2.
Ah, the \ dwellers \ of the \ town,
How they \ sigh,—
How un\-grateful\-ly they \ frown,
When the \ cloud-king \ shakes his \ crown,
And the \ pearls come \ pouring \ down
From the \ sky!
They de\-scry no \ charm at \ all
Where the \ sparkling \ jewels \ fall,
And each \ moment \ of the \ shower,
Seems an \ hour!
3.
Yet there's \ something \ very \ sweet
In the \ sight,
When the \ crystal \ currents \ meet
In the \ dry and \ dusty \ street,
And they \ wrestle \ with the \ heat,
In their \ might!
While they \ seem to \ hold a \ talk
With the \ stones a\-long the \ walk,
And re\-mind them \ of the \ rule,
To 'keep \ cool!'
4.
Ay, but \ in that \ quiet \ dell,
Ever \ fair,
Still the \ Lord doth \ all things \ well,
When his \ clouds with \ blessings \ swell,
And they \ break a \ brimming \ shell
On the \ air;
There the \ shower \ hath its \ charms,
Sweet and \ welcome \ to the \ farms
As they \ listen \ to its \ voice,
And re\-joice!"
Rev. RALPH HOYT'S Poems: The Examiner, Nov. 6, 1847.
Example VI.—"A Good Name?"—Two Beautiful Little Stanzas.
1.
"Children, \ choose it,
Don't re\-fuse it,
'Tis a \ precious \ dia\-dem;
Highly \ prize it,
Don't de\-spise it,
You will \ need it \ when you're \ men.
2.
Love and \ cherish,
Keep and \ nourish,
'Tis more \ precious \ far than \ gold;
Watch and \ guard it,
Don't dis\-card it,
You will \ need it \ when you're \ old."
The Family Christian Almanac, for 1850, p. 20.
OBSERVATIONS.
- Trochaics of two feet, like those of three, are, more frequently than otherwise, found in connexion with longer lines, as in some of the examples above cited. The trochaic line of three syllables, which our prosodists in general describe as consisting, not of two feet; but "of one Trochee and a long syllable," may, when it stands alone, be supposed to consist of one amphimac; but, since this species of foot is not admitted by all, and is reckoned a secondary one by those who do admit it, the better practice is, to divide even the three syllables into two feet, as above.
- Murray, Hart, Weld, and many others, erroneously affirm, that, "The shortest Trochaic verse in our language, consists of one Trochee and a long syllable."—Murray's Gram., p. 256; Hart's, First Edition, p. 186; Weld's, Second Edition, p. 210. The error of this will be shown by examples below—examples of true "Trochaic Monometer," and not of Dimeter mistaken for it, like Weld's, Hart's, or Murray's.
- These authors also aver, that, "This measure is defective in dignity, and can seldom be used on serious occasions."—Same places. "Trochaic of two feet—is likewise so brief, that," in their opinion, "it is rarely used for any very serious purpose."—Same places. Whether the expression of love, or of its disappointment, is "any very serious purpose" or not, I leave to the decision of the reader. What lack of dignity or seriousness there is, in several of the foregoing examples, especially the last two, I think it not easy to discover.
MEASURE VIII.—TROCHAIC OF ONE FOOT, OR MONOMETER.
Examples with Longer Metres.
1. WITH IAMBICS.
"Frŏm wālk \ tŏ wālk, \ frŏm shāde \ tŏ shāde,
From stream to purl\-ing stream \ convey'd,
Through all \ the ma\-zes of \ the grove,
Through all \ the ming\-ling tracks \ I rove,
Turning,
Burning,
Changing,
Ranging,
Fūll ŏf \ griēf ănd \ fūll ŏf \ lōve."
ADDISON'S Rosamond, Act I, Sc. 4:
Everett's Versification, p. 81.
2. WITH ANAPESTICS, &c.
"Tŏ lōve ănd tŏ lānguĭsh,
Tŏ sīgh \ ănd cŏmplāin,
Hŏw crūĕl's thĕ ānguĭsh!
Hŏw tŏrmēnt\-ĭng thĕ pāin!
Suing,
Pursuing,
Flying,
Denying,
O the curse \ of disdain!
How torment\-ing's the pain!"
GEO. GRANVILLE: Br. Poets, Vol. v, p. 31.
OBSERVATIONS. {{Smaller block|
- The metres acknowledged in our ordinary schemes of prosody, scarcely amount, with all their "boundless variety," to more than one half, or three quarters, of what may be found in actual use somewhere. Among the foregoing examples, are some which are longer, and some which are shorter, than what are commonly known to our grammarians; and some, also, which
