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To return to equality. Its idea embraces those in the construction of words of two syllables, equalof similarity, proportion, identity, repetition, and ly accented. In corroboration of this idea we find adaptation or fitness. It might not be very diffi- that spondees most abound in the most ancient cult to go even behind the idea of equality, and tongues. The second step we can easily suppose show both how and why it is that the human nature to be the comparison, that is to say, the collocation, takes pleasure in it, but such an investigation would, of two spondees-of two words composed each of for any purpose now in view, be supererogatory. a spondee. The third step would be the juxta-poIt is sufficient that the fact is undeniable-the fact sition of three of these words. By this time the that man derives enjoyment from his perception of perception of monotone would induce farther conequality. Let us examine a crystal. We are at sideration and thus arises what Leigh Hunt so once interested by the equality between the sides flounders in discussing under the title of "The and between the angles of one of its faces: the Principle of Variety in Uniformity." Of course equality of the sides pleases us; that of the angles there is no principle in the case--nor in maintaindoubles the pleasure. On bringing to view a seconding it. The Uniformity" is the principle:--the face in all respects similar to the first, this pleasure" Variety" is but the principle's natural safeguard seems to be squared; on bringing to view a third from self-destruction by excess of self. “Unifor it appears to be cubed, and so on. I have no doubt, indeed, that the delight experienced, if measurable, would be found to have exact mathematical relations such as I suggest; that is to say, as far as a certain point, beyond which there would be a decrease in similar relations.

mity," besides, is the very worst word that could have been chosen for the expression of the general idea at which it aims.

The perception of monotone having given rise to an attempt at its relief, the first thought in this new direction would be that of collating two or The perception of pleasure in the equality of more words formed each of two syllables differ sounds is the principle of Music. Unpractised ears ently accented (that is to say, short and long) bat can appreciate only simple equalities, such as are having the same order in each word:-in other found in ballad-airs. While comparing one simple terms, of collating two or more iambuses, or two sound with another they are too much occupied to or more trochees. And here let me panse to asbe capable of comparing the equality subsisting sert that more pitiable nonsense has been written between these two simple sounds, taken conjointly, on the topic of long and short syllables than on any and two other similar simple sounds taken conjoint- other subject under the sun. In general, a syllaly. Practised ears, on the other hand, appreciate ble is long or short, just as it is difficult or easy of both equalities at the same instant-although it is enunciation. The natural long syllables are those absurd to suppose that both are heard at the same encumbered-the natural short ones are those uninstant. One is heard and appreciated from itself: encumbered, with consonants; all the rest is mere the other is heard by the memory; and the instant artificiality and jargon. The Latin Prosodies have glides into and is confounded with the secondary, a rule that " a vowel before two consonants is long." appreciation. Highly cultivated musical taste in This rule is deduced from "authority"--that is, this manner enjoys not only these double equalities, from the observation that vowels so circumstanced, all appreciated at once, but takes pleasurable cog- in the ancient poems, are always in syllables long nizance, through memory, of equalities the mem- by the laws of scansion. The philosophy of the bers of which occur at intervals so great that the rule is untouched, and lies simply in the physical uncultivated taste loses them altogether. That difficulty of giving voice to such syllables-of perthis latter can properly estimate or decide on the forming the lingual evolutions necessary for their merits of what is called scientific music, is of course utterance. Of course, it is not the vowel that is impossible. But scientific music has no claim to long (although the rule says soj but the syllable of intrinsic excellence-it is fit for scientific ears which the vowel is a part. It will be seen that the alone. In its excess it is the triumph of the phy-length of a syllable, depending on the facility or sique over the morale of music. The sentiment is difficulty of its enunciation, must have great vari overwhelmed by the sense. On the whole, the ad-ation in varions syllables: but for the purposes of vocates of the simpler melody and harmony have verse we suppose a long syllable equal to two short infinitely the best of the argument ;-although there ones:-and the natural deviation from this relativehas been very little of real argument on the subject. ness we correct in perusal. The more closely our In verse, which cannot be better designated than long syllables approach this relation with our short as an inferior or less capable Music, there is, hap- ones, the better, ceteris paribus, will be our verse: pily, little chance for complexity. Its rigidly sim- but if the relation does not exist of itself, we force ple character not even Science-not even Pedan-it by emphasis, which can, of course, make any try can greatly pervert. syllable as long as desired;—or, by an effort we The rudiment of verse may, possibly, be found can pronounce with unnatural brevity a syllable in the spondee. The very germ of a thought seek- that is naturally too long. Accented syllables are ing satisfaction in equality of sound, would result of course always long-but, where unencumbered

