- 
 John An- 
 
 ii. 
 
 derson, 
 were first 
 were like 
 nie brow 
 
 your brow 
 are like 
 sings on 
 derson, 
 
 in. 
 
 my jo, John, 
 acquaint, | 
 the raven, 
 was brent; | 
 
 is beld, John, 
 the snow; | 
 your frost(y pow, 
 my jo. I 
 
 R. Burns.
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 53 
 
 I. II. III. 
 
 'Twas when 
 
 the seas 
 
 were roaring,= 
 
 With hol- 
 
 low blasts 
 
 of wind, 
 
 
 A dam- 
 
 sel lay 
 
 deploring,= 
 
 All on 
 
 a rock 
 
 reclined. 
 
 
 Gay. 
 
 i. 
 
 Cold sweat 
 Their hearts 
 The sands 
 Flash fire 
 
 ii. 
 
 is plash- 
 are beat- 
 and shelves 
 at ev'- 
 
 iii. 
 
 ing o'er them,= 
 ing slow; | 
 before them,= 
 ry blow, j 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 I. 
 
 I loved 
 As fair 
 She was 
 Anoth- 
 
 n. 
 
 a lass, 
 as ere 
 indeed 
 er She- 
 
 iii. 
 
 a fair one, = 
 was seen; | 
 a rare one,= 
 ba queen. | 
 
 Geo. Wither. 
 
 I. II. III. 
 
 
 The Church- 
 
 e's one 
 
 foundation= 
 
 Is Je- 
 
 She is 
 
 sus Christ 
 His new 
 
 the Lord; 
 creation= 
 
 
 By wa- 
 
 ter and 
 
 the Word. 
 
 1 
 
 Hymns A . and M. 320. 
 
 Eee. Joint TETRAMETER- TRIMETER modified. Quatrains, 
 with, in this case, extended or amphibrachic last foot of 
 even 2-4 trimeter lines, thereby formative of double 
 rhymes, the alternate uneven or 1-3 tetrameter lines 
 forming, when rhyming, single rhymes. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Pack clouds, 
 
 away, 
 
 and wel- 
 
 come day; 
 
 With night 
 
 we ban- 
 
 ish sorrow; || 
 
 
 Sweet air, 
 
 blow soft; 
 
 mount, lark, 
 
 aloft 
 
 To give 
 
 my love 
 
 good morrow. II 
 
 
 T. Heywood.
 
 54 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 As slow 
 
 our ship 
 
 her foam- 
 
 y track 
 
 Against 
 
 the wind 
 
 was cleaving, || 
 
 
 Her tremb- 
 
 ling pen- 
 
 nant still 
 
 looked back- 
 
 To that 
 
 dear isle 
 
 'twas leaving. II 
 
 
 T. Moore. 
 
 i. 11. in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 I pray 
 Call home 
 I but 
 
 thee leave; 
 the heart 
 in vain 
 
 love me 
 you gave me. || 
 the saint 
 
 1 no more; 
 adore 
 
 That can 
 
 but will 
 
 not save me. II 
 
 
 
 M. Drayton. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Gather 
 
 ye rose- 
 
 buds while 
 
 you may, 
 
 Old time 
 
 is still 
 
 a flying, || 
 
 
 And this 
 
 same flower 
 
 that smiles 
 
 to-day 
 
 To-mor- 
 
 row will 
 
 be dying. || 
 
 
 Then be 
 
 not coy, 
 
 but use 
 
 your time, 
 
 And while 
 
 ye may 
 
 go marry, || 
 
 
 For hav- 
 
 ing lost 
 
 but once 
 
 your prime, 
 
 You may 
 
 for ev- i er tarry. || 
 
 
 R. Her rick. 
 
 I. 
 
 Near to 
 Sire- 
 She to 
 All that 
 
 Oft have 
 To do 
 Fix him- 
 To gaze 
 
 ii. ni. 
 
 the sil- 
 
 ver Trent 
 
 na dwelleth, || 
 
 
 whom na- 
 
 ture lent 
 
 excelleth. || 
 
 
 I seen 
 
 the sun, 
 
 her honour, || 
 
 
 self at 
 
 his noon 
 
 upon her. |J 
 
 
 I. II. 
 
 Hence, all 
 As short 
 
 you vain 
 as are 
 
 Wherein 
 There's nought 
 If men 
 
 you spend 
 in this 
 were wise 
 
 But on- 
 
 ly me- 
 
 M. Drayton. 
 
 in. 
 
 delights, 
 the nights 
 your folly, || 
 life sweet, "4 
 to see't, / 
 lancholy. || 
 
 /. Fletcher.
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 55 
 
 i. 
 
 Love is 
 All rem- 
 A plant 
 Most bar- 
 More we 
 If not 
 
 II. 
 
 a sick- 
 edies 
 that with 
 ren with 
 
 enjoy 
 enjoy 'd, 
 
 III. IV. 
 
 ness full 
 
 of woes, 
 
 refusing; || 
 
 
 most cut- 
 
 ting grows, 
 
 best using. || 
 
 
 Why so ? 
 
 
 it, more 
 it sigh- 
 
 it dies; ~l 
 ing cries,/ 
 
 Heigh-ho ! 
 
 
 S. Daniel. 
 
 F. QUINTAINS AND SEXTETS. Stanzas chiefly of tetra- 
 meter or joint tetrameter-trimeter lines. Rhyming very 
 various. Often in part, in some instances wholly, three- 
 fold. (See page n.) 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 My true 
 By just 
 I hold 
 
 love hath 
 exchange 
 his dear 
 
 my heart 
 one for 
 and mine 
 
 and I 
 anoth- 
 he can- 
 
 have his, 
 er given. [| 
 not miss: 
 
 There nev- 
 My true 
 
 er was 
 love hath 
 
 a bet- 
 my heart 
 
 ter bar- 
 and I 
 
 gain driven. | 
 have his. 
 
 Sir Philip Sidney. 
 
 i. n. 
 
 Helen, 
 Like those 
 
 thy beaut 
 Nice- 
 
 That gent- 
 The wear- 
 To his 
 
 ly o'er 
 y way- 
 own na- 
 
 III. 
 
 IV. 
 
 y is 
 an barks 
 a per- 
 worn wan- 
 
 to me 
 of yore | 
 fumed sea- 
 d'rer bore 
 
 tive shore. | 
 
 
 i. n. in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 The world 
 
 is all 1 a fleet- 
 
 
 ing show, 
 
 For man's 
 
 illu- 
 
 sion giv'n; | 
 
 
 
 The smiles 
 
 of joy, 
 
 the tears 
 
 
 of woe, ^ 
 
 Deceit- 
 
 ful shine, 
 
 deceit- 
 
 
 ful flow. J 
 
 There's no- 
 
 thing true 
 
 but heav'n. 
 
 
 
 T. Moore.
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 You mean- 
 
 er beaut- 
 
 ies of 
 
 the night, 
 
 That poor- 
 
 ly sat- 
 
 isfy 
 
 our eyes | 
 
 More by 
 
 your num- 
 
 ber than 
 
 your light; 
 
 Ye com- 
 What are 
 
 mon peo- 
 you when 
 
 pie of 
 the moon 
 
 the skies, "\ 
 shall rise ?/ 
 
 Sir H. Wotton. 
 
 I. II. HI. IV. 
 
 A fair- 
 
 er hand 
 
 than thine 
 
 shall cure 
 
 The heart 
 
 which thy 
 
 false oaths 
 
 did wound, j 
 
 And to 
 
 my soul 
 
 a soul 
 
 more pure 
 
 Than thine 
 
 shall by 
 
 love's hand 
 
 be bound, ^ 
 
 And both 
 
 with e- 
 
 qual glor- ' 
 
 y crown'd./ 
 
 T. Carew. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 To all 
 
 you la- 
 
 dies now 
 
 at land 
 
 We men 
 
 at sea 
 
 indite, | 
 
 
 But first 
 
 would have 
 
 you un- 
 
 derstand 
 
 How hard 
 
 it is 
 
 to write. | 
 
 
 The mu- 
 
 ses now, 
 
 and Nep- 
 
 tune too, } 
 
 We must 
 
 implore 
 
 to write 
 
 to you. j 
 
 C. Sackvitte, Earl of Dorset. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 ' It was 
 
 the En- 
 
 glish,' Kas- 
 
 par cried, 
 
 ' Who put 
 
 the French 
 
 to rout ; 
 
 
 But what 
 
 they fought 
 
 each oth- 
 
 er for 
 
 I could 
 
 not well 
 
 make out. | 
 
 
 But ev' 
 
 ry bo- 
 
 dy said,' 
 
 quoth he,^ 
 
 ' That 'twas 
 
 a fa- 
 
 mous vio 
 
 tory. / 
 
 ' And ev' 
 
 ry bo- 
 
 dy praised 
 
 the Duke 
 
 Who this 
 
 great fight 
 
 did win.' 
 
 
 ' But what 
 
 good came 
 
 of it 
 
 at last ?' 
 
 Quoth lit- 
 
 tlePe- 
 
 terkin. | 
 
 
 ' Why, that 
 
 I can- 
 
 not tell.' 
 
 said he,) 
 
 c But 'twas 
 
 a fa- 
 
 mous vic- 
 
 tory.' / 
 
 R. Soulhey.
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 57 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 His hat 
 
 was off, 
 
 his vest 
 
 apart, 
 
 To catch 
 
 heav'n's bless- 
 
 ed breeze, | 
 
 
 For a burn- 
 
 ing thought 
 
 was on 
 
 his brow 
 
 And his bos- 
 
 som ill 
 
 at ease; 
 
 
 So he lean'd 
 
 his head 
 
 on his hands 
 
 and read 
 
 The book 
 
 between 
 
 his knees. | 
 
 
 T. Hood. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Thou wast 
 
 all that 
 
 to me, love,= 
 
 
 For which 
 
 my soul 
 
 did pine, 
 
 
 A green 
 
 isle in 
 
 the sea, love= 
 
 
 A foun- 
 
 tain and 
 
 a shrine 
 
 
 All wreath'd 
 
 with f air- 
 
 y fruits 
 
 and flowers, 
 
 And all 
 
 the flowers 
 
 were mine. 
 
 
 E.A.Poe. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 She walks 
 
 in beaut- | y like 
 
 the night 
 
 Of cloud- 
 
 less climes 
 
 and star- 
 
 ry skies, | 
 
 And all 
 
 that's best 
 
 of dark 
 
 and bright 
 
 Meet in 
 
 her as- 
 
 pect and 
 
 her eyes; | 
 
 Thus mel- 
 
 lowed to 
 
 that ten- 
 
 der light 
 
 Which heav'n 
 
 to gaud- 
 
 y day 
 
 denies. 
 
