Woe-begone \ mother, half \ anger, half \ agony,
Over thy \ shoulder thou \ lookest to \ hush the babe,
Bleakly the \ blinding snow \ beats in thy \ haggard face.
Ne'er will thy \ husband re\-turn from the \ war again,
Cold is thy \ heart, and as \ frozen as \ Charity!
Cold are thy \ children.—Now \ God be thy \ comforter!"
ROBERT SOUTHEY: Poems, Philad., 1843, p. 250.
Example II.—Boys.—A Dactylic Stanza.
"Boys will an\-ticipate, \ lavish, and \ dissipate
All that your \ busy pate \ hoarded with \ care;
And, in their \ foolishness, \ passion, and \ mulishness,
Charge you with \ churlishness, \ spurning your pray'r."
Example III—"Labour."—The First of Five Stanzas.
"Pause not to \ dream of the \ future be\-fore us;
Pause not to \ weep the wild \ cares that come \ o'er us:
Hark, how Cre\-ation's deep, \ musical \ chorus,
Uninter\-mitting, goes \ up into \ Heaven!
Never the \ ocean-wave \ falters in \ flowing;
Never the \ little seed \ stops in its \ growing;
More and more \ richly the \ rose-heart keeps \ glowing,
Till from its \ nourishing \ stem it is \ riven."
FRANCES S. OSGOOD: Clapp's Pioneer, p. 94.
Example IV : "Boat Song."—First Stanza of Four.
"Hail to the \ chief who in \ triumph ad\-vances!
Honour'd and \ bless'd be the \ ever-green \ pine!
Long may the \ tree in his \ banner that \ glances,
Flourish, the \ shelter and \ grace of our \ line!
Heaven send it happy dew,
Earth lend it sap anew,
Gayly to \ bourgeon, and \ broadly to \ grow,
While ev'ry \ Highland glen
Sends our shout \ back agen,
'Roderigh Vich Alpine Dhu, ho! ieroe!'"
WALTER SCOTT: Lady of the Lake, C. ii, St. 19.
MEASURE VI.—DACTYLIC OF THREE FEET, OR TRIMETER.
Example : To the Katydid.
"Ka-ty-did, \ Ka-ty-did, \ sweetly sing,—
Sing to thy \ loving mates \ near to thee;
Summer is \ come, and the \ trees are green,—
Summer's glad \ season so \ dear to thee.
Cheerily, \ cheerily, \ insect, sing;
Blithe be thy \ notes in the \ hickory;
Every \ bough shall an \ answer ring,
Sweeter than \ trumpet of \ victory."
MEASURE VII.—DACTYLIC OF TWO FEET, OR DIMETER.
Example I.—The Bachelor.—Four Lines from Many.
"Free from sa\-tiety,
Care, and anx\-iety,
Charms in va\-riety,
Fall to his \ share."—ANON.: Newspaper.
Example II : The Pibroch.—Sixteen Lines from Forty.
"Pibroch of \ Donuil Dhu,
Pibroch of \ Donuil,
Wake thy wild \ voice anew.
Summon Clan\-Conuil.
Come away, \ come away!
Hark to the \ summons!
Come in your \ war-array,
Gentles and \ commons!
"Come as the \ winds come, when
Forests are \ rended;
Come as the \ waves come, when
Navies are \ stranded;
Faster come, \ faster come,
Faster and \ faster!
Chief, vassal, \ page, and groom,
Tenant and \ master."—W. SCOTT.
Example III : "My Boy."
‘There is even a happiness that makes the heart afraid.’—HOOD.
1.
"One more new \ claimant for
Human fra\-ternity,
Swelling the \ flood that sweeps
On to e\-ternity;
I who have \ filled the cup,
Tremble to \ think of it;
For, be it \ what it may,
I must yet \ drink of it.