with consonants, must be classed among the un- |ciple of equality being constantly at the bottom of naturally long. Mere custom has declared that the whole process, lines would naturally be made, we shall accent them-that is to say, dwell upon in the first instance, equal in the number of their them; but no inevitable lingual difficulty forces us feet; in the second instance there would be variato do so. In fine, every long syllable must of its tion in the mere number; one line would be twice own accord occupy in its utterance, or must be as long as another; then one would be some less made to occupy, precisely the time demanded for obvious multiple of another; then still less obvious two short ones. The only exception to this rule proportions would be adopted :-nevertheless there is found in the cæsura--of which more anon. would be proportion, that is to say a phase of equality, still.

The success of the experiment with the trochees or iambuses (the one would have suggested the Lines being once introduced, the necessity of other) must have led to a trial of dactyls or ana- distinctly defining these lines to the ear, (as yet pæsts-natural dactyls or anapæsts-dactylic or written verse does not exist,) would lead to a scrutianapæstic words. And now some degree of com-ny of their capabilities at their terminations :-and plexity has been attained. There is an apprecia- now would spring up the idea of equality in sound betion, first, of the equality between the several dac-tween the final syllables-in other words, of rhyme. tyls, or anapæsts, and, secondly, of that between First, it would be used only in the iambic, anapasthe long syllable and the two short conjointly. But tie, and spondaic rhythms, (granting that the latter here it may be said that step after step would have had not been thrown aside, long since, on account been taken, in continuation of this routine, until all of its tameness;) because in these rhythms the the feet of the Greek Prosodies became exhausted. concluding syllable, being long, could best sustain Not so:-these remaining feet have no existence the necessary protection of the voice. No great except in the brains of the scholiasts. It is need- while could elapse, however, before the effect, found less to imagine men inventing these things, and pleasant as well as useful, would be applied to the folly to explain how and why they invented them. two remaining rhythms. But as the chief force of until it shall be first shown that they are actually rhyme must lie in the accented syllable, the atinvented. All other "feet" than those which I tempt to create rhyme at all in these two remainhave specified, are, if not impossible at first view, ing rhythms, the trochaic and dactylic, would nemerely combinations of the specified; and, although cessarily result in double and triple rhymes, such this assertion is rigidly true, I will, to avoid mis-as beauty with duty (trochaic) and beautiful with understanding, put it in a somewhat different shape. dutiful (dactylic.) I will say, then, that at present I am aware of no It must be observed that in suggesting these prorhythm-nor do I believe that any one can be con- cesses I assign them no date; nor do I even insist structed-which, in its last analysis, will not be upon their order. Rhyme is supposed to be of found to consist altogether of the feet I have men- modern origin, and were this proved, my positions tioned, either existing in their individual and obvi- remain untouched. I may say, however, in passous condition, or interwoven with each other in ac-ing, that several instances of rhyme occur in the cordance with simple natural laws which I will en- " Clouds" of Aristophanes, and that the Roman deavor to point out hereafter. poets occasionally employ it. There is an effective species of ancient rhyming which has never descended to the moderns; that in which the ultimate and penultimate syllables rhyme with each

66

Parturiunt montes et nascitur ridiculus mus.

We have now gone so far as to suppose men constracting indefinite sequences of spondaic, iambic, trochaic, dactylic, or anapastic words. In extend ing these sequences, they would be again arrested other. For example: by the sense of monotone. A succession of spondees would immediately have displeased; one of iambuses or of trochees, on account of the variety included within the foot itself, would have taken and againlonger to displease; one of dactyls or anapæsts still longer but even the last, if extended very far, must have become wearisome. The idea, first, of curtailing, and, secondly, of defining the length of a sequence, would thus at once have arisen Here then is the line, or verse proper. The prin

:

* Verse, from the Latin vertere, to turn, is so called on account of the turning or recommencement of the series of feet. Thus a verse, strictly speaking, is a line. In this sense, however, I have preferred using the latter word alone; employing the former in the general acceptation given it in the heading of this paper.

Litoreis ingens inventa sub ilicibus sus.

