(1) The verb may precede the subject for the sake of emphasis or meter; as, "Came a troop with broad swords swinging." (2) The verb may follow its object; as, "Thee, shepherd, thee the woods, and desert caves, And all their echoes, mourn." (3) The infinitive may precede the word on which it depends; as, "When first thy sire, to send on earth Virtue, his darling child, designed." (4) Prepositional phrases may precede the verbs they modify; as, "Of man's first disobedience, sing, Heavenly Muse." (5) The preposition may follow the noun it gov erns; as, "From peak to peak, the rattling crags among, Leaps the live thunder." (6) Adverbs may precede the words they modify; as, "The plowman homeward plods his weary way." (7) Condensed expressions in the form of compound epithets are frequently used; as, “O music, sphere-descended maid!” (8) An expletive pronoun may be used to throw the subject after the verb; as, "It ceased, the melancholy sound." (9) The relative pronoun may be omitted; as, ""Tis fancy, in her fiery car, Transports me to the thickest war." (10) Intransitive verbs are sometimes used with an objective case; as, "Still in harmonious intercourse they lived The rural day, and talked the flowing heart." (11) Archaic or antiquated words and modes of expression may be used; as, "Whilome in Albion's isle there dwelt a youth Who ne in virtue's ways did take delight." (12) The noun may precede the adjective modifying it; as, "The willows, and the hazel copses green." REVIEW QUESTIONS 44. What is poetry? How is it distinguished from prose? What is the difference between poetry and verse? 45. What is the relative position of poetry and prose? Illustrate the difference. 46. What is the source of poetry? What is said of human life? What constitutes its lyric poetry? Mention some mental aspects of nature. 47. How is the poet regarded in a materialistic age? With what is the great poet gifted? What is Bailey's estimate of poets? What is said of the rank of great poets? Mention some of the world's greatest poets. 48. Why is the poet called a seer? What is his relation to his contemporaries? What does Mrs. Browning say of poets? What is said of Shakespeare? To what class of themes does the best poetry give itself? 49. What is versification? What is its unit? How are syllables distinguished? What is the function of quantity in English verse? Illustrate. What is the principle of English verse? What is a metrical foot? Define iambus. Illustrate. Define a trochee, with example. When is a verse or foot catalectic? Define a dactyl, with illustration. Define an anapest, with example. Define a spondee; amphibrach, with example. 50. How is a verse named? What is iambic trimeter? What 1s iambic pentameter called? What is trochaic tetrameter? Illustrate. What is dactylic hexameter? Illustrate. Mention some well-known poems written in this meter. What is anapestic trimeter? Illustrate. On what principle may a syllable be added to a foot or omitted from it? Explain the irregularities in the first two lines of Tennyson's “Break, break, break.” What is said of metrical irregularities? What is their purpose? Illustrate from Wordsworth and Tennyson. 51. What is rhyme? Of what use is it? In what order may rhymes occur? Illustrate. What is a double rhyme? What other name has it? Illustrate. What is a triple rhyme? Illustrate. When is triple rhyme usually employed? What is middle rhyme? Illustrate. What is sectional rhyme? Illustrate. What is alliteration? What is said of it? Give illustrations from Mrs. Browning and Tennyson. 52. What is a stanza? What is a stanza of two lines called? of three? of four? Illustrate. Explain rhyme royal; ottava rima; Spenserian stanza. Illustrate. Explain the usual hymn meters, illustrating in each case. 53. What is blank verse? What is said of its freedom and difficulty? On what does its harmony depend? What is meant by casura? What is an "end-stopt" line? A "run-on" line? What French name is used for the latter? What is meant by period? Into what does the period practically divide blank verse? On what does Milton's 66 organ roll" depend? Point out a notable difference between Milton's and Shelley's blank verse. 54. What is meant by poetic style? diction? Mention some poetic words. ing deviations in construction? What is said of poetic ILLUSTRATIVE AND PRACTICAL EXERCISES The following selections should be examined in the light of such questions as these: Is it poetry or verse? What lifts it above prose? Does it treat of nature, man, or God? Is it intellectual, emotional, or both? What is the poet's idea? Is it commonplace, true, elevated, delicate, exquisite? What is the mood of the poet, serious, playful, humorous, calm, exalted? What imaginative features has it? What concrete pictures? What figures? Is it self-restrained and classic? Is it loose and voluble? As to structure, what is the fundamental foot? Name each line. What irregularities may exist and for what purpose? Is the movement slow or rapid? Explain the source of slowness or rapidity. What is the order of rhymes? Are they perfect or defective? Are there double, triple, middle, or sectional rhymes? Point out the alliteration. What is the effect? Name the stanza. Is it blank verse? Where does the cæsural pause fall in each line? Is there variety? Are the lines "end-stopt" or "run-on"? Point out the poetic words. poetic constructions are there? classes, feeble, good, excellent. What is their effect? What Now all our neighbors' chimneys smoke, And all their spits are turning. WITHER. Silence in love betrays more woe Than words, though ne'er so witty; A beggar that is dumb, you know, May challenge double pity. 1~ б "To see how these yeomen together they fought Two hours of a summer's day, Yet neither Robin Hood nor Sir Guy Them fettled to flye away." Recent poets have written ballads, among the best of which may be mentioned Longfellow's "Skeleton in Armor" and "Wreck of the Hesperus," Tennyson's "Edward Gray" and " Lady Clare," and Goldsmith's "Hermit." These are all ballads of a pure type. (2) A song is a lyric poem intended to be sung. Songs may be classified according to sentiment or occasion. In this way we may distinguish love songs, convivial or drinking songs, political songs, war songs, national songs, religious songs or hymns. As with lyric poems in general, there is no thought or sentiment of the human soul that may not find expression in song. Burns is distinguished as one of the best of all song writers. Moore's "Irish Melodies" and "National Airs" are bright though somewhat artificial. Among the writings of nearly all our poets are pieces suitable for music. Our hymns do not as a rule reach a high degree of poetic excellence. The reason is, perhaps, not difficult to find. The hymn writers are concerned less with a free play of the imagination and emotions than with a strict regard to theological or even dogmatic truth. But notwithstanding the difficulties of the case, not a few hymn writers have given beautiful expression to their faith, adoration, and love. Keble, Watts, Wesley, Cowper, Bonar, and many others have written hymns that give satisfying expression to a deep religious fervor. |