"So little mercy shows [-] who needs so much."-Cowper. In [-] who obtain defence, and [-] who defend."-Pope. That tell you so say rather, they [-] for him."-Cowper. "Man may dismiss compassion from his heart, But God will never [ -1."-Id. "Vigour [-] from toil, from trouble patience grows."-Beattie. And meads, with life, and mirth, and beauty crown'd ?"—Id. How dumb the tuneful [— -]!"—Thomson. "Self-love and Reason to one end aspire, Pain [-] their aversion, pleasure [-] their desire; But greedy that its object would devour, This [-] taste the honey, and not wound the flower.”—Pope. LESSON IV.-FIGURES OF SYNTAX. FIGURE II.-PLEONASM. "According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to nis adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense."-Isaiah, lix, 18. "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night."-Song of Sol., v, 2. "Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God."-Jer., xxx, 18. "Consider the lilies of the field how they grow."-Matt., vi, 28. "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."-2 Cor., x, 17. แ "He too is witness, noblest of the train That wait on man, the flight-performing horse."-Cowper. FIGURE III.-SYLLEPSIS. "Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas:' which is, by interpretation a stone."-John, i, 42. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might."-Jer., xlix, 35. "Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."-Rom., ix, 33. "Thus Conscience pleads her cause within the breast, Though long rebell'd against, not yet suppress'd."-Cowper. Knowledge is proud that he has learn'd so much; Wisdom is humble that he knows no more."-Id. "For those the race of Israel oft forsook Their living strength, and unfrequented left His righteous altar, bowing lowly down To bestial gods."--Milton, Paradise Lost, B. i, 1. 432. LESSON V.-FIGURES OF SYNTAX. FIGURE IV.-ENALLAGE. "Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself Are much condemned to have an itching palm, "Come, Philomelus; let us instant go, O'erturn his bow'rs, and lay his castle low."-Thomson. "Then palaces shall rise; the joyful son Shall finish what the short-liv'd sire begun."-Pope. "Such was that temple built by Solomon, Than whom none richer reign'd o'er Israel."-Author. "He spoke with fatal eagerness we burn, And quit the shores, undestin'd to return."-Day. "Still as he pass'd, the nations he sublimes."-Thomson. Had been an emperor without his crown."-Young. FIGURE V.-HYPERBATON. "Such resting found the sole of unblest feet."-Milton. Fancy a thousand wondrous forms descries."-Beattie. That who advance his glory, not their own, Them he himself to glory will advance."-Milton. "No quick reply to dubious questions make; Suspense and caution still prevent mistake."-Denham. LESSON VI-FIGURES OF RHETORIC. FIGURE 1.-SIMILE. "Human greatness is short and transitory, as the odour of incense in the fire."Dr. Johnson. "Terrestrial happiness is of short continuance: the brightness of the flame is wasting its fuel, the fragrant flower is passing away in its own odours."Id. "Thy nod is as the earthquake that shakes the mountains; and thy smile, as the dawn of the vernal day."-Id. "Plants rais'd with tenderness are seldom strong; Man's coltish disposition asks the thong; And, without discipline, the fav'rite child, "As turns a flock of geese, and, on the green, (Ridiculous in rage!) to hiss, not bite, So war their quills, when sons of dullness write."— Young. "Who can unpitying see the flowery race, Shed by the morn, their new-flush'd bloom resign, Before th' unbating beam? So fade the fair, When fevers revel through their azure veins."-Thomson. FIGURE II.-METAPHOR. "Cathmon, thy name is a pleasant gale."-Ossian. "Rolled into himself he flew, wide on the bosom of winds. The old oak felt his departure, and shook its whistling head."--Id. "Carazan gradually lost the inclination to do good, as he acquired the power; as the hand of time scattered snow upon his head, the freeziny influence extended to his bosom."-Hawkesworth. "The sun grew weary of gilding the palaces of Morad; the clouds of sorrow gathered round his head; and the tempest of hatred roared about his dwelling."--Dr. Johnson. LESSON VII.