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They 're a fish, too, of which I 'm remarkably fond..
Sir Thomas again in the pond-
- pop.

Go

'Poor dear!' HE'LL CATCH US SOME MORE!!"

MORAL.

All middle-aged gentlemen let me advise,

If you 're married, and have not got very good eyes,
Don't go poking about after blue-bottled flies!
If you 've spectacles, don't have a tortoiseshell rim,
And don't go near the water, unless you can swim!

--

Married ladies, especially such as are fair,

Tall, and slim, I would next recommend to beware,
How, on losing one spouse, they give way to despair;

But let them reflect," There are fish, and no doubt on 't —

As good in the river as ever came out on 't!"

Should they light on a spouse who is given to roaming

In solitude-raison de plus, in the "gloaming,"

Let them have a fixed time for said spouse to come home in
And if, when "last dinner-bell" 's rung, he is late,
To insure better manners in future- Do n't wait!

If of husband or children they chance to be fond,
Have a stout wire fence put all round the pond!
One more piece of advice, and I close my appeals
That is if you chance to be partial to eels,
Then-Crede experto - trust one who has tried,

Have them spitch-cock'd, - - or stewed-they're too oily when fried.

LXXVI.

EPITHETS.

The rules of rhyme have now been presented, together with a full vocabulary, by which the appropriate rhyme to any word may be found. The use of appropriate epithets by which animated descriptions may be given, or the measure of the verse filled out, comes now to be considered.*

An epithet is an adjective, expressing some real quality of the subject to which it is applied, or an attributive, expressing some quality ascribed to it; as a verdant lawn, a brilliant appearance, a just man, an accurate description.

*See page 166, under Description, for some remarks and suggestions with regard to epithets.

Epithets are of two kinds, simple and compound.

Simple epithets are single words, as, joyous youth, decrepit age, thoughtless infancy.

Compound epithets consist of compound words, and are frequently composed of nouns and other parts of speech, in connexion with adjectives, participles, &c., as, The meek-eyed morn, Tear-dropping April, The laughter-loving goddess, The dew-dropping morn, In world-rejoicing state it moves along, &c.

The judicious application of epithets constitutes one of the greatest beauties of composition; and in poetry, especially, the melody of the verse, and the animation of the style is, in great measure, dependent upon it.

Figurative language (see page 111) presents a wide and extensive field for the supply of rich and expressive epithets; and the poet is indulged, by his peculiar license, in the formation of new and original compound epithets. (See page 166.)

Alliteration, also, (see page 151) if not profusely applied, and expressions in which the sound is adapted to the sense, when introduced with simple or compound epithets, contribute in a good degree to the beauty and harmony of verse. The following couplet, from Goldsmith's Deserted Village, presents an exemplification of this remark:

"The white-washed wall, the nicely-sanded floor,
The varnished clock that clicked behind the door."

Example.

[See Onomatopaia.]

The word anger is suggested for the application of epithets, and the following terms will be found respectively applicable to it:

Violent, impetuous, threatening, menacing, unbridled, untamed, mistaking, boiling, swelling, frantic, raging, flaming, burning, passionate, roaring, secret, waspish, impatient, red-looking, red-glaring, inflaming, bloody, blood-spilling, incensed, stormy, scarlet, blood-dyed, moody, choleric, wrathful, revengeful, vengeful, chafing, foaming, hot-headed, heating, sparkling, rash, blind, heady, head-strong, disordered, stern-visaged, giddy, flame-eyed, ghostly, distempered, transporting, tempestuous, blustering, fierce, cruel, truculent. overseeing, frothy, implacable, pettish, bitter, rough, wild, stubborn, unruly, litigious, austere, dreadful, peace-destroying, joy-killing, soul-troubling, blasting, death-dealing, fury-kindled, mortal, hellish, heaven-rejected.

Example 2d.

FOUNTAIN.