The terminations of Hebrew verse, (as far as understood,) show no signs of rhyme; but what thinking person can doubt that it did actually ex

ist? That men have so obstinately and blindly insisted, in general, even up to the present day, in confining rhyme to the ends of lines, when its effect is even better applicable elsewhere, intimates, in my opinion, the sense of some necessity in the connexion of the end with the rhyme--hints that the origin of rhyme lay in a necessity which con

Virginal Lilian, rigidly, humblily dutiful;
Saintlily, lowlily,
Thrillingly, holily

Beautiful!

have rendered it imperfect; as in the case above, where if the last line, for example, be taken away, there is left no rhyme to the "dutiful” of the first. Modern stanza is excessively loose, and where so, ineffective as a matter of course.

nected it with the end-shows that neither mere ac- |(which was also its best,) form, the stanza would cident nor mere fancy gave rise to the connexion-most probably have had absolute unity. In other points, in a word, at the very necessity which I words, the removal of any one of its lines would have suggested, (that of some mode of defining lines to the ear,) as the true origin of rhyme. Admit this and we throw the origin far back in the night of Time-beyond the origin of written verse. But to resume. The amount of complexity I have now supposed to be attained is very consid- Now, although in the deliberate written stateerable. Various systems of equalization are ap-ment which I have here given of these various preciated at once (or nearly so) in their respective systems of equalities, there seems to be an infinity values and in the value of each system with ref- of complexity-so much that it is hard to conceive erence to all the others. As our present ultima- the mind taking cognizance of them all in the brief tum of complexity we have arrived at triple- period occupied by the perusal or recital of the rhymed, natural-dactylic lines, existing proportion- stanza-yet the difficulty is in fact apparent only ally as well as equally with regard to other triple- when we will it to become so. Any one fond of rhymed, natural-dactylic lines. For example: mental experiment may satisfy himself, by trial, that, in listening to the lines, he does actually, (although with a seeming unconsciousness, on account of the rapid evolutions of sensation,) recognize and instantaneously appreciate, (more or less intensely as his ear is cultivated,) each and all of the equalizations detailed. The pleasure received, or reHere we appreciate, first, the absolute equality ceivable, has very much such progressive increase, between the long syllable of each dactyl and the two short conjointly; secondly, the absolute equali-those which I have suggested in the case of the and in very nearly such mathematical relations, as ty between each dactyl and any other dactyl-in other words, among all the dactyls; thirdly, the absolute equality between the two middle lines; fourthly, the absolute equality between the first line and all the others taken conjointly; fifthly, the absolute equality between the two last syllables of the respective words "dutiful" and "beautiful;" sixthly, the absolute equality between the two last syllables of the respective words "lowlily" and "holily;" seventhly, the proximate equality between the first syllable of "dutiful" and the first syllable of “beautiful;" eighthly, the proximate equality between the first syllable of “lowlily” and that of "holily;" ninthly, the proportional equality, (that of five to one,) between the first line and each of its members, the dactyls; tenthly, the proportional equality, (that of two to one,) between each of the middle lines and its members, the dactyls; eleventhly, the proportional equality between the first line and each of the two middle-that of five to two; twelfthly, the proportional equality between the first line and the last-that of five to one; thirteenthly, the proportional equality between each of the middle lines and the last-that of two to one; lastly, the proportional equality, as concerns number, between all the lines, taken collectively, and any individual line-that of four to one.

The consideration of this last equality would give birth immediately to the idea of stanza*-that is to say, the insulation of lines into equal or obviously proportional masses. In its primitive,

crystal.

It will be observed that I speak of merely a praximate equality between the first syllable of “dutiful" and that of "beautiful;" and it may be asked why we cannot imagine the earliest rhymes to have But absolute equality would have involved the use had absolute instead of proximate equality of sound.

of identical words; and it is the duplicate samesound-which would have caused these rhymes to ness or monotony-that of sense as well as that of be rejected in the very first instance.

The narrowness of the limits within which verse have been confined, would have led, after a very composed of natural feet alone, must necessarily brief interval, to the trial and immediate adoption of artificial feet-that is to say of feet not constituted each of a single word, but two or even three words; or of parts of words. These feet would be intermingled with natural ones. For example:

ǎ breath | căn make them ās | à breath | has made. This is an iambic line in which each iambus is formed of two words. Again :

The ūnīmā gīnā | blẽ might | of Jõve. |

This is an iambic line in which the first foot is formed of a word and a part of a word; the seeond and third of parts taken from the body or interior of a word; the fourth of a part and a whole;

* A stanza is often vulgarly, and with gross impropriety, the fifth of two complete words. There are so

called a verse.

natural feet in either lines. Again:

Can it be fancied that | Deity | êvěr vĩn | dictively |
Made in his | imagē ā | mānnikīn | měrely to | mädděn It?

