- an additional short syllable
is the shortest line that is known to Iambic verse, there are isolated instances of a single Iambus, and even of a single long syllable. There are examples of lines made up of a single Anapest, as the following example will show:
'Jove in his chair,
Of the sky lord mayor,
With his nods
Men and gods
Keeps in awe;
When he winks,
Heaven shrinks;
* * * *Cock of the school,
He bears despotic rule;
His word,
Though absurd,
Must be law.
Even Fate,
Though so great,
Must not prate;His bald pate
Jove would cuff,
He's so bluff,
For a straw.
Cowed deities,
Like mice in cheese,
To stir must cease
Or gnaw.'O'HARA:—Midas, Act i, Sc. 1."—Everett's Versification, p. 99
ORDER IV.—DACTYLIC VERSE.
In pure Dactylic verse, the stress is laid on the first syllable of each successive three; that is, on the first, the fourth, the seventh, and the tenth syllable of each line of four feet. Full dactylic generally forms triple rhyme. When one of the final short syllables is omitted, the rhyme is double; when both, single. These omissions are here essential to the formation of such rhymes. Dactylic with double rhyme, ends virtually with a trochee; dactylic with single rhyme, commonly ends with a cæsura; that is, with a long syllable taken for a foot. Dactylic with single rhyme is the same as anapestic would be without its initial short syllables. Dactylic verse is rather uncommon; and, when employed, is seldom perfectly pure and regular.
MEASURE I.—DACTYLIC OF EIGHT FEET, OR OCTOMETER.
Example : Nimrod.
Nimrod the \ hunter was \ mighty in \ hunting, and \ famed as the \ ruler of \ cities of \ yore;
Babel, and \ Erech, and \ Accad, and \ Calneh, from \ Shinar's fair \ region his \ name afar \ bore.
MEASURE II.—DACTYLIC OF SEVEN FEET, OR HEPTAMETER.
Example : Christ's Kingdom.
Out of the \ kingdom of \ Christ shall be \ gathered, by \ angels o'er \ Satan vic\-torious,
All that of\-fendeth, that \ lieth, that \ faileth to \ honour his \ name ever \ glorious.
MEASURE III.—DACTYLIC OF SIX FEET, OR HEXAMETER.
Example I : Time in Motion.
Time, thou art \ ever in \ motion, on \ wheels of the \ days, years, and \ ages;
Restless as \ waves of the \ ocean, when \ Eurus or \ Boreas \ rages.
Example II : Where, is Grand-Pré?
"This is the \ forest pri\-meval; but \ where are the \ hearts that be\-neath it
Leap'd like the \ roe, when he \ hears in the \ woodland the \ voice of the \ huntsman?
Where is the \ thatch-rooféd \ village, the \ home of A\-cadian \ farmers?"
H. W. Longfellow: Evangeline, Part i, l. 7–9.
MEASURE IV.—DACTYLIC OF FIVE FEET, OR PENTAMETER.
Example : Salutation to America.
"Land of the \ beautiful, \ beautiful, \ land of the \ free,
Land of the \ negro-slave, \ negro-slave, \ land of the \ chivalry,
Often my \ heart had turned, \ heart had turned, \ longing to \ thee;
Often had \ mountain-side, \ mountain-side, \ broad lake, and \ stream,
Gleamed on my \ waking thought, \ waking thought, \ crowded my \ dream.
Now thou dost \ welcome me, \ welcome me, \ from the dark \ sea,
Land of the \ beautiful, \ beautiful, \ land of the \ free,
Land of the \ negro-slave, \ negro-slave, \ land of the \ chivalry."
MEASURE V.—DACTYLIC OF FOUR FEET, OR TETRAMETER.
Example 1—The Soldier's Wife.
"Weary way\-wanderer, \ languid and \ sick at heart,
Travelling \ painfully \ over the \ rugged road,
Wild-visaged \ Wanderer! \ God help thee, \ wretched one!
Sorely thy \ little one \ drags by thee \ barefooted;
Cold is the \ baby that \ hangs at thy \ bending back,
Meagre, and \ livid, and \ screaming for \ misery.