 Lord Byron. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 I wan- 
 
 dered lone- 
 
 ly as 
 
 a cloud 
 
 That floats 
 
 on high 
 
 o'er vales 
 
 and hills, j 
 
 When all 
 
 at once 
 
 I saw 
 
 a crowd, 
 
 A host 
 
 of gold- 
 
 en daf- 
 
 fodils 
 
 Beside 
 
 the lake 
 
 beneath 
 
 the trees \ 
 
 Flutt'ring 
 
 and dan- 
 
 cing in 
 
 the breeze./ 
 
 Words worth.
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 But hark ! 
 
 I hear 
 
 her li- 
 
 quid tone.- 
 
 Now Hes- 
 
 per guide 
 
 my feet 
 
 
 
 Down the 
 
 red marl 
 
 with moss 
 
 o'er grown, 
 
 Through yon 
 
 wild thick- 
 
 et next 
 
 the plain ^ 
 
 Whose haw- 
 
 thorns choke 
 
 the wind- 
 
 ing lane J 
 
 Which leads 
 
 to her 
 
 retreat. 
 
 
 
 See the 
 Enlarged 
 See in 
 
 green space 
 it spreads 
 the midst 
 
 Where one 
 
 old oak 
 
 Extends 
 
 o'er half 
 
 Enclosed 
 
 in woods 
 
 on eith- 
 around; | 
 she takes 
 his aw- 
 the lev- 
 profound. 
 
 er hand, 
 
 her stand 
 ful shade "\ 
 el glade, / 
 
 M. Akenside (' The Nightingale '). 
 
 TROCHAICS. 
 
 G. TROCHAIC lines proper, 
 mostly perhaps consecutive. 
 
 i. 
 
 Life may 
 Hope can 
 Truth be 
 Love re- 
 
 ii. 
 
 change, but 
 vanish, 
 veiled, but 
 pulsed, but 
 
 dx, forming double rhyme, 
 (See page 12, at bottom.) 
 
 in. 
 
 it may 
 but can 
 still it 
 it re- 
 
 IV. 
 
 fly not; ) 
 die not;/ 
 burneth;"i 
 turneth. J 
 
 The fountains 
 And the 
 The winds of 
 With a 
 
 mingle 
 rivers 
 heaven 
 sweet e- 
 
 with the 
 with the 
 mix for 
 
 motion. || 
 
 river,= 
 ocean; || 
 ever= 
 
 P. B. Shelley. 
 
 Gg. Trochaic lines with monosyllabic caesura-endings, 
 forming consecutive single rhymes. 
 
 i. 
 
 Hark' 
 Glory 
 Peace on 
 God and 
 
 the 
 
 II. III. 
 
 herald- 
 to the 
 
 angels 
 new-born 
 
 earth, and 
 
 mercy 
 
 sinners 
 
 recon- 
 
 IV. 
 
 sing 
 King 
 mild,\ 
 ciled.J 
 Hymns A . and M. 43.
 
 TROCHAICS 
 
 59 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Mortals 
 Love vir- 
 She can 
 Higher 
 
 that would 
 tue, she 
 teach you 
 than the 
 
 follow 
 alone is 
 how to 
 spheery 
 
 me, \ 
 free;/ 
 climb } 
 chime. J 
 
 Milton (' Comus ') 
 
 M 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Shall I, 
 Die be- 
 Or make 
 'Cause an- 
 
 wasting 
 cause a 
 pale my 
 other's 
 
 in des- 
 woman's 
 cheeks with 
 rosy 
 
 pair, \ 
 fair ?/ 
 care i 
 are ?/ 
 
 Be she 
 Or the 
 If she 
 What care 
 
 fairer 
 flow'ry 
 think not 
 I how 
 
 than the 
 meads of 
 well of 
 fair she 
 
 day ) 
 May.j 
 me, "\ 
 be?/ 
 
 Geo. Wither. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Fill the 
 A) round our 
 And) let us 
 Like the 
 Crown'd with 
 Gyges' 
 
 bowl with 
 temples 
 cheerful- 
 wine and 
 roses, 
 wealthy 
 
 rosy 
 roses 
 ly a- 
 roses, 
 we con- 
 dia- 
 
 wine, "I 
 twine, / 
 while, } 
 smile. } 
 temn) 
 dem. J 
 
 A . Cowley. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Maiden 
 In whose 
 Like the 
 
 with the 
 orbs a 
 dusk in 
 
 meek brown 
 shadow 
 evening 
 
 eyes, \ 
 lies, J- 
 skies. J 
 
 Longfellow. 
 
 Ggg. Trochaic lines with monosyllabic caesura-endings 
 forming alternate single rhymes. 
 
 I. II. III. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Jesus, 
 
 lover 
 
 of my 
 
 soul, 
 
 Let me 
 
 to Thy 
 
 bosom 
 
 fly. I 
 
 While the 
 
 gathering 
 
 waters 
 
 roll, 
 
 While the 
 
 tempest 
 
 still is 
 
 high. | 
 
 Hymns A. and M. 179.
 
 6o 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 All is 
 What th' un- 
 Of highest 
 And ever 
 
 best, 'though 
 searcha- 
 wisdom 
 best found 
 
 we oft 
 ble dis- 
 brings a- 
 in the 
 
 doubt 
 pose 
 bout, 
 close. | 
 
 Oft he 
 
 seems to 
 
 hide his 
 
 face, 
 
 But unex- 
 
 pected- 
 
 ly re- 
 
 turns. 
 
 Milton. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Take, O 
 That so 
 And those 
 Lights that 
 But my 
 Seals of 
 
 take those 
 sweetly 
 eyes the 
 do mis- 
 kisses 
 love, but 
 
 lips a- 
 were for- 
 break of 
 lead the 
 bring a- 
 seal'd in 
 
 way 
 sworn, | 
 day 
 morn; | 
 gain \ 
 vain. / 
 
 Shakespeare. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Rarely, 
 Spirit 
 Wherefore 
 
 rarely 
 of de- 
 hast thou 
 
 comest 
 light. | 
 left me 
 
 thou, 
 now 
 
 Many a 
 Many a 
 'Tis since 
 
 day and 
 weary 
 thou hast 
 
 night ? | 
 night and 
 fled a- 
 
 day I 
 
 way./ 
 
 Shelley. 
 
 Gggg. Conjoint trochaic lines proper with double rhymes, 
 mostly alternate, and caesura-ending lines with single 
 rhymes. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Lay thy 
 And thy 
 Give un- 
 Time to 
 
 bow of 
 silver 
 to the 
 breathe, how 
 
 pearl a- 
 shining 
 flying 
 short so- 
 
 part 
 quiver; || 
 hart 
 ever. II 
 
 Ben Jonson. 
 
 I. 
 
 ii. in. 
 
 While I 
 
 touch the 
 
 string 
 
 Wreathe my 
 
 brows with 
 
 laurel, || 
 
 For the 
 
 tale I 
 
 sing 
 
 Has for 
 
 I once a 
 
 moral. II 
 
 T. Moore.
 
 Why so 
 Prithee 
 Will, when 
 Looking 
 
 TROCHAICS 
 
 II. 
 
 pale and 
 why so 
 looking 
 ill pre- 
 
 III. IV. 
 
 wan, fond 
 
 lover ?= 
 
 pale ? | 
 well can't 
 
 move her= 
 
 vail ? | 
 
 
 Sir J. Suckling. 
 
 i. 
 
 And a 
 And her 
 That she 
 And the 
 
 ii. 
 
 1 gentle 
 gentle 
 grew a 
 people 
 
 in. 
 
 consort 
 mind was 
 noble 
 lov'd her 
 
 IV. 
 
 made he,= 
 such j 
 lady,= 
 much. 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 I. II. 
 
 And at 
 In a 
 Shall the 
 Yellow 
 Doleful 
 
 ev'ning 
 chapel 
 chaunter, 
 tapers 
 masses 
 
 Mise- 
 
 rere 
 
 Hark, the 
 
 cadence 
 
 On the 
 The) boatmen 
 Mise- 
 
 quiet 
 rest their 
 rere 
 
 III. 
 
 IV. 
 
 ever- more ) 
 
 on the 
 
 shore / 
 
 sad and 
 burning 
 
 saintly, i\ 
 faintly, |J 
 
 chaunt for 
 
 thee,) 
 
 Domi- 
 
 ne. / 
 
 dies a- 
 moonlight 
 oars and 
 Domi- 
 
 way 
 sea; | 
 say, 
 ne. 
 
 Coleridge. 
 
 I. 
 
 Hail to 
 Bird thou 
 That from 
 Pourest 
 
 Higher 
 From the 
 Like a 
 The blue 
 
 And sing- 
 And soar- 
 
 II. III. 
 
 
 thee, bright 
 
 spirit = 
 
 never 
 
 wert 
 
 
 heav'n or 
 
 near it= 
 
 thy full 
 
 heart. 
 
 
 still and 
 earth thou 
 cloud of 
 deep thou 
 
 higher= 
 springest, || 
 fire= 
 wingest, || 
 
 ing still 
 ing ever 
 
 dost soar, 
 singest. || 
 
 Shelley,
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 So, young 
 To my 
 On a 
 Leaves a- 
 
 Miiser, 
 fancy's 
 sudden 
 round, a 
 
 I' sat 
 wildest 
 through the 
 little 
 
 list'ning= 
 word. 
 glist'ning= 
 stirred, 
 
 Came a 
 
 sound, a 
 
 sense of 
 
 music, 
 
 Which was 
 
 rather 
 
 felt than 
 
 heard. 1 
 
 I. 
 
 All that's 
 The) brightest 
 All that's 
 But) to be 
 
 n. 
 
 bright must 
 still the 
 sweet was 
 lost when 
 
 E. B. Browning. 
 
 in. 
 
 fade, 
 fleetest; || 
 made 
 sweetest. || 
 
 T. Moore. 
 
 Not unfrequent replacement of deficient unstressed 
 syllable of last foot of trochaic line by prefix of super- 
 numerary syllable to first foot of succeeding line, as 
 under ; and similarly in case of dactylic lines : 
 
 i. 
 
 Little 
 roguish 
 But her 
 quite too 
 
 n. 
 
