The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown (read books for money TXT) 📖

my | heart had turned, | heart had turned, | longing to | thee;
    Often had | mountain-side, | mountain-side, | broad lake, and | stream,
    Gleamed on my | waking thought, | waking thought, | crowded my | dream.
    Now thou dost | welcome me, | welcome me, | from the dark | sea,
    Land of the | beautiful, | beautiful, | land of the | free,
    Land of the | negro-slave, | negro-slave, | land of the | chivalry."
MEASURE V.—DACTYLIC OF FOUR FEET, OR TETRAMETER.

Example 1—The Soldier's Wife.

   "Weary way |-wanderer, | languid and | sick at heart,
    Travelling | painfully | over the | rugged road,
    Wild-visaged | Wanderer! | God help thee, | wretched one!
    Sorely thy | little one | drags by thee | barefooted;
    Cold is the | baby that | hangs at thy | bending back,
    Meagre, and | livid, and | screaming for | misery.
    Woe-begone | mother, half | anger, half | agony,
    Over thy | shoulder thou | lookest to | hush the babe,
    Bleakly the | blinding snow | beats in thy | haggard face.
    Ne'er will thy | husband re | -turn from the | war again,
    Cold is thy | heart, and as | frozen as | Charity!
    Cold are thy | children.—Now | God be thy | comforter!"
        ROBERT SOUTHEY: Poems, Philad., 1843, p. 250.

Example II.—Boys.—A Dactylic Stanza.

   "Boys will an | -ticipate, | lavish, and | dissipate
      All that your | busy pate | hoarded with | care;
    And, in their | foolishness, | passion, and | mulishness,
      Charge you with | churlishness, | spurning your pray'r."

Example III—"Labour."—The First of Five Stanzas.

   "Pause not to | dream of the | future be | -fore us;
    Pause not to | weep the wild | cares that come | o'er us:
    Hark, how Cre | -ation's deep, | musical | chorus,
      Uninter | -mitting, goes | up into | Heaven!
    Never the | ocean-wave | falters in | flowing;
    Never the | little seed | stops in its | growing;
    More and more | richly the | rose-heart keeps | glowing,
    Till from its | nourishing | stem it is | riven."
        FRANCES S. OSGOOD: Clapp's Pioneer, p. 94.

Example IV.—"Boat Song."—First Stanza of Four.

   "Hail to the | chief who in | triumph ad | -vances!
      Honour'd and | bless'd be the | ever-green | pine!
    Long may the | tree in his | banner that | glances,
      Flourish, the | shelter and | grace of our | line!
       Heaven send it happy dew,
        Earth lend it sap anew,
    Gayly to | bourgeon, and | broadly to | grow,
        While ev'ry | Highland glen
        Sends our shout | back agen,
    'Roderigh Vich Alpine Dhu, ho! ieroe!'"
        WALTER SCOTT: Lady of the Lake, C. ii, St. 19.

MEASURE VI.—DACTYLIC OF THREE FEET, OR TRIMETER.

Example.—To the Katydid.

   "Ka-ty-did, | Ka-ty-did, | sweetly sing,—
      Sing to thy | loving mates | near to thee;
    Summer is | come, and the | trees are green,—
      Summer's glad | season so | dear to thee.

    Cheerily, | cheerily, | insect, sing;
      Blithe be thy | notes in the | hickory;
    Every | bough shall an | answer ring,
      Sweeter than | trumpet of | victory."

MEASURE VII.—DACTYLIC OF TWO FEET, OR DIMETER.

Example I.—The Bachelor.—Four Lines from Many.

   "Free from sa | -tiety,
    Care, and anx | -iety,
    Charms in va | -riety,
    Fall to his | share."—ANON.: Newspaper.

Example II.—The Pibroch.—Sixteen Lines from Forty.

   "Pibroch of | Donuil Dhu,
      Pibroch of | Donuil,
    Wake thy wild | voice anew.
      Summon Clan | -Conuil.
    Come away, | come away!
      Hark to the | summons!
    Come in your | war-array,
      Gentles and | commons!

    "Come as the | winds come, when
      Forests are | rended;
    Come as the | waves come, when
      Navies are | stranded;
    Faster come, | faster come,
      Faster and | faster!
    Chief, vassal, | page, and groom,
      Tenant and | master."—W. SCOTT.

Example III.—"My Boy."

'There is even a happiness that makes the heart afraid.'—HOOD.

    1.
    "One more new | claimant for
      Human fra | -ternity,
    Swelling the | flood that sweeps
      On to e | -ternity;

    I who have | filled the cup,
      Tremble to | think of it;
    For, be it | what it may,
      I must yet | drink of it.