Chrystal, gushing, rustling, silver, gently-gliding, parting, pearly, weeping, bubbling. gurgling, chiding, clear, grass-fringed, moss-fringed, pebblepaved, verdant, sacred, grass-margined, moss-margined, trickling, soft,

dew-sprinkled, fast-flowing, delicate, delicious, clean, straggling, dancing, vaulting, deep-embosomed, leaping, murmuring, muttering, whispering, prattling, twaddling, swelling, sweet-rolling, gently-flowing, rising, sparkling, flowing, frothy, dew-distilling, dew-born, exhaustless, inexhaustible, never-decreasing, never-failing, heaven-born, earth-born, deep-divulging, drought-dispelling, thirst-allaying, refreshing, soul-refreshing, earthrefreshing, laving, lavish, plant-nourishing.

Examples for Practice.

Apply epithets to the following names:

Friend, friendship, love, joy, sorrow, revenge, mirth, justice, a forest, a wood, a mountain, billow, wave, ripple, bloom, blossom, bud, banquet, adversity, affection, affliction, sorrow, despair, allurement, ambition, anguish, appetite, avarice, autumn, beauty, bee, beggar, bird, bride, cave, cloud, clown, cold, countenance, critic, death, deceit, delight, destroy, disease, discord, dog, dream, eagle, earth, eye, envy, eloquence, countenance, fear, fire, firmament, flame, flatter, flower, gift, glory, gold, grove, grief, hair, hand, honor, hour, hope, jealousy, ignorance, innocence, lay, law, liberty, light, maid, majesty, malice, mead, meadow, minute, monarch, mist, multitude, night, pain, peace, pleasure, poetry, poverty, pride, prosperity, providence, rage, rebellion, remorse, rock, sea, shore, skin, sleep, snake, snow, stream, sun, swain, tail, tear, tempest, temple, throne, thunder, time, tongue, tree, vale, vengeance, verse, vine, want, water, war, wine, woman, wit, wind, wing, winter, wood, woe, year, youth, zeal.

LXXVII.

LYRIC POETRY.

Lyric poetry literally implies that kind of poetry which is written to accompany the lyre, or other musical instrument. The versification may either be regular, or united in fanciful combinations, in correspondence with the strain for which it is composed.

Example 1st.

THE WINGED WORSHIPPERS.

Addressed to two Swallows that flew into Church during Divine Service.

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a song,

There is a face whose blushes tell
Affection's tale upon the cheek;
But, pallid at one fond farewell,
Proclaims more love than words can speak.

There is a lip which mine has pressed,
And none had ever pressed before;
It vowed to make me sweetly blessed,
And mine, mine only, pressed it more.

There is a bosom, all my own, —
Hath pillowed oft this aching head;
A mouth which smiles on me alone,

An eye whose tears with mine are shed.

There are two hearts whose movements thrill
In unison so closely sweet!

That, pulse to pulse, responsive still,

That both must heave,

or cease to beat.

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The highest of the modern lyric compositions is the Ode. The word ode is from the Greek, and is generally translated but it is not a song, as we use the term in our language. The ode was the result of strong excitement, a poetical attempt to fill the hearts of the auditors with feelings of the sublime. Odes that were sung in honor of the gods were termed Hymns, from a Greek word hymneo, which signifies to celebrate. The name is now applied to those sacred songs that are sung in churches. The Hebrew hymns which bear the name of King David are termed Psalms, from the Greek word psallo, which significs to sing.

The Greek Ode, when complete, was composed of three parts, the Strophe, the Antistrope, and the Epode. The two former terms indicated the turnings of the priests round and about the altar. The Epode was the end of the song, and was repeated standing still, before the altar.

Pæans were songs of triumph sung in procession in honor of Apollo, on occasions of a victory, &c., or to the other gods as thanksgivings for the cessation or cure of an evil. word is derived from a word signifying to heal or cure.

The

For examples of the English ode, the student is referred to the well-known pieces, " Alexander's Feast," by Dryden, and the "Ode on the Passions," by Collins.

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