 Mary's 
 and all 
 little 
 full of 
 
 in. 
 
 eye, (Is 
 that, sir; || 
 tongue, (Is 
 chat, sir. || 
 
 T. Moore. 
 
 H. Conjoint TROCHAIC-IAMBIC metres. Intermixture of 
 sets of trochaic and iambic, and of individual trochaic and 
 iambic lines. Terminal feet of trochaic lines often 
 truncated, and rhyming with final iambic feet. Also 
 quatrains of alternate trochaic and iambic (or amphibrach- 
 iambic) lines. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 T. \Vho is 
 
 Sylvia ? 
 
 what is 
 
 she, 
 
 p. That all 
 
 our swains 
 
 commend her? || 
 
 
 T. Holy, 
 
 fair and 
 
 wise is 
 
 she ; 
 
 p.. The heav'ns 
 
 such grace 
 
 did lend her, || 
 
 
 T. That she 
 
 might ad- 
 
 mired 
 
 be. 
 
 Shakespeare.
 
 TROCHAICS 
 
 I. 
 
 n. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 p. He who 
 
 p.. Should be 
 T. Pattern 
 T. Grace to 
 r. More nor 
 T. Than by 
 
 the sword 
 as ho- 
 in him- 
 stand and 
 less to 
 self -of - 
 
 of heav'n 
 ly as 
 self to 
 virtue 
 others 
 fences 
 
 will bear) 
 severe ; / 
 know\ 
 go / 
 
 paying |\ 
 weighing.!/ 
 
 fi. O what 
 p.. Though an- 
 
 may man 
 gel on 
 
 within 
 the out- 
 
 him hide, \ 
 ward side. / 
 
 
 
 
 Shakespeare. 
 
 i. 
 
 II. 
 
 ill. 
 
 
 T. When the lamp is shatter'd,= 
 /A. The light in the dust lies dead; | 
 T. When the cloud is scatter'd,= 
 
 p.. The rainbow's glory 
 
 is shed; | 
 
 T. When the lute is broken,= 
 p. Sweet tones are remem- ber'd not; | 
 T. When the lips have spoken,== 
 /*. Lov'd accents are soon forgot. | 
 
 
 
 
 Shelley. 
 
 I. 
 
 n. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 p. The star 
 T. Now the 
 T. And the 
 ft. His glow- 
 T. In the 
 p.. And th6 
 T. Shoots a- 
 T. Pacing 
 T. Of his 
 
 that bids 1 
 front of 1 
 gilded s 
 ing ax- ] 
 steep At- 1 
 slope sun 1 
 gainst the < 
 towards the c 
 chamber j i 
 
 he shep- 
 leav'n doth 
 tar of 
 e doth 
 antic 
 lis lip- 
 lusky 
 )ther 
 n the 
 
 herd fold\ 
 hold, / 
 day \ 
 allay/ 
 stream, \ 
 ward beam/ 
 pole, ) 
 goal ) 
 East. 
 
 Milton ('Comus'). 
 
 i. 
 
 ii. 
 
 ill. 
 
 IV. 
 
 T. When shall 
 /M. In thun- 
 
 we three meet a- 
 der, light- ning, or 
 
 gain 
 in rain ? 
 
 Shakespeare.
 
 6 4 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 TRISYLLABICS. 
 
 I. ANAPAEST lines, x x a, with variously sequent single 
 rhymes. 
 
 See the snakes, 
 How they hiss 
 And the spark- 
 
 n. 
 
 how they r6ar, 
 in the air, 
 les that flash 
 
 in. 
 
 from their eyes. 
 Dryden. 
 
 i. 
 
 And the king 
 Thai-is 
 And like an- 
 
 n. 
 
 seized a flam- 
 led the way 
 other Hel- 
 
 iii. 
 
 beau, with z6al 
 to light him 
 en fired an- 
 
 IV. 
 
 to destroy ; 
 to his prey, 
 other Troy. 
 
 Dryden. 
 
 II. 
 
 I am out 
 I must fin- 
 Never hear 
 I sta-rt 
 
 of human- 
 ish my jour- 
 the sweet mu- 
 at the sound 
 
 in. 
 
 ity's reach; 
 ney alone, | 
 sic of speech : 
 of my own. | 
 
 Cowper. 
 
 ii. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 For the an- 
 And breathed 
 And the eyes 
 And their hearts 
 
 gel of death 
 on the face 
 of the sleep- 
 but onceheav'd 
 
 spread his wings 
 of the foe 
 ers wax'd dead- 
 and for ev- 
 
 on the blast, "1 
 as he passed;/ 
 ly and chill, ^ 
 er grew still. J 
 
 Lord Byron. 
 
 II. 
 
 At the close 
 And the mor- 
 And when nought 
 And there's nought 
 
 of the day, 
 tals the sweets 
 but the tor- 
 but the night- 
 
 in. 
 
 when the ham- 
 of f orget- 
 rent is heard 
 ingale's song 
 
 IV. 
 
 let is still- 
 fulness prove, j 
 on the hill, 
 in the grove. | 
 
 /. Beaitie.
 
 TRISYLLABICS 65 
 
 Ii. AMPHIBRACH lines, x a x, with variously sequent 
 double rhymes. 
 
 Yet other lines with truncated i.e., iambic endings, 
 forming single rhymes. 
 
 Also conjoint full amphibrach lines, and lines with 
 truncated iambic endings. 
 
 Of the three forms of trisyllabic rhythm the amphi- 
 brachic, in its several varieties, perhaps the most fre- 
 quently occurrent. 
 
 i. 
 
 The waters 
 The white hail 
 The light' nings 
 The hoar spray 
 
 n. 
 
 are flashing, \ 
 is dashing, J 
 are glancing, ^ 
 is dancing. I j" 
 
 Shelley. 
 
 A conquest 
 Though fate had 
 With Styx nine 
 Yet music 
 
 II. 
 
 how gr6at and 
 fast bound her i ) 
 times round her, / 
 and love were 
 
 in. 
 
 how glorious, = 
 
 victorious.: 
 
 Pope. 
 
 i. 
 
 But vainly 
 For this is 
 Thy power to 
 That in the 
 Thou heard'st a 
 And saw'st a 
 
 ii. 
 
 thou warrest,= 
 alone in || 
 declare, j 
 dim forest= 
 low moaning || 
 bright lady 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 surpassing- 
 
 fair. | 
 Coleridge. 
 
 I. II. III. 
 
 I sailed from 
 My jib how 
 She's vessel 
 As ever 
 
 the Downs in 
 she smack'd through 
 as tight to 
 sailed on the 
 
 the Ndncy= 
 the breeze | 
 my fancy= 
 salt seas. 1 
 
 C. Dibdin. 
 
 5
 
 66 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. 
 
 The dew of 
 Sank chill on 
 It felt like 
 Of what I 
 
 Thy vows are 
 And light is 
 I hear thy 
 And share in 
 
 n. 
 
 the morning= 
 my brow ; | 
 the warning= 
 feel now. | 
 
 all broken,= 
 thy fame; | 
 name spoken,= 
 i its shame. | 
 
 Lord Byron. 
 
 I. 
 
 O w6re there 
 Though ever 
 Where woman 
 No man be 
 
 n. 
 
 an island,= 
 so wild, | 
 could smile and= 
 beguiled. | 
 
 Sir W. Scott. 
 
 I. 
 
 The black bands 
 The Alps and 
 With Bourbon 
 They passed the 
 
 We've beaten 
 We've captured 
 We've turned back 
 And so let 
 
 ii. 
 
 came 6ver= 
 their snow, | 
 the rover;= 
 broad Po. j 
 
 all f6emen,= 
 a king; | 
 on no man,= 
 us sing. | 
 
 Lord Byron. 
 
 And there lay 
 But through it 
 And) the foam of 
 And cold as 
 
 And the"re lay 
 With) the dew on 
 And) the tents were 
 The lances 
 
 II. III. IV. 
 
 the steed with j his nostril 
 
 all wide, \ 
 
 there rolled not 
 his gasping 
 the spray of 
 
 the breath of 
 lay white on 
 the rock beat- 
 
 his pride,/ 
 the turf \ 
 ing surf./ 
 
 the rider 
 his brow and 
 all silent, 
 unlifted, 
 
 distorted 
 the rust on 
 the banners 
 the trumpet 
 
 and pale.l 
 his mail ; / 
 alone, \ 
 unblownj 
 
 Lord Byron.
 
 TRISYLLABICS 
 
 67 
 
 I. 
 
 II. III. IV. 
 
 There came to 
 The dew on 
 For) his country 
 To wander 
 
 1 the beach a 
 i his thin robe 
 j he sighed when 
 alone by 
 
 poor exile 
 was heavy 
 at twilight 
 the wind-beat- 
 
 of Erin;= 
 and chill. | 
 repairing= 
 en hill. | 
 
 
 T, Campbell. 
 
 I. 
 
 II. 
 
 III. 
 
 I sprang to 
 
 I galloped, 
 
 ' Good speed !' cried the watch, as 
 
 ' Speed !' echoed |the wall to 
 
 Behind shut J the postern, 
 
 And into ithe midnight 
 
 the saddle, land Joris, 
 Dirck galloped, we galloped 
 the gate-bolts 
 ;us gallop- 
 
 IV. 
 
 and he; 
 all three; 
 undrew ; 1 
 ing through;/ 
 
 j the lights sank; to rest, 1 
 I we galloped [ abreast. J 
 
 R. Browning. 
 
 I. II. 
 
 O hush thee, 
 Thy mother 
 The woods and 
 They all are 
 
 my babie; 
 a lady 
 the glens and 
 belonging, 
 
 III. 
 
 thy sire was 
 both lovely 
 the towers which 
 dear babie, 
 
 IV. 
 
 a knight, \ 
 and bright. J 
 we see \ 
 to thee. J 
 
 Sir W. Scott. 
 
 I. II. 
 
 I've found out 
 I've found where 
 But let me 
 She'll say 'twas 
 
 a gift for 
 the wood pi- 
 that plunder 
 a barbar- 
 
 m. 
 
 my fair; 
 geons breed. | 
 forbear : 
 ous deed. | 
 
 Wm. Shenstone. 
 
 lii. DACTYL lines, a x x, proper, with trisyllabic endings, 
 formative usually of treble rhymes. Also lines with 
 truncated disyllabic trochaic endings, forming double 
 rhymes; and yet other lines with monosyllabic caesura- 
 endings, forming single rhymes. Also the two or three 
 varieties occurred together. Rhyming sequence variable 
 in different instances.
 
 68 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. II. 
 
 Take her up 
 Lift her with 
 
 tenderly, ||[ 
 care, 
 
 Fashion'd so 
 Young and so 
 
 slenderly, (H, 
 fair. 
 
 Ere her limbs 
 Stiffen too 
 Decently, 
 Smooth and com- 
 And her eyes 
 Staring so 
 
 frigidly \ 
 rigidly, / 
 kindly= 
 pose them, ^ 
 close them, J 
 blindly.= 
 
 T. Hood. 
 
 I. 
 