    2.
    Room for him | into the
      Ranks of hu |-manity;
    Give him a | place in your
      Kingdom of | vanity!
    Welcome the | stranger with
      Kindly af |-fection;
    Hopefully, | trustfully,
      Not with de |-jection.

    3.
    See, in his | waywardness
      How his fist | doubles;
    Thus pugi |-listical,
      Daring life's | troubles:
    Strange that the | neophyte
      Enters ex |-istence
    In such an | attitude,
      Feigning re |-sistance.

    4.
    Could he but | have a glimpse
      Into fu |-turity,
    Well might he | fight against
      Farther ma |-turity;
    Yet does it | seem to me
      As if his | purity
    Were against | sinfulness
      Ample se |-curity.

    5.
    Incompre |-hensible,
      Budding im |-mortal,
    Thrust all a |-mazedly
      Under life's | portal;
    Born to a | destiny
      Clouded in | mystery,
    Wisdom it |-self cannot
      Guess at its | history.

    6.
    Something too | much of this
      Timon-like | croaking;
    See his face | wrinkle now,
      Laughter pro |-voking.
    Now he cries | lustily—
      Bravo, my | hearty one!
    Lungs like an | orator
      Cheering his | party on.

    7.
    Look how his | merry eyes
      Turn to me | pleadingly!
    Can we help | loving him—
      Loving ex |-ceedingly?
    Partly with | hopefulness,
      Partly with | fears,
    Mine, as I | look at him,
      Moisten with | tears.

    8.
    Now then to | find a name;—
      Where shall we | search for it?
    Turn to his | ancestry,
      Or to the | church for it?
    Shall we en |-dow him with
      Title he |-roic,
    After some | warrior,
      Poet, or | stoic?

    9.
    One aunty | says he will
      Soon 'lisp in | numbers,'
    Turning his | thoughts to rhyme,
      E'en in his | slumbers;
    Watts rhymed in | babyhood,
      No blemish | spots his fame—
    Christen him | even so:
      Young Mr. | Watts his name."
        ANONYMOUS: Knickerbocker, and Newspapers, 1849.

MEASURE VIII.—DACTYLIC OF ONE FOOT, OR MONOMETER.

   "Fearfully,
    Tearfully."

OBSERVATIONS.

OBS. 1.—A single dactyl, set as a line, can scarcely be used otherwise than as part of a stanza, and in connexion with longer verses. The initial accent and triple rhyme make it necessary to have something else with it. Hence this short measure is much less common than the others, which are accented differently. Besides, the line of three syllables, as was noticed in the observations on Anapestic Monometer, is often peculiarly uncertain in regard to the measure which it should make. A little difference in the laying of emphasis or accent may, in many instances, change it from one species of verse to an other. Even what seems to be dactylic of two feet, if the last syllable be sufficiently lengthened to admit of single rhyme with the full metre, becomes somewhat doubtful in its scansion; because, in such case, the last foot maybe reckoned an amphimac, or amphimacer. Of this, the following stanzas from Barton's lines "to the Gallic Eagle," (or to Bonaparte on St. Helena,) though different from all the rest of the piece, may serve as a specimen:—

   "Far from the | battle's shock,
      Fate hath fast | bound thee;
    Chain'd to the | rugged rock,
      Waves warring | round thee.

    [Now, for] the | trumpet's sound,
      Sea-birds are | shrieking;
    Hoarse on thy | rampart's bound,
      Billows are | breaking."

OBS. 2.—This may be regarded as verse of the Composite Order; and, perhaps, more properly so, than as Dactylic with mere incidental variations. Lines like those in which the questionable foot is here Italicized, may be united with longer dactylics, and thus produce a stanza of great beauty and harmony. The following is a specimen. It is a song, written by I know not whom, but set to music by Dempster. The twelfth line is varied to a different measure.

"ADDRESS TO THE SKYLARK."

       "Bird of the | wilderness,
        Blithesome and | cumberless,
    Light be thy | matin o'er | moorland and | lea;
        Emblem of | happiness,
        Blest is thy | dwelling-place;
    O! to a |-bide in the | desert with | thee!

       "Wild is thy | lay, and loud,
        Far on the | downy cloud;
    Love gives it | energy, | love gave it | birth:
        Where, on thy | dewy wing,
        Where art thou | journeying?
    Thy lay | is in heav |-en, thy love | is on earth.

       "O'er moor and | mountain green,
        O'er fell and | fountain sheen,
    O'er the red | streamer that | heralds the | day;
        Over the | cloudlet dim,
        Over the | rainbow's rim,
    Musical | cherub, hie, | hie thee a |-way.