These are two dactylic lines in which we find nat-
ural feet, (“Deity,"
""mannikin;") feet composed
of two words (" fancied that," "image a," "merely
to," "madden it ;") feet composed of three words
("can it be," "made in his ;") a foot composed of a
part of a word (“dictively;") and a foot composed
of a word and a part of a word ("ever vin.")

sary to add here, first, that I believe the " processes" above detailed to be nearly if not accurately those which did occur in the gradual creation of what we now call verse; secondly, that, although I so believe, I yet urge neither the assumed fact nor my belief in it, as a part of the true proposition of this paper; thirdly, that in regard to the aim of this paper, it is of no consequence whether these processes did occur either in the order I have assigned them, or at all; my design being simply, in presenting a general type of what such processes might have been and must have resembled, to help them, the "some people," to an easy understanding of what I have farther to say on the topic of Verse.

There is one point which, in my summary of the

cause this point, being the most important of all, on account of the immensity of error usually involved in its consideration, would have led me into a series of detail inconsistent with the object of a

And now, in our supposititions progress, we have gone so far as to exhaust all the essentialities of verse. What follows may, strictly speaking, be recorded as embellishment merely-but even in this embellishment, the rudimental sense of equalily would have been the never-ceasing impulse. It would, for example, be simply in seeking farther processes, I have purposely forborne to touch; beadministration to this sense that men would come, in time, to think of the refrain, or burden, where, at the closes of the several stanzas of a poem, one word or phrase is repeated; and of alliteration, in whose simplest form a consonant is repeated in the commencements of various words. This effect would be extended so as to embrace repetitions both of vowels and of consonants, in the bodies as well as in the beginnings of words; and, at a later period, would be made to infringe on the province of rhyme, by the introduction of general similarity of sound between whole feet occurring in the body of a line :-all of which modifications I have exemplified in the line above,

Made in his image a mannikin merely to madden it.

summary.

Every reader of verse must have observed how seldom it happens that even any one line proceeds uniformly with a succession, such as I have supposed, of absolutely equal feet; that is to say, with a succession of iambuses only, or of trochees only, or of dactyls only, or of anapæsts only, or of spondees only. Even in the most musical lines we find the succession interrupted. The iambic pentameters of Pope, for example, will be found on examination, frequently varied by trochees in the beginning, or by (what seem to be) anapæsts in the body, of the line.

oh thōu | whate | věr ti | tlě please | thine ear ¦
Dean Drā | piĕr Bick | ĕrstaff | ōr Gül |īvēr |
Whether | thon choose | Cervantes' sẽ | rious ǎir |
or laugh and shake | in Rab | ělais' ea | sy chair.

Were any one weak enough to refer to the Prosodies for a solution of the difficulty here, he would find it solved as usual by a rule, stating the fact, (or what it, the rule, supposes to be the fact,) but without the slightest attempt at the rationale. "By a synæresis of the two short syllables," say the books, "an anapæst may sometimes be employed for an iambus, or a dactyl for a trochee. . . . In the beginning of a line a trochee is often used for an iambus."

Farther cultivation would improve also the refrain by relieving its monotone in slightly varying the phrase at each repetition, or, (as I have attempted to do in The Raven,") in retaining the phrase and varying its application-although this latter point is not strictly a rhythmical effect alone. Finally, poets when fairly wearied with following precedent--following it the more closely the less they perceived it in company with Reason--would adventure so far as to indulge in positive rhyme at other points than the ends of lines. First, they would put it in the middle of the line; then at some point where the multiple woul be less obvious: then alarmed at their own audacity, they would undo all their work by cutting these lines in two. And here is the fruitful source of the infinity of "short metre," by which modern poetry, if not distinguished, Blending is the plain English for synæresis—but is at least disgraced. It would require a high de- there should be no blending; neither is an anapæst gree, indeed, both of cultivation and of courage, on ever employed for an iambus, or a dactyl for a trothe part of any versifier, to enable him to place his chee. These feet differ in time; and no feet so rhymes-and let them remain-at unquestionably differing can ever be legitimately used in the same their best position, that of unusual and unanticipa- line. An anapast is equal to four short syllables— ted intervals.

an iambus only to three. Dactyls and trochees On account of the stupidity of some people, or, hold the same relation. The principle of equality, (if talent be a more respectable word,) on account in verse, admits, it is true, of variation at certai of their talent for misconception-I think it neces- points, for the relief of monotone, as I have al

ready shown, but the point of time is that point which, being the rudimental one, must never be tampered with at all.