 Shadows of 
 Shadows of 
 Rise to your 
 This is the 
 
 ii. 
 
 beauty,= 
 power, || 
 duty;= 
 ho-ur. 
 
 Lord By von. 
 
 I, 
 
 Know you the 
 emblems of 
 rage of the 
 melt into 
 
 ii. 
 
 land where the 
 deeds that are 
 vulture, the 
 sadness, now 
 
 ni. 
 
 cypress and 
 done in their 
 love of the 
 madden to 
 
 IV. 
 
 myrtle,= (Are 
 clime; | (Where the 
 turtle,= (Now 
 crime. I 
 
 Lord Byron. 
 
 i. 
 
 Peace to thee, 
 Peace to thy 
 
 ii. 
 
 isle of the 
 breezes and 
 
 in. 
 
 ocean; 
 billows. 
 
 Lord Byron. 
 
 I. 
 
 M6rrily, 
 Under the 
 
 ii. 
 
 merrily 
 blossom that 
 
 ni. 
 
 shall we Ii ve 
 hangs on the 
 
 IV. 
 
 now | 
 bough./ 
 
 Shakespeare.
 
 i. 
 
 TRISYLLABICS 
 
 ii. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Farewell to 
 Heir to my 
 Bright be the 
 Or kingly the 
 
 others, but 
 royalty, 
 diadem, 
 death that a- 
 
 never we 
 son of my 
 boundless the 
 waits us to- 
 
 part, \ 
 heart./ 
 sway,\ 
 day. / 
 
 Lord Byron. 
 
 J. Irregular rhythms, and combinations. 
 
 7T. 
 
 8. 
 
 TT. 
 
 8. 
 
 i. 
 
 Come away, 
 Hark to the 
 Come in your 
 Gentles and 
 
 n. 
 
 come away !- 
 summons ! || 
 war array, 
 commons. || 
 
 TT. Leave the deer, 
 
 8. Leave nets and 
 
 TT. Come with your 
 
 8. Broad swords and 
 
 leave the steer, 
 barges; || 
 fighting gear, 
 targes. || 
 
 IT. Fast they come, 
 
 8. S6e how they 
 
 TT. Wide waves the 
 
 8. Blended with 
 
 fast they come; 
 gather ! || 
 eagle plume, 
 heather. II 
 
 Sir W. Scott. 
 
 8. TT. Where shall the 
 Whom the fates 
 
 8. IT. From his true 
 Parted for 
 
 lover rest 
 sever, || 
 
 maiden's breast- 
 ever ? II 
 
 8. TT. Where through groves 
 Sounds the far 
 
 8. TT. Where early 
 Under the 
 
 deep and high 
 billow; || 
 violets die 
 willow. || 
 
 Sir W. Scott.
 
 7 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 
 i. 
 
 11. 
 
 in 
 
 
 
 T. 'Tis the last 
 
 
 rose of 
 
 summer, 
 
 
 ^>. Left blooming 
 TT. All her love- 
 <. Are faded 
 
 
 alone; | 
 ly com- 
 and gone | 
 
 panions 
 
 T. Moore. 
 
 
 i. 
 
 
 
 
 ii. 
 
 
 
 8. When we two 
 8. silence and 
 
 parted= (In 
 tears, | 
 
 8. Half-broken- 
 8. sever for 
 
 hearted= (To 
 years, | 
 
 8. T. Pale grew thy 
 8. Colder thy 
 8. IT. Truly that 
 8. Sorrow to 
 
 cheek and cold, 
 kiss; | 
 hour foretold 
 this. 1 
 
 Lord Byron. 
 
 
 I. 
 
 n. 
 
 in. 
 
 
 IV. 
 
 <f). 
 
 Mount Blanc is 
 
 the monarch 
 
 of mountains ; 
 
 
 <Z>. 7T. 
 IT. <f>. 
 TT. 
 
 We crown'd him 
 On a throne 
 With a di(a- 
 
 long ago, | 
 of rocks in 
 demofsnow. | 
 
 a robe of 
 
 clouds, 
 
 Lord Byron. 
 
 
 i. 
 
 ii 
 
 
 
 in. 
 
 
 IV. 
 
 Cp 
 
 Whatever 
 
 a man of 
 
 the sons of 
 
 men 
 
 u)* 
 
 7T. <f>. 
 
 8. 
 
 Shall say to 
 They have shewn 
 Marvellous 
 
 his h6art of 
 man vri- 
 m6rcies and 
 
 the lords a- 
 ly once and 
 infinite 
 
 bove, | 
 a-gain- 
 love. | 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 A. 
 
 C. Swinburne. 
 
 
 i. 
 
 ii. 
 
 in. 
 
 
 IV. 
 
 fl. 7T. 
 U. Q). 
 W. rf). 
 
 IA 7T 
 
 O (the) beaut- 
 Who lived 
 Just where 
 And (a) boast- 
 She bore 
 
 iful girl 
 at Pornic 
 the sea and 
 ed name 
 which I will 
 
 too white, 
 down by 
 the Loire 
 in Brit- 
 not write. 
 
 the sea, 
 unite, 
 tany | 
 
 .R. Browning.
 
 <t>. 
 TT. <. 
 
 8.T. 
 8.T. 
 8.T. 
 
 TRISYLLABICS 
 
 i. II. in. 
 
 Not a drum was heard, not ja fiine'ral 
 
 As) his corse to jthe rampart jwe hurried ; | 
 Not a sol- dier discharg'd fiis farewell 
 
 O'er (the) grave where our hero 'we buried. || 
 
 We buried 
 The sods with 
 By the strug- 
 And the lan- 
 
 him darkly 
 our bayon- 
 g-ling moon- 
 thorn dimly 
 
 at dead of 
 ets turning, || 
 jbeam's misty 
 ib-urning. || 
 
 IV. 
 
 note, 
 
 shot 
 
 night, 
 light 
 
 C. Wolfe. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Cold was the 
 Wide were the 
 
 night wind, 
 downs and 
 
 drifting fast 
 shelterless 
 
 the snow fell, 
 and naked, 
 
 When a poor 
 Weary and 
 
 wand'rer 
 way-sore. 
 
 struggled on 
 
 her journey, 
 
 R. S out hey. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Like the leaves of the for- est when sum- mer is green \ 
 That host with; their banners! at sunset were seen, / 
 
 Like the leaves of the for- i est when au- tumn is blown "i 
 That host on the morrow j lay wither'd and strown. j" 
 
 Lord Byron. 
 
 il. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Our biigles , sang truce for the night cloud had lower'd 
 And the sen- ! tinel stars set their watch in the sky | 
 And thousands had sunk on | the ground ov- i erpower'd 
 The weary to sleep and j the wounded ' to die. | 
 
 T. Campbell. 
 
 Strew on her 
 And never 
 In quiet 
 Ah would 
 
 ii. 
 
 roses, 
 a spray 
 she re- 
 that I 
 
 in. 
 
 roses,= 
 of yew; | 
 poses. = 
 did too ! 
 
 M. Arnold.
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. AND 
 
 II. III. IV. 
 
 . How well I 
 
 know what ! I mean 
 
 to do 
 
 . When the long 
 . And where my 
 . And (the) music 
 
 dark au- 
 soul is 
 of all 
 And life's 
 
 tumn ev' ; nings come 
 thy plea- sant hue 
 thy voi- ces dumb | 
 Novem- | ber too. 
 
 
 R. Browning. 
 
 I. AND 
 
 II. III. IV. 
 
 <. Swallow, my 
 8. How can thy 
 <f>. A thousand 
 
 sister, 
 he"art be 
 summers 
 
 O sister 
 full of the 
 are 6ver 
 
 swallow != 
 spring ? | 
 and dead. 
 
 8. What hast thou 
 8. Whdt hast thou 
 <. What wilt thou 
 
 found in 
 found in 
 do when 
 
 the spring to 
 thine heart to 
 the summer 
 
 follow ?= 
 sing ? | 
 is shed ? 
 
 (See page 24.) 
 
 A. C. Swinburne. 
 
 NOTE. Conclusion here of series of illustrations of 
 metres and metric combinations in ordinary use, that is to 
 say of innominate or general metres. Illustrations set out 
 in next section of special metres, designated severally by 
 particular names, as Rhyme Royal, Spenserian Metre, 
 etc. Varieties of innominate metres, as successively 
 defined and illustrated in foregoing pages to number of 
 about thirty or so (the illustrations themselves amounting 
 to over a hundred-and-fifty), put forward as constituting 
 a fairly representative series of such general metres. But 
 not a few exceptional metric combinations also met 
 with in reading, while of possible varieties the number 
 hardly realizable. For instance, starting from but four 
 different varieties of metric lengths, liable each to being 
 constituted of one or other of say only four different 
 kinds of rhythmic feet, and each of the several resultant 
 lines subject to fourfold distinction in respect of rhyme 
 consecutive, alternate, crossway, or wanting result so 
 far reached of sixty-four distinct varieties of verse, and 
 paired verse-lines. But this summation clearly deficient 
 in respect of no account being taken in it of intermix-
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 73 
 
 tures in same line of different rhythmic feet; and 
 especially of lines mainly disyllabic having in some in- 
 stances trisyllabic amphibrach-ending, and in other in- 
 stances monosyllabic caesura-ending terminal feet; with 
 thereby involved variations of single and of double rhyme. 
 But taking, as above made out, the number of differently 
 constituted verse-lines at sixty-four, the sum-total not by 
 any means yet arrived at. For in case of these several 
 lines, instead of occurring throughout in continuous seria- 
 tion, being each allocated respectively into three-line, 
 four-line, five-line, and six-line stanzas, result thereby, 
 according to the algebraic rule of permutations and com- 
 binations, of a grand total of two-hundred-and-fifty-six 
 varieties of verse combination; and this on limiting 
 assumption of the differently constituted lines of the 
 several stanzas occurring in same order in each par- 
 ticular three-, four-, five-, or six-line stanza, characterized 
 and differentiated by the presence of so-constituted lines ; 
 and by neglect further of various yet other possibilities. 
 
 IAMBICS (2). 
 
 K. RHYME ROYAL. 
 
 Pentameter seven-line stanzas. Alternate rhyming of 
 uneven 1-3 lines, and threefold of 2-4 and 5 lines; with 
 final rhyming couplet. Measure especially used by 
 Chaucer and his followers, and in vogue till time of Queen 
 Elizabeth. 
 