-FIGURES OF RHETORIC. FIGURE III-ALLEGORY. "But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, 'Son, go work to-day in my vineyard.' He answered and said, 'I will not;' but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir;' and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, 'The first. ”—Matt., xxi, 28—31. FIGURE IV.-METONYMY. "Swifter than a whirlwind, flies the leaden death."-Hervey. "Be all the dead forgot,' said Foldath's bursting wrath. Did not I fail in the field?"— Ossian. "Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke."-Gray. "Firm in his love, resistless in his hate, His arm is conquest, and his frown is fate."-Day. "At length the world, renew'd by calm repose, Was strong for toil; the dappled morn arose."-Purnell. Of hearing, from the life that fills the flood, To that which warbles through the vernal wood!"—Pope. FIGURE V.-SYNECDOCHE. ""Twas then his threshold first receiv'd a guest.”—Parnell. Whose feet came wand'ring o'er the nightly dew."—Id. Now from the virgin's cheek a fresher bloom Shoots, less and less, the live carnation round."-Thomson. LESSON VIII.-FIGURES OF RHETORIC. FIGURE VI.—HYPERBOLE. "I saw their chief, tall as a rock of ice; his spear, the blasted fir; his shield the rising moon; he sat on the shore, like a cloud of mist on the hill."—Ossian. "At which the universal host up sent A shout, that tore Hell's concave, and beyond Frighted the reign of Chaos and old Night."-Milton. "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather Making the green one red!"--Shakspeare. FIGURE VII.-VISION. "How mighty is their defence who reverently trust in the arm of God! How powerfully do they contend who fight with lawful weapons! Hark! 'Tis the voice of eloquence, pouring forth the living energies of the soul; pleading, with generous indignation and holy emotion, the cause of injured humanity against lawless might, and reading the awful destiny that awaits the oppressor!-I see the stern countenance of despotism overawed! I see the eye fallen, that kindled the elements of war! I see the brow relaxed, that scowled defiance at hostile thousands! I see the knees tremble, that trod with firmness the embattled field! Fear has entered that heart which ambition had betrayed into violence! The tyrant feels himself a man, and subject to the weakness of humanity!-Behold! and tell me, is that power contemptible which can thus find access to the sternest hearts ?"-Author. FIGURE VIII.-APOSTROPHE, "Yet still they breathe destruction, still go on, New pains for life, new terrors for the grave; Of universal empire growing up From universal ruin. Blast the design, Great God of Hosts! nor let thy creatures fall LESSON IX.-FIGURES OF RHETORIC. FIGURE IX.-PERSONIFICATION. "Hail, sacred Polity, by Freedom rear❜d! Hail, sacred Freedom, when by Law restrain'd! In darkness, wretchedness, and want, enchain'd."-Beattie. Lead forth a godly train of Virtues fair, FIGURE X.-EROTESIS. "He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know ?"-Psalms, xciv, 10. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."-Jeremiah, xiii, 23. FIGURE XI.-ECPHONESIS. "O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! O that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of way-faring men, that I might leave my people, and go from them!"-Jeremiah, ix, 1. FIGURE XII.—ANTITHESIS. "On this side, modesty is engaged; on that, impudence: on this, chastity; on that, lewdness: on this, integrity; on that, fraud: on this, piety; on that, profaneness on this, constancy; on that, fickleness: on this, honour; on that, baseness: on this, moderation; on that, unbridled passion."-Cicero. "She, from the rending earth, and bursting skies, Saw gods descend, and fiends infernal rise; Here fix'd the dreadful, there the blest abodes; LESSON X.-FIGURES OF RHETORIC. FIGURE XIII.-CLIMAX. "Virtuous actions are necessarily approved by the awakened conscience; and when they are approved, they are commended to practice; and when they are practised, they become easy; and when they become easy, they afford pleasure; and when they afford pleasure, they are done frequently; and when they are done frequently, they are confirmed by habit: and confirmed habit is a kind of second nature."—Inst., p. 246. "Weep all of every name: begin the wo, And let the instrument take up the song, Responsive to the voice-harmonious wo!"