The Grammar of English Grammars Part 204

MEASURE II.--ANAPESTIC OF THREE FEET, OR TRIMETER.

_Example I.--"Alexander Selkirk."--First Two Stanzas._

I.

"I am mon | -arch of all | I survey, My right | there is none | to dispute; From the cen | -tre all round | to the sea, I am lord | of the fowl | and the brute.

O Sol | -itude! where | are the charms That sa | -ges have seen | in thy face?

Better dwell | in the midst | of alarms, Than reign | in this hor | -rible place.

II.

I am out | of human | -ity's reach, I must fin | -ish my jour | -ney alone, Never hear | the sweet mu | -sic of speech, I start | at the sound | of my own.

The beasts | that roam o | -ver the plain, My form | with indif | -ference see; They are so | unacquaint | -ed with man, Their tame | -ness is shock | -ing to me."

COWPER'S _Poems_, Vol. i, p. 199.

_Example II.--"Catharina."--Two Stanzas from Seven._

IV.

"Though the pleas | -ures of Lon | -don exceed In num | -ber the days | of the year, Cathari | -na, did noth | -ing impede, Would feel | herself hap | -pier here; For the close | -woven arch | -es of limes On the banks | of our riv | -er, I know, Are sweet | -er to her | many times Than aught | that the cit | -y can show.

V.

So it is, | when the mind | is endued With a well | -judging taste | from above; Then, wheth | -er embel | -lish'd or rude, 'Tis na | -ture alone | that we love.

The achieve | -ments of art | may amuse, May e | -ven our won | -der excite, But groves, | hills, and val | -leys, diffuse A last | -ing, a sa | -cred delight."

COWPER'S _Poems_, Vol. ii, p. 232.

_Example III.--"A Pastoral Ballad."--Two Stanzas from Twenty-seven._

(8.)

"Not a pine | in my grove | is there seen, But with ten | -drils of wood | -bine is bound; Not a beech | 's more beau | -tiful green, But a sweet | -briar twines | it around, Not my fields | in the prime | of the year More charms | than my cat | -tle unfold; Not a brook | that is lim | -pid and clear, But it glit | -ters with fish | -es of gold.

(9)

One would think | she might like | to retire To the bow'r | I have la | -bour'd to rear; Not a shrub | that I heard | her admire, But I hast | -ed and plant | -ed it there.

O how sud | -den the jes | -samine strove With the li | -lac to ren | -der it gay!

Alread | -y it calls | for my love, To prune | the wild branch | -es away."

SHENSTONE: _British Poets_, Vol. vii, p. 139.

Anapestic lines of four feet and of three are sometimes alternated in a stanza, as in the following instance:--

_Example IV.--"The Rose."_

"The rose | had been wash'd, | just wash'd | in a show'r, Which Ma | -ry to An | -na convey'd; The plen | -tiful moist | -ure enc.u.m | -ber'd the flow'r, And weigh'd | down its beau | -tiful head.

The cup | was all fill'd, | and the leaves | were all wet, And it seem'd | to a fan | -ciful view, To weep | for the buds | it had left, | with regret, On the flour | -is.h.i.+ng bush | where it grew.

I hast | -ily seized | it, unfit | as it was For a nose | -gay, so drip | -ping and drown'd, And, swing | -ing it rude | -ly, too rude | -ly, alas!

I snapp'd | it,--it fell | to the ground.

And such, | I exclaim'd, | is the pit | -iless part Some act | by the del | -icate mind, Regard | -less of wring | -ing and break | -ing a heart Alread | -y to sor | -row resign'd.

This el | -egant rose, | had I shak | -en it less, Might have bloom'd | with its own | -er a while; And the tear | that is wip'd | with a lit | -tle address, May be fol | -low'd perhaps | by a smile."

COWPER: _Poems_, Vol. i, p. 216; _English Reader_, p. 212.

MEASURE III.--ANAPESTIC OF TWO FEET, OR DIMETER.

_Example I.--Lines with Hypermeter and Double Rhyme._

"CORONACH," OR FUNERAL SONG.

1.

"He is gone | on the mount | -a~in He is lost | to the for | -~est Like a sum | -mer-dried foun | -ta~in When our need | was the sor | -~est.

The font, | reappear | -~ing, From the rain | -drops shall bor | -r~ow, But to us | comes no cheer | -~ing, Do Dun | -can no mor | -r~ow!

2.

The hand | of the reap | -~er Takes the ears | that are h.o.a.r | -~y, But the voice | of the weep | -~er Wails man | -hood in glo | -r~y; The au | -tumn winds rush | -~ing, Waft the leaves | that are sear | -~est, But our flow'r | was in flush | -~ing, When blight | -ing was near | -~est."

WALTER SCOTT: _Lady of the Lake_, Canto iii, St. 16.

_Example II.--Exact Lines of Two Anapests._

"Prithee, Cu | -pid, no more Hurl thy darts | at threescore; To thy girls | and thy boys, Give thy pains | and thy joys; Let Sir Trust | -y and me From thy frol | -ics be free."

ADDISON: _Rosamond_, Act ii, Scene 2; _Ev. Versif._, p. 100.

_Example III--An Ode, from the French of Malherbe_.

"This An | -na so fair, So talk'd | of by fame, Why dont | she appear?

Indeed, | she's to blame!

Lewis sighs | for the sake Of her charms, | as they say; What excuse | can she make For not com | -ing away?

If he does | not possess, He dies | with despair; Let's give | him redress, And go find | out the fair"

"Cette Anne si belle, Qu'on vante si fort, Pourquoi ne vient elle?

Vraiment, elle a tort!

Son Louis soupire, Apres ses appas; Que veut elle dire, Qu'elle ne vient pas?

S'il ne la possede, Il s'en va mourir; Donnons y remede, Allons la querir."

WILLIAM KING, LL. D.: _Johnson's British Poets_, Vol. iii, p. 590.

_Example IV.--'Tis the Last Rose of Summer_.

1.

"'Tis the last | rose of sum | -_m~er_, Left bloom | -ing alone; All her love | -ly compan | -_i~ons_ Are fad | -ed and gone; No flow'r | of her kin | -_dr~ed_, No rose | -bud is nigh, To give | back her blush | -_~es_, Or give | sigh for sigh.

2.