 I. II. 
 
 III. IV. V. 
 
 For knight- 
 As for 
 But in 
 
 hood is 
 to fight 
 a cause 
 
 I not in 
 in quar- 
 which truth 
 
 the feats 
 rel right 
 cannot 
 
 of warre, 
 or wrong, j 
 defarre 
 
 He ought 
 Justice 
 And no 
 But for 
 
 himself 
 to keep, 
 quar-rell 
 a truth 
 
 | for to 
 ; mixed with 
 ! a knight 
 or for 
 
 make sure 
 mercy 
 ought-en 
 a wo- 
 
 and strong | 
 among, | 
 to take *i 
 man's sake. / 
 
 
 5. Hawes.
 
 74 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 I. 
 
 II. III. IV. V. 
 
 Let me 
 
 alone 
 
 in choos- 
 
 ing of my wife, 
 
 That charge 
 
 
 upon 
 
 my back 
 
 I will 
 
 endure; | 
 
 But I 
 
 
 you pray 
 
 and charge 
 
 upon 
 
 your life 
 
 That what 
 
 
 wife that 
 
 I take 
 
 ye me 
 
 assure \ 
 
 To wor- 
 
 
 ship her 
 
 while that 
 
 her life 
 
 may dure,/ 
 
 In word 
 
 
 and work 
 
 both here 
 
 and el- 
 
 les where, ^ 
 
 As she 
 
 anem- 
 
 perour- 
 
 es daugh- 
 
 ter were, j 
 
 
 Chaucer (' The Clerkes' Tale '). 
 
 i. 
 
 n. in. iv. v. 
 
 And there 
 
 
 withal 
 
 her arm 
 
 o'er him 
 
 she laid, 
 
 And all 
 
 
 forgave 
 
 and of- 
 
 ten time 
 
 him kissed. | 
 
 He thank- 
 
 
 d her, 
 
 and to 
 
 her spoke 
 
 and said 
 
 As fell 
 And she 
 
 
 to pur- 
 to that 
 
 pose for 
 answerde 
 
 his heart- 
 him as 
 
 es rest; \ 
 her list,/ 
 
 And with 
 
 
 her good- 
 
 ly word- 
 
 es him 
 
 disport, "I 
 
 She 'gan 
 
 
 and oft 
 
 his sor- 
 
 rowes to 
 
 comfort. / 
 
 
 Chaucer (' Troilus and Cressida '). 
 
 i. 
 
 II. III. IV. V. 
 
 Fly fro' 
 
 the prease 
 
 and dwell 
 
 with sooth- 
 
 fastness; 
 
 Suffice 
 
 unto 
 
 thy good, 
 
 though it 
 
 be small, | 
 
 For hoard 
 
 hath hate 
 
 and climb- 
 
 ing tick- 
 
 leness. 
 
 Rede well 
 
 thyself 
 
 that oth- 
 
 er folke 
 
 canst rede, ) 
 
 And truth 
 
 thee shall 
 
 deliver; 
 
 it is 
 
 no drede. J 
 
 
 Chaucer. 
 
 i. 
 
 II. III. IV. V. 
 
 From false 
 
 crowds fly- 
 
 ing, dwell | with sooth- ] fastness ; 
 
 Prize more 
 
 than trea- 
 
 sure hearts 
 
 true and brave. | 
 
 Trust not 
 
 to for- 
 
 tune, be 
 
 not o'er- 
 
 meddling ; 
 
 Thankful 
 
 receive 
 
 thou, good 
 
 which God gave "1 
 
 Truth to 
 
 thine own heart, thy 
 
 soul shall save./ 
 
 Modernized Version. 
 
 L. SPENSERIAN MEASURE. 
 
 Nine-line stanzas, formed by eight pentameter lines 
 with three distinct rhymes, to wit that of alternate un- 
 even 1-3 lines, that of alternate even 6-8 lines, and that 
 of intermediate even and uneven 2-4-5-7 lines; above
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 75 
 
 eight pentameters followed by hexameter 9 line so- 
 called Alexandrine rhyming with even 6-8 lines. 
 
 Later use of this measure in Byron's ' Childe Harold,' 
 Thomson's ' Castle of Indolence/ Beattie's ' The Min- 
 strel/ etc. Further use by Spenser of yet other measures. 
 
 n. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 VI. 
 
 It hath :been through all a- Iges ev- 
 
 er seen . . . 
 
 That with ! the prize 
 
 of arms and chi- 
 
 val-rie 
 
 
 The prize ! of beau- 
 
 ty still 
 
 hath join- ; ed been, . . 
 
 And that 
 
 for rea- 
 
 son's spe- 
 
 cial priv- 
 
 i-tie, 
 
 
 
 For eith- 
 
 er doth 
 
 on oth- 
 
 er much 
 
 rely; 
 
 
 
 For he 
 
 me-seems 
 
 most fit 
 
 the fair to serve 
 
 That can 
 
 her best preserve from vil- la-nie, 
 
 
 And she 
 
 most fit 
 
 his ser- vice doth 
 
 deserve 
 
 That fair- 
 
 est is 
 
 and from her faith will nev- 
 
 (er swerve. 
 Spenser (' Faery Queen '). 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 Ah, then 
 
 and there 
 
 was hur- 
 
 tying to 
 
 and fro, . . . 
 
 And gath- 
 
 ering tears 
 
 and tremb- 
 
 lings of 
 
 distress, | 
 
 And cheeks 
 
 all pale 
 
 which but 
 
 an hour 
 
 ago ... 
 
 Blush'd at 
 
 the praise 
 
 of their 
 
 own love- 
 
 liness; | 
 
 And there 
 
 were sud- 
 
 den part- 
 
 ings such 
 
 as press I 
 
 The life 
 
 from out 
 
 young hearts 
 
 and chok- ing sighs, 
 
 Which ne'er 
 
 might be 
 
 repeat- 
 
 ed. Who 
 
 could guess | 
 
 If ev- 
 
 er more 
 
 should meet 
 
 those mu- jtual eyes 
 
 Since up- 
 
 on night 
 
 so sweet 
 
 such aw- ful morn 
 
 VI. 
 
 (could rise. 
 Lord Byron. 
 
 I. 
 
 II. III. IV. V. 
 
 Above 
 Two gen- 
 Beseem- 
 With gifts 
 Fit for so 
 
 the rest 
 tie knights 
 ing well 
 of wit 
 goodly 
 
 were good- 
 of lovely 
 the bower 
 and orna- 
 stature. | 
 
 ly to 
 face and 
 of a- 
 ments of 
 
 be seen 
 feature, | 
 ny queen- 
 nature | 
 
 They two 
 Received 
 Which at 
 Each one 
 
 forth pa- 
 those two 
 th' appoint- 
 did make 
 
 cing to 
 faire Brides, 
 ed tyde ) 
 his Bride, j 
 
 the riv- 
 their Love's 
 
 er's side | 
 delight, 
 
 Against 
 Sweet Themmes 
 
 their Bri- 
 runne soft- 
 
 dal day, 
 ly till 
 
 which is 
 I end 
 
 not long, "\ 
 my song. / 
 
 Spenser (' Pro-thalamion ').
 
 7 6 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 M. SONNET METRES. 
 
 Iambic stanzas of fourteen pentameter lines, with 
 variously sequent rhymes in different instances; the last 
 line, however, always rhyming, either with some one of 
 the two or three preceding lines, or most often with the 
 line immediately preceding. Frequent marked pause 
 in sonnets at end of eighth line. Chief writers of sonnets, 
 Shakespeare and Milton; and in later times Wordsworth 
 and Keats. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 Come, Sleep, 
 
 O Sleep, 
 
 the cer- 
 
 tain knot 
 
 of peace, 
 
 The bait- 
 
 ing place 
 
 of wit, 
 
 the balm 
 
 of woe, | 
 
 The poor- 
 
 man's wealth, 
 
 the pris- 
 
 oner's 
 
 release,- 
 
 Th' indif- 
 
 ferent judge 
 
 between 
 
 the high 
 
 and low; | 
 
 With shield 
 
 of proof 
 
 shield me 
 
 from out 
 
 the prease 
 
 Of those 
 
 fierce darts 
 
 Despair 
 
 at me 
 
 doth throw. | 
 
 O make 
 
 in me 
 
 those civ- 
 
 il wars 
 
 to cease; 
 
 I will 
 
 good trib- 
 
 ute pay 
 
 if thou 
 
 do so. | 
 
 Take thou 
 
 of me 
 
 smooth pil- 
 
 lows, sweet- 
 
 est bed, 
 
 A cham- 
 
 ber deaf 
 
 to noise 
 
 and blind 
 
 of light, | 
 
 A ro- 
 
 sy gar- 
 
 land and 
 
 a wear- 
 
 y head ; 
 
 Andif 
 
 these things 
 
 as be- 
 
 ing thine 
 
 by right 
 
 Move not 
 
 thy hea- 
 
 vy grace, 
 
 thou shalt 
 
 in me 1 
 
 Livelier 
 
 than else- 
 
 where Stel- 
 
 la's im- 
 
 age see. / 
 
 Sir Philip Sidney. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 When in 
 
 the chron- 
 
 icle 
 
 of wast- 
 
 ed time 
 
 I see 
 
 descrip- 
 
 tions of 
 
 the fair- - 
 
 est wights, 
 
 And beau- 
 
 ty mak- 
 
 ing beau- 
 
 tiful 
 
 old rhyme- 
 
 In praise 
 
 of la- 
 
 dies dead 
 
 and love- 
 
 ly knights, 
 
 Then in 
 
 the blaz- 
 
 on of 
 
 sweet beau- 
 
 ty's best 
 
 Of hand, 
 
 of foot, 
 
 of lip, 
 
 of eye, 
 
 of brow, | 
 
 I see 
 
 their an- 
 
 tique pen 
 
 would have 
 
 exprest 
 
 E'en such 
 
 a beau- 
 
 ty as 
 
 you mas- 
 
 ter now. | 
 
 So all 
 
 their prais- 
 
 es are 
 
 but pro- 
 
 phecies 
 
 Of this 
 
 our time 
 
 all you 
 
 prefig- 
 
 uring, | 
 
 And for 
 
 they look'd 
 
 but with 
 
 divin- 
 
 ing eyes 
 
 They had 
 
 not skill 
 
 enough 
 
 your worth 
 
 to sing ; | 
 
 For we 
 
 which now 
 
 behold 
 
 these pres- 
 
 ent days ) 
 
 Have eyes | to won- 
 
 der, but 
 
 lack tongues 
 
 to praise. J 
 
 Shakespeare.
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 77 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 Lawrence 
 
 of ver- 
 
 tuous fath- 
 
 er, ver- 
 
 tuous son, [ 
 
 Now that 
 
 the fields 
 
 are dank 
 
 and ways 
 
 are mire,"| 
 
 Where shall 
 
 we some- 
 
 times meet 
 
 and by 
 
 the fire J 
 
 Help waste 
 
 a sul- 
 
 len day 
 
 what may 
 
 be won ) 
 
 From the 
 
 hard sea- 
 
 son gain- 
 
 ing : time 
 
 will run/ 
 
 On smooth- 
 
 er till 
 
 Favon- 
 
 ius re- 
 
 inspire^ 
 
 The fro- 
 
 zen earth; 
 
 and clothe 
 
 in fresh 
 
 attire / 
 
 Thelily 
 
 and rose 
 
 that nei- 
 
 ther sow'd 
 
 nor spun. | 
 
 What neat 
 
 repast 
 
 shall feast 
 
 us light 
 
 and choice 
 
 Of At- 
 
 tic taste 
 
 with wine, 
 
 whence we 
 
 may rise | 
 
 To hear 
 
 the lute 
 
 well touched 
 
 or art- 
 
 ful voice 
 
 Warble 
 
 immor- 
 
 tal notes 
 
 and Tus- 
 
 can aire. "\ 
 
 He who 
 
 of these 
 
 ielights 
 
 can judge 
 
 and spare/ 
 
 Toin- 
 
 ter-pose 
 
 them oft 
 
 is not 
 
 unwise. | 
 
 Milton. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. 
 
