Page:The grammar of English grammars.djvu/893

 pure and simple kinds being generally preferred, any stated mixture of feet is comparatively uncommon. Certain forms which may be scanned by other methods, are susceptible also of division as Composites. Hence there cannot be an exact enumeration of the measures of this order, but instances, as they occur, may be cited to exemplify it.

Example I.&mdash;From Swift's Irish Feast. "O'Rourk's \ noble fare \ will ne'er \ be forgot,   By those \ who were there, \ or those \ who were not.    His rev\-els to keep, \ we sup \ and we dine    On sev\-en score sheep, \ fat bul\-locks, and swine.    Usquebaugh \ to our feast \ in pails \ was brought up,    An hun\-dred at least, \ and a mad\-der our cup.    O there \ is the sport! \ we rise \ with the light,    In disor\-derly sort, \ from snor\-ing all night.    O how \ was I trick'd! \ my pipe \ it was broke,    My pock\-et was pick'd, \ I lost \ my new cloak.    I'm ri\-fled, quoth Nell, \ of man\-tle and kerch\-er:    Why then \ fare them well, \ the de'il \ take the search\-er." Johnson's Works of the Poets, Vol. v, p. 310. Here the measure is tetrameter; and it seems to have been the design of the poet, that each hemistich should consist of one iamb and one anapest. Such, with a few exceptions, is the arrangement throughout the piece; but the hemistichs which have double rhyme, may each be divided into two amphibrachs. In Everett's Versification, at p. 100, the first six lines of this example are broken into twelve, and set in three stanzas, being given to exemplify "The Line of a single Anapest preceded by an Iambus," or what he improperly calls "The first and shortest species of Anapestic lines." His other instance of the same metre is also Composite verse, rather than Anapestic, even by his own showing. "In the following example," says he, "we have this measure alternating with Amphibrachic lines:"

Example II.&mdash;From Byron's Manfred. "The Captive Usurper,     Hurl'd down \ from the throne.    Lay buried in torpor,      Forgotten and lone;    I broke through his slumbers,      I shiv\-er'd his chain,    I leagued him with numbers&mdash;      He's Ty\-rant again!    With the blood \ of a mill\-ion he'll an\-swer my care,    With a na\-tion's destruc\-tion&mdash;his flight \ and despair." &mdash;Act ii, Sc. 3. Here the last two lines, which are not cited by Everett, are pure anapestic tetrameters; and it may be observed, that, if each two of the short lines were printed as one, the eight which are here scanned otherwise, would become four of the same sort, except that these would each begin with an iambus. Hence the specimen sounds essentially as anapestic verse.

Example III.&mdash;Woman on the Field of Battle. "Gentle and \ lovely form,     What didst \ thou here,    When the fierce \ battle storm      Bore down \ the spear?

Banner and \ shiver'd crest, Beside \ thee strown, Tell that a\-midst the best Thy work was done!

Low lies the \ stately head, Earth-bound \ the free: How gave those \ haughty dead A place \ to thee?

Slumb'rer! thine \ early bier Friends should \ have crown'd,   Many a \flow'r and tear Shedding \ around.

Soft voices, \ dear and young, Mingling \ their swell, Should o'er thy \ dust have sung Earth's last \ farewell.

Sisters a\-bove the grave Of thy \ repose Should have bid \ vi'lets wave With the \ white rose.

Now must the \ trumpet's note. Savage \ and shrill, For requi'm \ o'er thee float, Thou fair \ and still!

And the swift \ charger sweep, In full \ career, Trampling thy \ place of sleep&mdash; Why cam'st \ thou here?

Why?&mdash;Ask the \ true heart why Woman \ hath been Ever, where \ brave men die, Unshrink\-ing seen.

Unto this \ harvest ground, Proud reap\-ers came, Some for that \ stirring sound, A warr\-ior's name:

Some for the \ stormy play, And joy \ of strife, And some to \ fling away A wea\-ry life.

But thou, pale \ sleeper, thou, With the \ slight frame, And the rich \ locks, whose glow Death can\-not tame;

Only one \ thought, one pow'r,    Thee could \ have led, So through the \ tempest's hour To lift \ thy head!