 | CHAP. I.
Of the Structure of English Verses.
The Art of English Poetry |  |
SECT. I.
Of the several sorts of Verses, and first of those of 10 Syllables, and of the due Observation of the Accent, and of the Pause.
Our Poetry admits for the most part but of three sorts of Verses; that is to say, of Verses of 10, 8, or 7 Syllables: Those of 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, and 14, are generally imploy'd in Masks and Operas, and in the Stanzas of Lyrick and Pindarick Odes, and we have few intire Poems compos'd in any of those sorts of Verses. But those of 12 and 14 Syllables
The Verses of 10 Syllables, which are our Heroick, are us'd in Heroick Poems, in Tragedies, Comedies, Pastorals, Elegies, &c. and sometimes in Burlesque.
In these Verses two things are chiefly to be consider'd.
- 1. The Seat of the Accent.
- 2. The Pause.
For, 'tis not enough that Verses have their just Number of Syllables: the true Harmony of them depends on a due Observation of the Accent and Pause.
The Accent is an Elevation of the Voice on a certain Syllable of a Word.
The Pause is a Rest or Stop that is made in pronouncing the Verse, and that divides it, as it were, into two parts; each of which is call'd an Hemistich, or half Verse.
But this Division is not always equal, that is to say, one of the Half-verses does not always contain the same Number of Syllables as the other: and this Inequality proceeds from the Seat of the Accent that is strongest, and prevails most in the first Half-verse. For, the Pause must be observ'd at the end of the Word where such Accent happens to be, or at the end of the following Word, as shall be shewn immediately.
Now in a Verse of 10 Syllables, this Accent must be either on the 2d, 4th, or 6th; which produces 5 several Pauses, that is to say at the 3d,4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th Syllables of the Verse; For,
When it happens to be on the 2d, the Pause will be either at the 3d, or 4th.
At the 3d in two manners;
- 1. When the Syllable of the Accent happens to be the last save one of a Word; as,
Or Cities—whom unlook'd for Sieges scare.
- 2. Or, when the Accent is on the last of a Word, and that the
next be a Monosyllable that may be sunk in its Pronunciation, and whose
Construction is Govern'd by that word on which the Accent is; as,
When the Accent falls on the 2d Syllable of the Verse, and the last save two of a Word, the Pause will be at the 4th; as,
When the Accent is on the 4th of a Verse, the Pause will be either at the same Syllable, or at the 5th or 6th.
At the same, when the Syllable of the Accent happens to be the last of a Word; as,
God-like, unmov'd,—and yet like Woman, kind.
At the 5th in 2 manners.
- 1. When it happens to be the last save one of a Word , as,
Foretells the Fervour—of ensuing Day,
And warns the Shepherd—with his Flocks, retreat
To leafy shadows—from the threaten'd Heat.
- 2. Or the last of the Word, and that the following one be a Monosyllable govern'd by it, and that may be lower'd in its Pronunciation; as,
At the 6th, when the Syllable of the Accent happens to be the last save two of a Word; as,
Lastly, When the Accent is upon the 6th Syllable of the Verse, the Pause will be either at the same Syllable, or at the 7th.
At the same, when the Syllable of the Accent happens tobe the last of a Word; as,
At the 7th in two manners.
- 1. When it happens to be the last save one of a Word; as,
- 2. Or the last of a Word, if the following one be a Monosyllable that may be funk in pronouncing, and whose Construction depends on the preceeding Word on which the Accent is; as,
From all this it appears, that the Pause is determined by the Seat of the Accent, but if it should happen that the Accents on the 2d, 4th,or 6th Syllable of a Verse be equally strong, the Sence and Construction of the Words must then guide to the observance of the Pause: For Example; In the Verse I cited as an Instance of it at the 7th Syllable.
The Accent is as strong on Taught, as on the first Syllable of Flatter, and if the Pause were observ'd at the 4th Syllable of the Verse, it would have nothing disagreable in its Sound; as,
Which tho' it be no Violence to the Ear, yet it is to the Sense, and that ought always carefully to be avoided in repeating Verses.
For this Reason it is, that the Construction or Sence should never end, at a Syllable where the Pause ought not to be made; as at the 8th and 2d in the two following Verses:
My Kids!—for you have had a Feast to day.
Which Verses have nothing disagreeable in their Structure but the Pause, which in the first of them must be observ'd at the 8th Syllable, in the 2d at the 2d, and so unequal a Division can produce no true Harmony.
The foregoing Rules ought indispensably to be follow'd in all our Verses of 10 Syllables, and the observation of them, like that of Right Time in Musick, will produce Harmony; the neglect of them Harshness and Discord, as appears by the following Verses,
And both Lovers, both thy Disciples were.
Where tho' the true Number of Syllables be observ'd, yet neither of them have so much as the sound of a Verse: Now their disagreeableness proceeds from the undue Seat of the Accent: For Example, the first of them is accented on the 5th and 7th Syllables; but if we change the Words, and remove the Accent from thence, the Verse will become smooth and easie; as,
The harshness of the last of them proceeds from its being accented on the 3d Syllable, which may be mended thus, by transposing only one Word;
In like manner the following Verses
are rough, because the foregoing Rules are not observ'd in their Structure; for Example, the first, where the Pause is the 5th Syllable, and the Accent at the 3d, is contrary to the Rule that says, that the Accent that determines the Pause must be on the 2d, 4th, or 6th Syllable of the Verse; and to mend that Verse we need only place the Accent on the 4th, and then the Pause at the 5th will have nothing disagreeable, as,
The Second Verse is accented on the 3d Syllable, and the Pause is there too; which makes it indeed the thing it expresses, forc'd, harsh, and uneasie; it may be mended thus,
The 3d, 4th, and 6th of those Verses have like faults, for the Pauses are at the 5th, and the Accent there too, which is likewise contrary to the foregoing Rules: Now they will become smooth and flowing, by taking the Accent from the 5th, and altering the Seat of the Pause; as
A Second Tryal will the Pow'rs appease.
With Scythians skilful in the Dart and Bow.
From whence we may gather, that in all Verses of 10 Syllables, the most prevailing Accents ought to be on the 2d, 4th, and 6th Syllables; for if they are on the 3d, 5th, or 7th, the Verse will be rough and disagreeable, ashas been prov'd by the preceeding Instances.
In short, the wrong placing of the Accent is as great a fault in our Versification, as false Quantity was in that of the Ancients, and therefore we ought to take an equal care to avoid it, and endeavour to to dispose the Words as may create a certain Melody in the Ear, without Labour to the Tongue, or Violence to the Sence.
| CHAP. I.
Of the Structure of English Verses.
The Art of English Poetry | |