 Earth has 
 
 not a- 
 
 nything 
 
 to show 
 
 more fair; 
 
 Dull would 
 
 he be 
 
 of soul 1 
 
 ivho could 
 
 pass by ) 
 
 A sight 
 
 so touch- 
 
 ing in i 
 
 ts ma- 
 
 jesty. f 
 
 This Ci- 
 
 ty now 
 
 doth like 
 
 Ei gar- 
 
 ment wear 
 
 The beau- 
 
 ty of 
 
 the morn- i 
 
 ng; si- 
 
 lent, bare, 
 
 Ships, tow- 
 
 ers, domes, 
 
 theatres. 
 
 and tem- 
 
 pies, lie \ 
 
 Open 
 
 unto 
 
 the fields 
 
 ind to 
 
 the sky,/ 
 
 All bright 
 
 and glit- 
 
 tering in 1 
 
 the smoke- 
 
 less air. 
 
 Never 
 
 did sun 
 
 more beaut 
 
 - tiful- 
 
 ly steep 
 
 In his 
 
 first splen- 
 
 dour val- 
 
 ley, rock, 
 
 or hill. | 
 
 Ne'er saw 
 
 I, nev- 
 
 er felt, 
 
 a calm 
 
 so deep; 
 
 The riv- 
 
 er gh'- 
 
 deth at 
 
 its own 
 
 sweet will, j 
 
 Dear God ! 
 
 the ve- 
 
 ry hous- 
 
 es seem 
 
 asleep, 
 
 And all 
 
 that might- 
 
 y heart 
 
 is ly- 
 
 ing still. | 
 
 W. Wordsworth. 
 
 N. Ottava Rima. 
 
 Iambic pentameter stanzas of eight lines. First six 
 with two alternate three-line rhymes, followed by con- 
 secutively rhyming couplet.
 
 78 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 Most usual of Italian metres. Its use more especially 
 by Tasso and Ariosto; also in English by Lord Byron in 
 ' Don Juan.' 
 
 I. 
 
 II. 
 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 
 V. 
 
 
 Then rose 
 
 
 from sea 
 
 
 to sky 
 
 the wild 
 
 
 farewell, 
 
 
 Then shriek'd 
 
 the tim- 
 
 
 id and 
 
 stood still 
 
 
 the brave, | 
 
 Then some 
 
 
 leap'd ov- 
 
 
 er board 
 
 with dread- 
 
 ful yell,- 
 
 
 As ea- 
 
 
 ger to 
 
 
 anti- 
 
 cipate 
 
 
 their grave; 
 
 And the 
 
 
 sea yawn'd 
 
 around 
 
 her like 
 
 
 a hell, 
 
 
 And down 
 
 
 she suck'd 
 
 
 with her 
 
 the whirl- 
 
 
 ing wave, [ 
 
 Like one 
 
 
 who grap- 
 
 
 pies with 
 
 his en- 
 
 
 emy "| 
 
 
 And strives 
 
 
 to stran- 
 
 
 gle him 
 
 before 
 
 
 he die. / 
 
 
 I. 
 
 ii. 
 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 
 V. 
 
 
 And thus 
 
 they wan- 
 
 der'd forth, and hand 
 
 in hand, 
 
 Over 
 
 the shin- 
 
 ing peb- 
 
 bles and 
 
 the shells, | 
 
 Glided 
 
 along 
 
 the smooth and hard- 
 
 en'd sand, 
 
 And in 
 
 the worn 
 
 and wild 
 
 recep- 
 
 tacles | 
 
 Work'd by 
 
 the storms, 
 
 yet work'd 
 
 as it 
 
 were plann'd,- 
 
 In hol- 
 
 low halls, 
 
 with spar- 
 
 ry roofs 
 
 and cells, 
 
 
 They turn'd 
 
 to rest; 
 
 and each, clasp'd by 
 
 an arm, ) 
 
 Yielded 
 
 to the 
 
 deep twi- | light's pur- 
 
 pie charm./ 
 
 i. 
 
 n. 
 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 
 V. 
 
 
 A band 
 
 
 of child- 
 
 ren, round a snow- 
 
 white ram, 
 
 There wreathe 
 
 his ven- 
 
 era- 
 
 ble horns 
 
 with flowers ; 
 
 While peace- 
 
 ful as 
 
 if still 
 
 an un- 
 
 wean'd lamb,- 
 
 The pat- 
 
 
 riarch of 
 
 the flock 
 
 all gent- 
 
 ly cowers, | 
 
 His so- 
 
 
 ber head 
 
 majes- 
 
 tical- 
 
 ly tame, 
 
 Or eats 
 
 
 from out 
 
 the palm, 
 
 or play- 
 
 ful lowers | 
 
 His brow 
 
 
 as if 
 
 in act 
 
 to butt, 
 
 and then, 
 
 1 
 
 Yielding 
 
 
 to their 
 
 small hands, 
 
 draws back again. 
 
 I 
 
 Lord Byron (' Dou Jnan '). 
 
 0. TERZA RIMA. 
 
 Iambic pentameter. Triplet stanzas, with three al- 
 ternate lines of two sequent stanzas rhymed; and in the
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 79 
 
 Italian, forming double rhymes. Special Dante-metre. 
 Use of this metre, single-rhymed, by Shelley; and occa- 
 sionally by Byron. 
 
 Nel mezzo del cammin de nos- 
 Me ritrovai per una selva 
 Che la diretta via era 
 
 v. 
 
 tra vita 
 
 oscura 
 
 smarrita. 
 
 A 
 
 B 
 A 
 
 E quanto a dir qua! era e co- 
 Questa selva selvaggia ed aspra 
 Che nel pensier rinnuova la 
 
 sa dura 
 e forte 
 paura. 
 
 B 
 C 
 
 B 
 
 Tanto e amara che poco e 
 Ma per trattar del ben ch' i' vi 
 Diro dell' alte cose ch' io 
 
 piu morte 
 
 trovai 
 
 v' ho scorte. 
 
 C 
 D 
 C 
 
 I' non so ben ridir com' io 
 Tant, era pien di sonno in su 
 Che la verace via abban- 
 
 v' entrai 
 quel punto 
 donai. 
 
 D 
 
 E 
 D 
 
 Dante (' Inferno '). 
 
 With half the pathway of our life- 
 I found myself in a dark wood 
 Because the right way was entire- 
 
 v. 
 
 time crossed, 
 astray, 
 ly lost. 
 
 A 
 
 B 
 A 
 
 Ah me ! how hard a thing it is to say, B 
 
 How savage was that wood and rough and sore, C 
 
 Which at the thought of it renews j dismay ; B 
 
 So bitter is it, death is lit- 
 But of the good I found therein 
 I'll tell what other sights for me 
 
 tie more, 
 to treat, 
 it bore. 
 
 C 
 D 
 C 
 
 How I went in skill fails me to 
 So drowsy in that instant was 
 When I abandoned the right way 
 
 repeat, 
 my case 
 and meet. 
 
 D 
 
 E 
 D 
 
 F. K. H. Haselfoot (Translation).
 
 8o 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 Upon the journey of my life 
 I found myself within a dark- 
 
 Where from the straight path I had gone astray. 
 
 v. 
 
 midway 
 ling wood, 
 
 A 
 B 
 A 
 
 Ah ! to describe it is a la- 
 
 So wild the wood and rough and thick 
 
 That at the thought the terror is 
 
 hour rude, 
 and wide, 
 renewed. 
 
 B 
 C 
 B 
 
 So bitter is it, 'tis to death 
 
 But of the good to treat which there 
 
 The lofty things I'll tell I there 
 
 allied; 
 I drew 
 descried. 
 
 C 
 D 
 
 C 
 
 How I had entered there I hard- 
 
 So deep was I in slumber at 
 
 When I had wandered from the path- 
 
 ly knew, 
 the part 
 way true. 
 
 D 
 E 
 D 
 
 J. T. Minchin (Translation). 
 
 The spirit of the fervent days 
 
 When words were things that came to pass, 
 
 Flashed o'er the future, bidding men 
 
 Their children's children's doom alrea- 
 Forth from the abyss of time, which is 
 The chaos of events, where lie 
 
 Shapes that must undergo mortal- 
 What the great seers of Israel were 
 That spirit was in them, and is 
 
 And if, Cassandra-like, amidst 
 
 Of conflicts none will hear, or hear- 
 
 This voice from out the wilderness, 
 
 Be theirs, and my own feelings be 
 
 The only guerdon I have ev- 
 
 Hast thou not bled, and hast thou still 
 
 v. 
 
 of old, 
 
 and thought 
 
 behold 
 
 ity. 
 within, 
 on me. 
 
 the din 
 ing heed, 
 the sin 
 
 my meed, 
 er known, 
 to bleed ? 
 
 A 
 
 B 
 
 A 
 
 dy brought B 
 to be ; C 
 
 half wrought B 
 
 C 
 D 
 C 
 
 D 
 E 
 D 
 
 E 
 F 
 
 E 
 
 Byron (' Prophecy of Dante ').
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 81 
 
 P. ALEXANDRINES. 
 
 Iambic hexameters. Sequence of rhyming couplets. 
 Occurrence of Alexandrine as last line of otherwise penta- 
 meter Spenserian nine-line stanza. Succession of 
 Alexandrine couplets, very usual metre of late six- 
 teenth century Drayton's ' Polyolbion,' etc. Hexa- 
 meter couplets conceivable otherwise as trimeter 
 quatrains, with alternate rhyming 2-4 lines. 
 