About eleven years ago, there appeared in “The American Monthly Magazine," (then edited, I believe, by Mess. Hoffman and Benjamin,) a review To explain :—In farther efforts for the relief of of Mr. Willis' Poems; the critic putting forth his monotone than those to which I have alluded in strength, or his weakness, in an endeavor to show the summary, men soon came to see that there was that the poet was either absurdly affected, or grossno absolute necessity for adhering to the precisely ignorant of the laws of verse; the accusation number of syllables, provided the time required for being based altogether on the fact that Mr. W. the whole foot was preserved inviolate. made occasional use of this very word "delicate." saw, for instance, that in such a line as and other similar words, in “the Heroic measure which every one knew consisted of feet of two syllables." Mr. W. has often, for example, such lines as

They

or laugh and shāke | în Rāh | ĕlais ea | sy chair, |

the equalization of the three syllables elais ea with the two syllables composing any of the other feet, could be readily effected by pronouncing the two syllable elais in double quick time. By pronouncing each of the syllables e and lais twice as rapidly as the syllable sy, or the syllable in, or any other short syllable, they could bring the two of them, taken together, to the length, that is to say to the time, of any one short syllable. This consideration enabled them to effect the agreeable variation of three syllables in place of the uniform two. And variation was the object-variation to the ear. What sense is there, then, in supposing this object rendered null by the blending of the two syllables so as to render them, in absolute effect, one? Of

That binds him to a woman's delicate love-
In the gay sunshine, reverent in the storm-
With its invisible fingers my loose hair.

Here, of course, the feet licate love, verent in, and
sible fin, are bastard iambuses; are not anapæsts;
and are not improperly used. Their employment,
innumerable instances he has given of keen sensi-
on the contrary, by Mr. Willis is but one of the
bility in all those matters of taste which may be
classed under the general head of fanciful embel-
lishment.

mistaken, since Mr. Horne, (of England,) the auIt is also about eleven years ago, if I am not course, there must be no blending. Each syllable language, thought it necessary to preface his thor of "Orion," one of the noblest epics in any must be pronounced as distinctly as possible, (or the variation is lost,) but with twice the rapidity in dently a very elaborate essay, of which the greater "Chaucer Modernized" by a very long and eviwhich the ordinary short syllable is enunciated. portion was occupied in a discussion of the seemThat the syllables elais ea do not compose an ana-ingly anomalous foot of which we have been speakpast is evident, and the signs (~~~) of their accent-ing. Mr. Horne upholds Chaucer in its frequent uation are erroneous. The foot might be writter thus (___) the inverted crescents expressing double quick time; and might be called a bastard iam

bus.

Here is a trochaic line :

See the delicate | footed | rein-deer. |

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use; maintains his superiority, on account of his and, indignantly repelling the common idea of those so frequently using it, over all English versifiers; who make verse on their fingers--that the superfluous syllable is a roughness and an error-very chivalrously makes battle for it as "a grace." That a grace it is, there can be no doubt; and what I versified long poem in existence, should have been complain of is, that the author of the most happily under the necessity of discussing this grace merely as a grace, through forty or fifty vague pages, solely because of his inability to show how and why it is a grace-by which showing the question would have

About the trochee used for an iambus, as we see

The prosodies-that is to say the most considerate of them-would here decide that delicate" is a dactyl used in place of a trochee, and would refer to what they call their " rule," for justification. Others, varying the stupidity, would insist upon a Procrustean adjustment thus (del'cate)—an adjust-been settled in an instant. ment recommended to all such words as silvery, murmuring, etc., which, it is said, should be not it in the beginning of the line, only pronounced, but written silv`ry, murm`ring, and so on, whenever they find themselves in trochaic predicament. I have only to say that "delicate," when circumstanced as above, is neither a there is little that need be said. It brings me to the dactyl nor a dactyl's equivalent; that I would sug- general proposition that, in all rhythms, the prev gest for it this (...) accentuation; that I think it alent or distinctive feet may be varied at will, and as well to call it a bastard trochee; and that all nearly at random, by the occasional introduction of words, at all events, should be written and pro- equivalent feet-that is to say, feet the sum of nounced in full, and as nearly as possible as nature whose syllabic times is equal to the sum of the sylintended them. labic times of the distinctive feet. Thus the tro

Whether thou choose Cervantes' serious air,

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