 | CHAP. II.
Of Rhyme.
The Art of English Poetry |  |
2. CHAP. II.
Of Rhyme.
SECT. I.
What Rhyme is, and the several sorts of it.
Rhyme is only a sameness of sound at the end of words. I say, of Sound, not of Letters; for as the Office of Rhyme is to content and please the Ear, and not the Eye, the sound only is to be regarded, not the Writing: Thus Maid and Perswade, Laugh, and Quaff, tho' they differ in
In our Versification we may observe 3 several sorts of Rhyme; Single, Double, and Treble.
The single Rhyme is of two sorts: One of the words that are accented upon the last Syllable: Another, of those that have their Accent upon the last save two.
The words accented upon the last Syllable, if they end in a Consonant or mute E, oblige the Rhyme to begin at the Vowel that preceeds their last Consonant, and to continue to the end of the word: In a Consonant; As,
In mute E; As,
Of sad Adversity, is fairer made.
But if a Dipthong preceed the last Consonant, the Rhyme must begin at that Vowel of it whose sound most prevails; As, .
Was in that Storm to have so calm a Peace.
If the words accented upon the last Syllable end in any of the Vowels, except mute E, or in a Dipthong, the Rhyme is made only to that Vowel or Dipthong, to the Vowel; As,
Teach Clouds and Stars to praise him as we fly.
To the Dipthong; As,
Stop when they find a Lyon in the way.
The other sort of single Rhyme is of the words that have their Accent upon the last Syllable, save two; And these Rhyme to each other in the same manner as the former; that is to say, if they end in any of the Vowels, except mute E, the Rhyme is made only to that Vowel; As,
Voice, Colour, Hair, and all like Mercury.
But if they end in a Consonant or mute E, the Rhyme must begin at the Vowel that preceeds that Consonant, and continue to the end of the word.
But we must take notice that all the words that are accented upon the last save two, will Rhyme not only to one another, but also to all the words whose Terminations have
That Name, and that indulgent Tenderness.
SECT. II.
Of Double and Treble Rhymes.
All words that are accented on the last save one, require the Rhyme to begin at the Vowel of that Syllable, and to continue to the end of the word, and this is what we call Double Rhyme; as,
Besides ten Thousand freaks that dy'd in thinking.
But it is convenient to take notice that the Ancient Poets have not always observ'd this Rule, and took care only that the last Syllable of the words should be alike in sound, without any regard to the Seat of the Accent. Thus Nation and Affection, Tenderness and Hapless, Villany and Gentry, Follow and Willow, and the like were allow'd as Rhymes to each other, in the Days of Chaucer, Spencer, and the rest of the Ancients; but this is now become a fault in our Versification; and these two Verses of Cowley Rhyme not at all.
Such as the proudest Colours might envy.
Nor these of Dryden.
And Waters dark Abyss unnavigable.
Because we may not place an Accent on the last Syllable of Envy, nor on the last save one of Unnavigable; which nevertheless we must be oblig'd to do, if we make the first of them Rhyme to Dye, the last to Unstable.
But we must take notice that in Burlesque Poetry, it is permitted to place an Accent upon a Syllable that naturally has none; as,
Was beat with fist instead of a stick.
Where unless we pronounce the Particle A with a strong Accent upon it, and make it sound like the Vowel A. in the last Syllable but one of Ecclesiastick; the Verse will lose all its Beauty and Rhyme. But this is allowable in Burlesque Poetry only.
Observe that these double Rhymes may be Compos'd of two several words; provided the Accent be upon the last Syllable of the first of them; as in these Verses of Cowley, speaking of Gold,
A Curse on him who first did coin it.
Or one of the Verses may end in an intire word, and the Rhyme to it be Compos'd of several; as,
Which whosoever took is dead since.
The Treble Rhyme is, when in words Accented upon the last save two we begin the Rhyme at the Vowel of that Syllable, and continue it to the end of the word. Thus Charity and Parity, Tenderness and Slenderness, &c. are treble Rhymes; And there too, as well as the double; may be composed of several words; as,
That had read Alexander Ross over.
The Treble Rhyme is very seldom us'd, and ought wholy to be excluded from serious subjects; for it has a certain flatness, unworthy the gravity requir'd in Heroick Verse. In which Dryden was of opinion that even the double Rhymes ought very cautiously to find place; and in all his Translation of Virgil he has, I think, made use of none except only in such words as admit of a Contraction, and therefore cannot properly be said to be double Rhymes; as Giv'n, Driv'n, Tow'r, Pow'r, and the like. And indeed, considering that their measure is different from that of an Heroick Verse, which consists but of 10 Syllables, they ought not to be too frequently us'd in Heroick Poems; but they are very graceful in the Lyrick, to which, as well as to the Burlesque, those Rhymes more properly belong.
SECT. III.
Some other Instructions concerning the Rhyme.
The Consonants, that preceed the Vowels where the Rhyme begins, must be different in sound, and not the same; for then the Rhyme will be too perfect; as Light, Delight; Vice, Advice, and the like; for tho' such Rhymes were allowable in the Days of Spencer and the other old Poets, they are not so now; nor can there be any Musick in one single Note. Cowley himself owns, that they ought not to be employ'd except in Pindarick Odes, which is a free sort of Poetry, and there too very sparingly, and not without a third Rhyme to Answer to both; as,
And boast of past fertility,
The poor Relief of present poverty.
Where the words Fertility and Poverty Rhyme very well to the last Word of the first Verse, Ly ; but cannot Rhyme to each other, because the Consonants that preceed the last Vowel are the same, both in writing and sound. But this is yet less allowable if the Accent be upon the Syllable of the Rhyme; as,
His hand, and thence the vengeful Lightning wrests.
From hence it follows that a word cannot Rhyme to it self, tho' the signification be different; as He Leaves to The Leaves, &c.
Nor the words that differ both in Writing and Sence, if they have the same sound, as Maid and Made, Prey and Pray, to Bow and a Bough: as,
And creep insensibly by touch or scent.
Nor a Compound to its simple; as Move to Remove, taught to untaught, &c.
Nor the Compounds of the same words to one another; as Disprove to Approve, and the like. All which proceeds from what I said before, because the Consonants chat preceed the Vowel where the Rhyme begins, must not be the same in sound, but different.
We must take care not to place a word at the middle of the Verse, that Rhymes to the last word of it; as,
But this fault is yet more inexcusable, if the second Verse Rhyme to the middle and end of the first; as,
As if for him Knowledge had rather sought.
Eternal Monuments of louder Praise.
Or both the middle and end of the second to the last word of the first; as,
Thou sweetest part of my divided Heart.
| CHAP. II.
Of Rhyme.
The Art of English Poetry | |