 Occurrence but rarely of hexameter lines in modern 
 verse, save in form of spondee-dactyl classical imitations. 
 One example given below : 
 
 i. n. in. iv. v. vi. 
 
 Yesa- 
 
 Sing th' an- 
 
 cred bards 
 cient he- 
 
 that to 
 roes'deeds, 
 
 your harps' 
 the mon- 
 
 melo- 
 uments 
 
 dious strings) 
 of kings; / 
 
 I could 
 To give 
 
 have wish'd 
 my verse 
 
 your souls 
 applause 
 
 redoub- 
 to time's 
 
 led in 
 eter- 
 
 my breast, \ 
 nal rest. / 
 
 M. Drayton. 
 
 I. 
 
 Still let 
 Year af- 
 A mes- 
 And of- 
 
 ii. 
 
 my ty- 
 ter year 
 senger 
 fers for 
 
 in. 
 
 rants know 
 in gloom 
 of hope 
 short life 
 
 IV. 
 
 I am 
 and de- 
 comes ev'- 
 eter- 
 
 v. 
 
 not doomed 
 solate 
 ry night 
 nal li- 
 
 VI. 
 
 to wear\ 
 despair./ 
 to me) 
 berty. j 
 
 E. Bronte. 
 
 I. II. 
 
 Ye who be- li eve in af- 
 Yewho be-,lieve in the 
 List to a 
 List to a 
 
 in. 
 
 v. 
 
 VI. 
 
 .mournful tra- 
 Itale of 
 
 fection that hopes and en-jdiires and is 
 
 beauty and 
 dition still 
 love in 
 
 strength of 
 sung by the 
 Acadie, 
 
 woman's de- 
 pines of the 
 home of the 
 
 patient, 
 votion, 
 forest, 
 happy. 
 
 Longfellow (' Evangeliue ') . 
 
 Q. SERVICE METRE. 
 
 Joint tetrameter-trimeter quatrains (with rhyming of 
 trimeter 2-4 lines only), written as consisting not of four 
 lines tetrameter and trimeter respectively but of 
 rhymed heptameter couplets, with distinct pause noted 
 
 6
 
 82 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 in each line at end of fourth foot. 
 trochaic heptameter appended : 
 
 Example also of 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. 
 
 The Lord 
 
 descend- 
 
 ed from 
 
 above, 
 
 and bow'd 
 
 the heav'ns 
 
 most high, 
 
 And un- 
 
 derneath 
 
 His feet 
 
 He cast 
 
 the dark- 
 
 ness of 
 
 the sky. 
 
 On Che- 
 
 rubim 
 
 and Se- 
 
 raphim 
 
 full roy- 
 
 ally 
 
 He rode, \ 
 
 And on 
 
 the wings 
 
 of might- 
 
 y winds 
 
 came fly- 
 
 ing all 
 
 abroad. J 
 
 Sternhold and Hopkins. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. 
 
 But one request 
 That I were free- 1 
 O then to dance < 
 I'd nev- er owe ; 
 
 '. make 
 y out 
 ind sing 
 i maid 
 
 to him 
 of debt 
 and play 
 a kiss, 
 
 that sits 1 
 
 IS I 1 
 
 [ should 1 
 md ne'er ; 
 
 he skies 
 vere out 
 
 36 V6- 
 
 i knave 
 Sir John 
 
 above, \ 
 of love./ 
 ry willing, l\ 
 a shilling. | J 
 
 Suckling. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. 
 
 She was 
 She rock- 
 Then did 
 The fall- 
 
 full wear- 
 edit 
 she say, 
 ing out 
 
 y of 
 and rat- 
 ' Now have 
 of f aith- 
 
 her watch 
 edit 
 I found 
 ful friends 
 
 and griev- 
 'til that 
 this pro- 
 renew- 
 
 ed with 
 on her 
 verb true 
 ing is 
 
 her child ;\ 
 it smiled. / 
 to prove : "I 
 of love.' J 
 
 As she 
 Much mat- 
 
 ' I mar- 
 To see 
 
 proceed- 
 ter ut- 
 
 vel much 
 man, wo- 
 
 ed then 
 ter'd she 
 
 pardy,' 
 man, boy, 
 
 in song 
 of weight 
 
 quoth she, 
 and beast 
 
 unto 
 in place 
 
 ' for to 
 to toss 
 
 her lit- 
 whereat 
 
 behold 
 the world 
 
 tie brat, \ 
 she sat. / 
 
 the rout, \ 
 about. / 
 
 ' Some stand 
 Yet are 
 Thus end- 
 ' The f all- 
 
 aloof 
 they nev- 
 ed she 
 ing out 
 
 at cap 
 er friends 
 her song 
 of faith- 
 
 and knee, 
 indeed 
 and said 
 ful friends 
 
 some hum 
 until 
 before 
 renew- 
 
 ble and 
 they once 
 she did 
 ing is 
 
 some stout, "i 
 fall out.' / 
 remove : -. 
 of love.' / 
 
 R. Edwards, circa 1550. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. 
 
 Le"tus 
 In the 
 
 swe"ar an 
 hollow 
 
 o&th, and 
 Lotos- 
 
 ke"ep it 
 land to 
 
 with an 
 live and 
 
 lie re- 
 
 mind, \ 
 clined./ 
 
 Surely, 
 Than) labour 
 O) rest ye, 
 
 surely, 
 in the 
 brother 
 
 slumber 
 deep mid- 
 marin- 
 
 is more 
 ocean, 
 ers, we 
 
 swe'et than 
 wind, and 
 will not 
 
 toil; the 
 wave, and 
 wander 
 
 shore 1 
 oar. >- 
 more.J 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 NOTE ON SPOKEN VERSE. Obligation, in right read- 
 ing alike of verse and of literary prose, to bring out 
 fully the author's meaning, and with it his particular 
 manner or style. This obligation the leading require- 
 ment in reading of verse as in reading of prose the 
 one requirement to which all others but secondary only.
 
 IAMBICS 83 
 
 Fulfilment of this requirement effected in both cases to 
 large extent by attention paid to the several pauses, noted 
 alike in verse and prose by the usual punctuation marks. 
 
 But this common obligation supplemented in the case 
 of verse by further requirement of the words being 
 spoken, or read with due.'regard to their rhythm spoken, 
 that is, as forming distinctively lines not of prose but 
 of verse. (See page 17.) 
 
 Verse, as already noted, distinguished from prose, pri- 
 marily by setting forth of constituent stressed and un- 
 stressed syllables of the text in some or other definite 
 order, so as to form a sequence of like constituted or 
 definitely related staves, or metric feet. Character and 
 relationship of the several feet emphasized by disposition 
 of the text into lines of determinate length; and still 
 further in the case of rhyming lines, by likeness in 
 sound of the final stressed syllables of the lines. 
 
 Accordingly, in reading verse, whether aloud or to 
 oneself, obligation imposed on the reader of indicating 
 the completion of each successive foot by a distinct, 
 however slight, inflexion of the voice, or proper metric 
 pause. Neglect in reading verse of such metric or rhyth- 
 mic pause transformative of the spoken verse-lines into 
 sort of bastard prose. On the other hand, over-emphatic 
 expression of this pause transformative of the lines in 
 greater or less degree into mere unmeaning jingle. 
 
 Lines of verse subject accordingly to influence of two 
 distinct varieties of pause, both alike requiring to be 
 taken note of by the reader the punctuation pause 
 demanded by the sense of the writing (and indicated by 
 the usual punctuation marks, comma, semicolon, full 
 period, etc.), and the rhythmic pause declaratory of the 
 particular rhythm of the line. This last for the most 
 part not expressed or indicated in written or printed 
 verse by use of significant mark of any kind due appre- 
 ciation and expression of the rhythm being left entirely 
 to the ear and speech of the reader. But in the illus-
 
 84 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 trations, as hitherto set forth in these pages, the position 
 of the metric or rhythmic pause indicated generally by 
 the thin perpendicular lines made use of to mark the ter- 
 minations of the successive feet. This means not, how- 
 ever, resorted to in instance of the final feet of the several 
 lines the line-end position of the last syllable of the 
 foot sufficing in this case to mark off the position of the 
 associated rhythmic pause. 
 
 As regards relationship to one another of above dis- 
 tinct varieties of pause, the two sometimes concurrent 
 jointly at (that is, just after) terminal syllable of some 
 or other foot, but more often perhaps occurrent sepa- 
 rately the rhythmic pause after the terminal syllable, 
 and the punctuation pause after a middle syllable, of 
 the foot. 
 
 Necessary occurrence of rhythmic pause, and frequent 
 occurrence of punctuation pause, directly after terminal 
 syllable of each successive line. Nature of mere rhythmic 
 pause at end of line (so-called run-on as distinguished from 
 end-stopp't line) liable to being obscured by now habitual 
 use of capital letter at commencement of initial syllable of 
 next line, as at commencement of initial syllable of every 
 one or other line. In following illustrations, however, of 
 occurrence of rhythmic pauses, separately or conjointly 
 with punctuation pauses, this customary use of a capital 
 letter at beginning of initial syllable of every verse-line not 
 followed out ; and the perpendicular lines previously made 
 use of to mark off each successive rhythmic foot, now 
 resorted to only in instances of the foot being associated, 
 whether at middle or end, with a sentential or punctua- 
 tion pause. The sentential pause, when occurring else- 
 where than at end of line, designated by some writers as 
 a caesural pause. 
 
 As regards the other or metric pause marking termina- 
 tion of each successive foot of the line, and in this way 
 declarative of the rhythm, circumstance to be borne in 
 mind that, by reason in different cases of casual excess
 
 IAMBICS 85 
 
 or deficit of an unstressed syllable, or of yet other irregu- 
 larity, the rhythm of some individual line occasionally 
 doubtful in itself, and syllabic stress determinable only 
 by consideration of relationship of the particular line to 
 associated lines of the stanza. 
 
 I. 
 
 II. 
 
 ill. 
 
 IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 The sol- 
 
 emn tem- 
 
 j pies, the J 
 
 great globe 
 
 itself, 
 
 Yea, all | 
 
 which it 
 
 inher- jit, shall] 
 
 dissolve, 
 
 And, like this 
 
 | unsub- 
 
 stantial 
 
 pageant 
 
 faded, 
 
 Leave not 
 
 a wreck 
 
 j behind. { 
 
 We are 
 
 such stuff 
 
 as dreams 
 
 are made 
 
 Jon; and;) 
 
 our lit- 
 
 tie life 
 
 is round- 
 
 ed with 
 
 a sleep. 
 