       "Then, when the | gloamin comes,
        Low in the | heather blooms.
    Sweet will thy | welcome and | bed of love | be.
        Emblem of | happiness,
        Blest is thy | dwelling-place;
    O! to a |-bide in the | desert with | thee!"

OBS. 3.—It is observed by Churchill, (New Gram., p. 387,) that, "Shakspeare has used the dactyl, as appropriate to mournful occasions." The chief example which he cites, is the following:—

   "Midnight, as |-sist our moan,
    Help us to | sigh and groan
        Heavily, | heavily.
    Graves, yawn and | yield your dead,
    Till death be | uttered
        Heavily, | heavily."—Much Ado, V, 3

OBS. 4.—These six lines of Dactylic (or Composite) Dimeter are subjoined by the poet to four of Trochaic Tetrameter. There does not appear to me to be any particular adaptation of either measure to mournful subjects, more than to others; but later instances of this metre may be cited, in which such is the character of the topic treated. The following long example consists of lines of two feet, most of them dactylic only; but, of the seventy-six, there are twelve which may be otherwise divided, and as many more which must be, because they commence with a short syllable.

"THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS."—BY THOMAS HOOD.

   "One more un |-fortunate,
      Weary of | breath,
    Rashly im |-portunate,
      Gone to her | death!
    Take her up | tenderly,
      Lift her with | care;
    Fashioned so | slenderly,
      Young, and so | fair!

    Look at her | garments
    Clinging like | cerements,
    Whilst the wave | constantly
      Drips from her | clothing;
    Take her up | instantly,
      Loving, not | loathing.

    Touch her not | scornfully;
    Think of her | mournfully,
      Gently, and | humanly;
    Not of the | stains of her:
    All that re |-mains of her
      Now, is pure | womanly.

    Make no deep | scrutiny
    Into her | mutiny,
      Rash and un |-dutifull;
    Past all dis |-honour,
    Death has left | on her
      Only the | beautiful.

    Still, for all | slips of hers,—
      One of Eve's | family,—
    Wipe those poor | lips of hers,
      Oozing so | clammily.
    Loop up her | tresses,
      Escaped from the comb,—
    Her fair auburn tresses;
    Whilst wonderment guesses,
      Where was her | home?

    Who was her | father?
      Who was her | mother?
    Had she a | sister?
      Had she a | brother?
    Was there a | dearer one
      Yet, than all | other?

    Alas, for the rarity
    Of Christian charity
      Under the | sun!
    O, it was | pitiful!
    Near a whole | city full,
      Home she had | none.

    Sisterly, | brotherly,
    Fatherly, | motherly,
      Feelings had | changed;
    Love, by harsh |evidence,
    Thrown from its |eminence
    Even God's | providence
      Seeming e |-stranged.

    Where the lamps | quiver
    So far in the river,
      With many a light,
    From window and casement,
    From garret to basement,
    She stood, with amazement,
      Houseless, by | night.

    The bleak wind of March
      Made her tremble and shiver;
    But not the dark arch,
      Or the black-flowing river:
    Mad from life's | history,
    Glad to death's | mystery,
      Swift to be | hurled,—
    Anywhere, | anywhere,
      Out of the | world!

    In she plung'd | boldly,—
    No matter how coldly
      The rough | river ran,—
    Over the | brink of it:
    Picture it, | think of it,
      Dissolute | man!"
        Clapp's Pioneer, p. 54.

OBS. 5.—As each of our principal feet,—the Iambus, the Trochee, the Anapest, and the Dactyl,—has always one, and only one long syllable; it should follow, that, in each of our principal orders of verse,—the Iambic, the Trochaic, the Anapestic, and the Dactylic,—any line, not diversified by a secondary foot, must be reckoned to contain just as many feet as long syllables. So, too, of the Amphibrach, and any line reckoned Amphibrachic. But it happens, that the common error by which single-rhymed Trochaics have so often been counted a foot shorter than they are, is also extended by some writers to single-rhymed Dactylics—the rhyming syllable, if long, being esteemed supernumerary! For example, three dactylic stanzas, in each of which a pentameter couplet is followed by a hexameter line, and this again by a heptameter, are introduced by Prof. Hart thus: "The Dactylic Tetrameter, Pentameter, and Hexameter, with the additional or hypermeter syllable, are all found combined in the following extraordinary specimen of versification. * * * This is the only specimen of Dactylic hexameter or even pentameter verse that the author recollects to have seen."

LAMENT OF ADAM.

   "Glad was our | meeting: thy | glittering | bosom I |