Note 3.-When a stanza consists of eight lines, under certain con

ditions, it is called Ottava Rima, e.g.

'Tis sweet to héar | the watch | dog's hón | est
Bay déep-mouth'd wél | come ás | we néar | our
"Tis sweet to knów | there is an éye will
Our cóming, ánd | look bright | er whén | we
'Tis sweet to bé | awák | ened by the

Or lúll'd by fáll | ing wát | ers; sweet | the
Of bées, the voice of girls, the sóng of
The lisp of child | ren ánd | their éar | liest

The conditions referred to are:

(i.) Each line is an heroic (par. 3, note 3).

bárk

home;

márk

cóme;

lárk,

húm

birds,

words.

-Byron.

(ii.) The first six rhyme three and three alternately.

(iii.) The last two form a couplet (par. 6 (a)).

Note 4.-When a stanza consists of nine lines, under certain conditions, it is called Spenserian, e.g.

(A)

cast,

lást

[1

nésse

[2

[3

nésse,

[4

1] The joyes of love | if théy | should év | er
2] Withoút afflíc | tion ór | disquí | et-
3] That world | by cháunc | es dóe | amóngst | them
4] Would be on earth | too great | a bléss | ed-
5] Likér | to Héaven | than mór | tal wrétch | ed-
6] Therefore the wing | ed gód, | to lét | men
7] That here on earth | is nó | sure háp | pi-
8] A thoú sand sówres | hath tém | pered with | one
9] To make it seéme | more déare | and dáint | y ás | is

(B)

meet. [9

-Faerie Queene.

Roll ón, thou déep | and dárk | blue ó | cean, róll!
Ten thoú sand fléets | sweep óv | er thée | in
Man márks the éarth | with rú | in; hís | con-tról
Stops with the shore; | upón | the watery
The wrecks are áll | thy deéd, | nor dóth | re-
A shadow óf | man's ráv | age, sáve | his
When fór a mó | ment, like | a dróp | of

He sinks intó | thy dépths | with búb | bling

ráin;

pláin

máin

own,

ráin,

groan

(p. 87.)

Withoút | a gráve, | unknélled, | uncóff | ined, ánd | un-known.

The conditions referred to are:

(i.) Each line is an heroic, save the last, which is an Alexan

drine (par. 3, note 4).

(ii.) The rhyme is threefold, and is thus disposed :—

9. The SONNET has been referred to at p. 9 as a particular kind of poem. Its construction in its perfect form is as follows:

(A)

Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughter'd saints, whose

bōnes

Lie scatter'd on the Alpine mountains
E'ĕn them who kept thỹ truth so pūre of
When all our fathers worshipped stocks and
Forget not in thy book record their
Who were thy sheep, and in their ancient
Slain by the bloody Piedmontese, that
Mother with infant down the rocks. Their
The vales redoubl'd to the hills, and
To Heaven. Their martyr'd blood and ashes
O'er all the Italian fields, where still doth
The triple tyrant; that from these may
A hundred fold, who having learn'd thy
Early may fly the Babylonian

cold:

ōld,

stones,

groans

fold

roll'd

moans

they

SOW

sway

grow

way,

woe.

-Milton.

(B)

When I consider how my light is

spent

Ere half my days, in this dark world and
And that one talent which is death to
Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more
To serve therewith my Maker, and pre-

Doth God exact day labour, light de-
I fondly ask; but Patience, to pre-
That murmur, soon replies, God doth not
Either man's work, or his own gifts, who
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best, His
Is kingly. Thousands at His bidding

nied?

vent

need

best

state

speed,

And post o'er land and ocean without
They also serve who only stand and

rest;

wait. (p. 76.)

Note 1.-It will be observed that its fourteen lines are all heroics, and are made up of two quartets, in which only two rhymes occur; and another stanza (strophe) of six lines, in which either two additional rhymes occur as in A, or three as in B.

Note 2.-Another class of sonnet less elaborate in its rhyme-system than the foregoing is the Shakspearian. Its construction is as follows:

"Tis better to be vile than vile esteemed
When not to be receives reproach of being,
And the just pleasure lost which is so deem'd
Not by our feeling but by others' seeing:
For why should others' false adulterate eyes
Give salutation to my sportive blood?
Or on my frailties why are frailer spies,
Which in their wills count bad what I think good?
No, I am that I am, and they that level

At my abuses reckon up their own:

I

may be straight, though they themselves be bevel;

By their rank thoughts my deeds must not be shown;

Unless this general evil they maintain,

All men are bad, and in their badness reign.-Shakspeare.

It will be observed that its rhymes are alternate throughout, save in the last two lines, which form a couplet.

10. In the couplet, triplet, and various kinds of stanzas hitherto quoted, the lines have been for the most part (see the Spenserian), not only of a uniform length respectively, but the rhythmic beat has also been similar. Now, stanzas are not unfrequently composed in which there is a great variety in the number of feet contained in the several lines. This is exemplified by the following strophes.

Thus lóng agó,

(A)

Ere heaving bél | lows léarned to blów,

While organs yét | were múte,

Timótheus tó | his bréath | ing flúte

And sound ing lyre,

[Dimeter.]
[Tetrameter.]

[Trimeter.]

[Tetrameter.]

[Dimeter.]

Could swell the soul | to ráge, or kín | dle sóft | desire. [Hexameter.]

-Dryden.

(B)

Now that the hearth | is crówned with smil ing fire, [Pentameter.] And some do drink | and sóme | do dánce,

Some ring,

Some sing,

And áll do strive | t'ad vánce,

Wherefore should I'

Stand silent by',

Who nót the least

Both love the cause and aú | thor óf | the féast?

-Jonson.

[Tetrameter.]

[Monometer.]

[Monometer.]

[Trimeter.]

[Dimeter.]

[Dimeter.]

[Dimeter.]

[Pentameter.]

11. In all the foregoing examples, the various stanzas, &c., have contained rhyme; but there is another species of poetry quite distinct in form, inasmuch as the several lines do not rhyme :-e.g.

(a) The quality of mercy is not strained;

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath; it is twice blessed;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
-Shakspeare.

(b) So live, that when thy summons comes to join
The innumerable caravan, that moves

To that mysterious realm, where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death,

Thou go not, like the quarry-slave, at night,

Scourged to his dungeon.

-W. C. Bryant.

The above are examples of what is called blank verse. It may be seen that the essential of verse, rhythm, is present; so that blank verse may be defined to be rhythm without rhyme.

THE

POETICAL READER.

LYRIC POETRY. THE SONG.

OF LIFE AND DEATH.

1. The ports of death are sins; of life, good deeds,
Through which our merit leads us to our meeds.
How wilful blind is he then, that should stray,
And hath it in his powers to make his way!

2. This world death's region is, the other life's:
And here it should be one of our first strifes,
So to front death, as men might judge us past it,
For good men but see death, the wicked taste it.
Ben Jonson (1574 — 1637).

THE HONEST MAN.

1. Who is the honest man?

He that doth still and strongly good pursue,
To God, his neighbour, and himself most true.
Whom neither force nor fawning can

Unfix or wrench from giving all their due.

2. Whose honesty is not

So loose or easy that a ruffling wind

Can blow away, or, glittering, look it blind :
Who rides his sure and easy trot

While the world now rides by, now lags behind.