 
 
 i. 
 
 n. 
 
 HI. 
 
 IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 Where shall 
 
 we some- 
 
 | times meet, | 
 
 and by 
 
 the fire, 
 
 Help waste 
 
 a sul- 
 
 j len day, | 
 
 what may be won 
 
 from the 
 
 hard sea- 
 
 son gain- 
 
 | ing : time | will run 
 
 on smooth- 
 
 er till 
 
 Favon- 
 
 ius re- 
 
 inspire 
 
 the fro- | 
 
 zen earth ; | 
 
 
 
 
 i. 
 
 n. 
 
 ni. 
 
 IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 This ci- 
 
 ty now 
 
 (doth, like] 
 
 a gar- 
 
 | ment, wear 
 
 the beaut- 
 
 y of 
 
 the morn- 
 
 |ing:Si-| 
 
 lent, bare, 
 
 Ships, towers, 
 
 | domes, the- | atres 
 
 and tem- 
 
 |ples, lie 
 
 open 
 
 unto 
 
 the fields 
 
 and to 
 
 the sky. 
 
 IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 I. II. III. 
 
 And there were sud- den part- j ings, such j as press 
 
 the life from out \ young hearts, | and chok- ing sighs, 
 
 Which ne'er might be repeat- | ed. Who | could guess, 
 
 III. IV. V. 
 
 thy slaught- | er'd saints, | whose bones 
 the Alp- ine moun- tains cold. 
 
 thy book record their groans, 
 
 I. 
 
 n. 
 
 Avenge, 
 lie scat- 
 
 | O Lord, 
 ter'd on 
 
 Forget 
 
 j not : in | 
 
 i. 
 
 n. 
 
 O that 
 with me 
 
 those lips 
 but rough- 
 
 i. 
 
 ii. 
 
 My name 
 my fath- 
 
 is Nor- 
 er feeds 
 
 III. 
 
 had lan- 
 ly since 
 
 in. 
 
 |val: On | 
 his flocks. 
 
 IV. 
 
 | guage ! 
 I heard 
 
 Life) 
 
 IV. 
 
 the Gram- 
 
 v. 
 
 has passed 
 thee last. 
 
 v. 
 plan hills
 
 86 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 NOTE ON HYMN-METRES. Among the illustrations of 
 different varieties of metre set forth hi general scheme, 
 not a few taken from the well-known collection of 
 hymns entitled 'Hymns, Ancient and Modern.' These 
 particular illustrations given not apart, but conjointly 
 only with those from other sources under the successive 
 headings from B to G. It has been thought, however, 
 that these illustrations of hymn-metres might advan- 
 tageously be repeated in consecutive association with 
 one another, in form of a duplicate series as below. 
 
 The collection itself of ' Hymns, Ancient and Modern ' 
 met with in at least two, it is believed more than two, 
 editions. Unfortunately, the numbering of the hymns 
 not the same in the different editions; and still more 
 unfortunately the date of each successive edition in which 
 the particular numberings occurrent not anywhere noted. 
 Yet more unfortunately from a literary point of view, 
 neither the source and history of the several hymns nor 
 the name of the writer anywhere given. In the duplicate 
 series of some few of the hymns as set forth below, these 
 deficiencies attempted to be, in some measure, made good. 
 
 B. Hymnal long measure, a. Consecutive rhymes. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Awake, 
 Thy dai- 
 Shake off 
 To pay 
 
 my soul, 
 ly stage 
 dull sloth, 
 thy morn- 
 
 and with 
 of du- 
 and ear- 
 ing sac- 
 
 the sun) 
 ty run;/ 
 ly rise"! 
 rifice. / 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, i and 3. (Bishop Ken.} 
 
 Bbbb. Hymnal long measure, /3. Alternate rhymes. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 All peo- 
 Sing to 
 Him serve 
 Come ye 
 
 pie that 
 the Lord 
 with fear, 
 before 
 
 on earth 
 with cheer- 
 His praise 
 Him, and 
 
 do dwell, 
 ful voice; [ 
 forth tell, 
 rejoice. 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 136 and 166. (J . Hopkins.)
 
 IAMBICS 
 
 C. Trimeter. 
 
 ii. 
 
 87 
 
 in. 
 
 Christ is 
 On Him 
 With His 
 The courts 
 
 our cor- 
 alone 
 true saints 
 of heav'n 
 
 ner-stone, 
 we build ; | 
 alone 
 are filled. 1 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 306 and 239. 
 
 Dd. Hymnal short measure. 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 Soldiers of Christ, arise, 
 
 And put your ar- mour on ; | 
 
 Strong in the strength which God supplies 
 
 Through His Eter- nal Son. | 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 181 and 270. (C. Wesley.) 
 
 Ddd. Hymnal common measure, a. Alternate 2-4 line 
 rhymes. 
 
 n. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 py home, 
 
 an end ? 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 180 and 236. (Anon., c. 1601.) 
 
 Jeru- 
 When shall 
 When shall 
 Thy joys 
 
 salem, 
 I come 
 my sor- 
 when shall 
 
 my hap- 
 to thee ? | 
 rows have 
 I see ? | 
 
 Ddd. Hymnal common measure, /3. Alternate 2-4 and 
 1-3 line rhymes. 
 
 n. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 O God, 
 Our hope 
 Our shel- 
 And our 
 
 our help 
 for years 
 ter from 
 eter- 
 
 in a- 
 to come, | 
 the stor- 
 nal home. | 
 
 ges past, 
 my blast, 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 197 and 165. (Isaac Watts.)
 
 88 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 Dddd. Special metre, a. 
 one trimeter. 
 
 Three tetrameter lines, with 
 
 I. II. III. IV. 
 
 
 To Thee, 
 All praise 
 O grant 
 The life 
 
 great Lord, 
 for ev- 
 us in 
 that knows 
 
 the One 
 er more 
 our home 
 no end. 1 
 
 in Three 
 ascend ; 
 to see 
 
 "" 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 165 and 263. 
 
 Dddd. Special metre, /3. Three tetrameter lines, with 
 one dimeter. 
 
 ii. 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 The ra- 
 And spent 
 The sha- 
 Creep on 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 274 and 19. (G. Thring.) 
 
 diant morn 
 too soon 
 dows of 
 once more. 
 
 
 hath passed 
 her gold- 
 depart- 
 
 away, 
 en store; | 
 ing day 
 
 Ee. Special metre. Amphibrach -ending 1-3 lines. 
 
 n. 
 
 in. 
 
 Jeru- 
 With milk 
 Beneath 
 Sink heart 
 
 salem 
 and hon- 
 thy con- 
 and voice 
 
 the golden, 
 ey blest, | 
 templation 
 opprest. | 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 142 and 228. (/. M. Neale.) 
 
 Ee. Special metre, 
 lines. 
 
 Double rhyming amphibrachic 1-3 
 
 n. ni. 
 
 e's one 
 
 foundation = 
 
 sus Christ 
 
 the Lord; 
 
 His new 
 
 creation = 
 
 ter and 
 
 the Word. 1 
 
 The Church- 
 Is Je- 
 She is 
 By wa- 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 320 and 215. (/. Stone.)
 
 TROCHAICS, ETC. 89 
 
 Gg. Trochaic-caesura metre. Consecutive rhymes. 
 
 n . 
 
 in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Hark ! the 
 
 herald 
 
 angels 
 
 sing \ 
 
 Glory 
 
 to the 
 
 new-born 
 
 King,/ 
 
 Peace on 
 
 earth, and 
 
 mercy 
 
 mild,\ 
 
 God and 
 
 sinners 
 
 recon- 
 
 tiled./ 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 43 and 60. (C. Wesley.) 
 
 Ggg. Trochaic-caesura metre. Alternate rhymes. 
 
 I. 
 
 Jesus, 
 Let me 
 While the 
 While the 
 
 n. 
 
 lover 
 to Thy 
 gathering 
 tempest 
 
 in. 
 
 of my 
 bosom 
 waters 
 still is 
 
 IV. 
 
 soul, 
 
 fly, I 
 
 roll, 
 high. I 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 179 and 188. (C. Wesley.) 
 
 J. Conjoint trochaic-iambic. 
 
 I. 
 
 Nearer, 
 Nearer 
 E'en though 
 That rais- 
 Still all 
 Nearer, 
 Nearer 
 
 Though, like 
 The sun 
 Darkness 
 My rest 
 Yet in 
 Nearer, 
 Nearer 
 
 II. 
 
 my God, 
 to Thee ! 
 it be 
 eth me: 
 my song 
 my God, 
 to Thee ! 
 
 a wand- 
 gone down, 
 be ov- 
 a stone; 
 my dreams 
 my God, 
 to Thee ! 
 
 in. 
 to Thee, 
 
 a cross 
 
 would be, 
 to Thee, 
 
 erer, 
 er me, 
 
 I'd be 
 to Thee, 
 
 Nos. in successive editions, 200 and 207. (Sarah F. Adams.)
 
 go 
 
 THE TECHNIC OF VERSIFICATION 
 
 Illustration below of likeness in metre and rhythm of 
 some one or two familiar hymns with verse-lines of 
 quite different character. Referribility of last two of 
 following quatrains to so-called Gay's stanza proper; 
 and of preceding two quatrains to recognised variety of 
 this stanza. (See page 52.) 
 
 i. 
 
 The voice 
 That ear- 
 The pri- 
 It hath 
 
 n. 
 
 that breath'd 
 liest wed- 
 mal mar- 
 not passed 
 
 in. 
 
 o'er Fl-den, 
 ding day, | 
 riage bles-sing, 
 away. | 
 
 /. Keble. 
 
 I. 
 
 When all 
 And all 
 And ev'- 
 And ev'- 
 
 II. III. 
 
 the world 
 the trees 
 ry goose 
 ry lass 
 
 is young, lad, 
 are green, | 
 a swdn, lad, 
 a queen. | 
 
 Then hey 
 And round 
 Young blood 
 And ev'- 
 
 f or boot 
 the world 
 must have 
 ry dog 
 
 and h6rse, lad,= 
 away, | 
 
 its cofirse, lad,= 
 his day. j 
 
 Ch. Kingsley. 
 
 i. n. 
 
 From Green- 
 
 land's i- 
 
 From In- 
 
 dia's co- 
 
 Where Af- 
 
 ric's sun- 
 
 Roll down 
 
 their gol- 
 
 III. 
 
 cy m6un-tains,= 
 ral strand, | 
 ny f dun- tains = 
 den sand. | 
 
 Bishop Heber. 
 
 PARKER AND CO.. PRINTERS, OXFORD.
 
 Date Due 
 
 A 000 573 960 2