and are hence called Musical Pauses; the cesural pause which divides the line into two parts, and the final pause at the end of the line. 1. The cesural pause is not essential to verse, as the shorter kinds of measure do not recognise it; but in our heroic and blank verse, consisting of five feet, it can never be omitted in reading, without destroying its euphony. This pause may exist in any part of the line, but is most agreeable when found in the middle; that is, in the middle of the third foot, as in the first five lines of the following: .... with an arm divine? Can that arm measure The bulk of waters, . . . . the wide spreading main, The cesural pause may be found at the end of the first, second, or third foot, or in the middle of the second or fourth. The euphony is diminished as the place of this pause departs from the middle of the line-but is greater when it occurs before the middle than after it. It is however for the writer to determine the place of the cesural pause, and for the reader to observe it, and mark it with his voice. 2. The other pause peculiar to poetry occurs at the end of the line, and is hence called the final pause. When not coincident with the Grammatical pause, it is introduced by the phrase of the monotone or the rising or falling ditone, with no downward slide of the voice. In the reading of verse, the end of every line should be marked by such a rest, unless forbidden by the closeness of the gramma tical connection with the following line. As regards rhyme, there is no doubt but the end of each line should be made quite perceptible to the ear; and if the same is not done in blank verse, it often differs but little from prose. On the stage, however, where the appearance of speaking in verse should always be avoided, this resemblance to prose is not a defect; and the ends of the lines, where the sense does not require it, need not be marked by a rest. Great care should be taken by the reader in determining the proper place of the cesural pause; and the length to be given to this, as also to the final pause, will furnish a good exercise for his judgment, as it will afford a good test of his taste. If made too long, or if accompanied with any error of intonation, it gives a mechanical stiffness to the movement of the verse, and passes into a decided fault. SECTION III. OF THE READING OF POETRY. THE principles which are laid down in the several sections of the second chapter of this manual, are as applicable to the reading of poetry as of prose; but in their application, there are some slight differences which need to be noticed. I. As regards Accent, we have made no difference between prose and poetry. In either case, the laws are determined by usage. But, 1. The poet may violate these laws in the expression of some harsh sentiment, for the purpose of making the sound to correspond with the sense. Thus Milton, On a sudden open fly, With impetuous recoil, and jarring sound, The reader in such a case should yield to the preference of the writer, in violation of usage. 2. Where, without any particular reason, the poet has done violence to the laws of accent, there may in general be a compromise of the jarring requisitions of the metrical and the common accent, so as to avoid any considerable harshness, by accenting both the syllables. Thus Our supreme foe, in time may much relent. 3. Where this compromise cannot be effected the cus⚫ tomary accent is to take precedence. 4. When the rhythm of verse seems to require an accentual stress on unimportant words or syllables which would have no such stress in prose, it should not be given. Thus the and of, and the other particles with which our language abounds, should never (except in rare cases where they are made emphatic) be considered as long, or accented. 5. In poetry, the Temporal accent should be given on all syllables of indefinite quantity; and the Radical specially avoided, except on the most abrupt syllables. II. The principles of Emphasis, of the Drifts of Melody, of Expression, and of Transition, are applied, in all respects, the same in poetry as in prose. The learner however may be informed, that in poetry he will find a more comprehensive field for their employment. Poetry is the language of feeling. III. All the kinds of Pauses used in the reading of prose are also common to poetry, as well as those described in the last section as peculiar to verse. IV. The short syllables which would be pronounced in the reading of prose, even though apostrophized by the writer or the printer, should be pronounced also in poetry. The occurrence of such syllables varies the melody; and is most common with the best poets. The ductyl often adds a short syllable in the first foot of the verse, thus : : Furious he spoke, the angry chief replied. Mūrmuring, and with him filed the shades of night. The tribrach occurs frequently in the third and fourth feet, thus: And rolls impetuous to the subject plain. And thunders down impetuous to the plain. And the anapast is of frequent occurrence in any place in the line, except the first. Witness the following ::On evěry side with shadowy squadrons deep. And hosts infuriate shake the shuddering ground. V. In the reading of RHYME in particular, it may be remarked, that there should be the same variety in the Phrases of Melody and the Cadence, as in the reading of blank verse, or prose. The regular recurrence of similar sounds, superadded to the measure, exposes the reader to the danger of too great uniformity in the employment of the phrases of melody, or of a return to the same note at the end of the lines. It will often require great care and attention on the part of the learner, to rid himself of bad habits of reading poetry, acquired in early life. In view of the kind of instruction usually given to children in our schools, and the real difficulties attending the reading of verse, it is perhaps not remarkable that so few read it well.-The following exercises will introduce the learner to the practice on the pauses peculiar to poetry, which he may carry to any extent on examples of his own selection. The dots.... indicate merely a vocal rest, with no expressive intonation; and are hence a fit emblem of the musical pause. EXAMPLES. .... 1. Of Man's first disobedience, . . . . and the fruit... Of that forbidden tree, . . . . whose mortal taste... Brought death into the world, . . . . and all our wo, With loss of Eden, . . . . till one greater Man... 5 Restore us,. . . . and regain the blissful seat, Sing, heavenly Muse, that on the secret top.. Of Oreb, or of Sinai,. didst inspire... .... .... .... That shepherd,. . . . who first taught the chosen seed, how the Heavens and Earth... In the beginning. .... 10 Rose out of Chaos! . . . . Or, if Sion hill... .... Delight thee more, . and Siloa's brook, that flowed... .... Invoke thy aid. . . . to my adventurous song, That with no middle flight. . . . intends to soar.. 15 Above th' Aonian mount Things unattempted yet. .... while it pursues in prose or rhyme. 2. O Muse!.... the causes and the crimes relate; What goddess was provoked, . . . . and whence her hate, .... For what offence. . . . the queen of heaven began... To persecute so brave, . . . . so just a man; 5 Involved his anxious life.... in endless cares, Exposed to wants, . . . . and hurried into wars! ... Can heavenly minds. . . . such high resentment show, .... |