-Pollok, B. vi, l. 115. FIGURE XIV.-IRONY. "And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, 'Cry aloud; for he is a god either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in [on] a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked !"-1 Kings, xviii, 27. "After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years; and ye shall know my breach of promise."-Numbers, xiv, 34. "Some lead a life unblamable and just, Their own dear virtue their unshaken trust; They never sin-or if (as all offend) Some trivial slips their daily walk attend, FIGURE XV.-APOPHASIS, OR PARALIPSIS. I say nothing of the notorious profligacy of his character; nothing of the reckless extravagance with which he has wasted an ample fortune; nothing of the disgusting intemperance which has sometimes caused him to reel in our streets;-but I aver that he has not been faithful to our interests, has not exhibited either probity or ability in the important office which he holds. FIGURE XVI.-ONOMATOPOEIA. "Now sweep, sweep the deep. [The following lines, from Swift's Poems, satirically mimick the imitative music of a violin.] "Now slowly move your fiddle-stick; Now, tantan, tantantivi, quick; Now trembling, shivering, quivering, quaking, Set hoping hearts of Lovers aching."| While true Lovers' eyes CHAPTER IV.-VERSIFICATION. Versification is the forming of that species of literary composition which is called verse; that is, poetry, or poetic numbers. SECTION 1.-OF VERSE. Verse, in opposition to prose, is language arranged into metrical lines of some determinate length and rhythm-language so ordered as to produce harmony, by a due succession of poetic feet, or of syllables differing in quantity or stress. DEFINITIONS AND PRINCIPLES. The rhythm of verse is its relation of quantities; the modulation of its numbers; or, the kind of metre, measure, or movement, of which it consists, or by which it is particularly distinguished. The quantity of a syllable, as commonly explained, is the relative portion of time occupied in uttering it. In poetry, every syllable is considered to be either long or short. A long syllable is usually reckoned to be equal to two short ones. In the construction of English verse, long quantity coincides always with the primary accent, generally also with the secondary, as well as with emphasis; and short quantity, as reckoned by the poets, is found only in unaccented syllables, and unemphatical monosyllabic words.* The quantity of a syllable, whether long or short, does not depend on what is called the long or the short sound of a vowel or diphthong, or on a supposed distinction of accent as affecting vowels in some cases and consonants in others, but principally on the degree of energy or loudness with which the syllable is uttered, whereby a greater or less portion of time is employed. The open vowel sounds, which are commonly but not very accurately termed long, are those which are the most easily protracted, yet they often occur in the shortest and feeblest syllables; while, on the other hand, no vowel sound, that occurs under the usual stress of accent or of emphasis, is either so short in its own nature, or is so "quickly joined to the succeeding letter," that the syllable is not one of long quantity. Most monosyllables, in English, are variable in quantity, and may be made either long or short, as strong or weak sounds suit the sense and 1hythm; but words of greater length are, for the most part, fixed, their accented syllables being always. long, and a syllable immediately before or after the accent almost always short. One of the most obvious distinctions in poetry, is that of rhyme and blank verse. Rhyme is a similarity of sound, combined with a difference: occurring usually between the last syllables of different lines, but sometimes at other intervals; and so To this principle there seems to be now and then an exception, as when a weak dissyllable begins a foot in an anapestic line, as in the following examples: But some, Here, if we reckon the feet in question to be anapests, we have dissyllables with both parts short. accenting "ago" on the latter syllable, and " Either on the former, will call "ago now" a bacchy, and “ Either slept" an amphimac: because they make them such by their manner of reading.-G. B. |