metres, and in various forms of couplets, triplets, stanzas, strophes; &c.

Two lines, which rhyme together, forrn a couplet; and three, rhyming in like manner, form a triplet. Many poems are composed in couplets; in which triplets are used occasionally, as diversifications.

1.

A stanza is a staff or set of verses, four or more in number, rhyming together in couplets, or alternately. A stanza contains every variation of rhyme or metre, which is contained in the poem to which it belongs.

Strophes, epodes, &c. pertain to odes, and will be described in their proper place.

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SECTION II. Stanzas Iambic.

Stanzas are composed in various forms, and in various metres: some of the most common and most useful, I will cite examples of, beginning with those of the iambic order.

1. Stanzas are formed of two couplets, thus:

1.

"The living know that they must die;

But all the dead forgotten lie;

Their memory and their sense is gone,

Alike unknowing and unknown."-Watts.

2. Another kind of stanza is composed of lines of

the same metre, and in alternate rhymes, thus:

"Happy the city where their sons,...

Like pillars, round a palace set;

And daughters, bright as polish'd stones,

Give strength and beauty to the state."-Watts.

3. Another kind of stanza is composed of alternate rhymes, and alternate metres, of four and three feet; as, in the following:

"Once more, my soul, the rising day

Salutes thy waking eyes;

Once more, my voice, thy tribute pay

To him that rules the skies."-Watts.

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4. Another kind of stanza is of the same metres with the former; but with the second and fourth lines, only, corresponding in rhyme; as, in the following:

IP

"Why then should I fear death's grim look,
Since Christ for me did die;
For king and Cæsar, rich and poor,

The force of death must try."-Rogers.

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This stanza is said to have been formed originally in two lines, of seven feet metre; and afterwards, being broken into two, a stanza is now formed, of what once formed a couplet. This is probably correct: it is true, however, that stanzas of this form are not of modern origin: we have seen them in antient compositions.

5. Another kind of stanza is composed of lines of three feet metre, excepting the third line, which is four feet, and rhyming alternately; as, in the following:

"Before the flying clouds,
Before the solid land,
Before the fields, before the floods,
I dwelt at his right hand."-Watts.

6. The shortest lines of which stanzas may be properly formed are of three feet metre: lines shorter than these are hemistics, and cannot contain enough to make sense. We see some of these among Watts' hymns, and elsewhere, arranged in four lines like stanzas; but these are not stanzas; they are annexed to stanzas, only to diversify the metre; and may as properly be written in two lines as four, thus:

"The Lord Jehovah reigns;
His throne is built on high;
The garments he assumes
Are light and majesty:

His glories shine with beams so bright,
No mortal eye can bear the sight."-Watts.

7. We see that Watts and others have composed some hymns, and devotional songs, in the form of odes, as respects their sectional parts; and, occasionally, this is not improper. The stanza last cited is a specimen of this kind; and also, the following, which consists of six lines, containing two couplets, and with the third and sixth lines corresponding in rhyme; as for example:

"I'll praise my Maker with my breath;
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler powers:
My days of praise shall ne'er be past,
While life, and thought, and being last,
last
Or immortality endures." - Watts.

The above cited forms of stanzas are adapted to hymns, songs, and ballads, and to lyric compositions; and in this way are comnonly used. But the two last cited are not so well adapted to simplicity of style, as those which are more simple in structure.

8. Another kind of stanza is formed of four pentameter lines, rhyming alternately, thus:

"Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade,
Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap,
Each in his narrow cell, forever laid,

The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep." -Gray.

This kind of stanza is well adapted to elegiac compositions, is generally so used, and is called the elegiac stanza.

9. We sometimes see stanzas composed of the two species of iambic verse, by arranging them alternately; and sometimes also, with two additional lines annexed; as in the following.

"The earth grew silent, when thy voice departed;
The home too lonely whence thy steps had fled:
What then was left for her, the faithful hearted ?
Death, death, to still the yearnings for the dead!
Softly she perish'd - be the flower deplored,

Here with the lyre and sword." Hemans. This is a kind of stanza, recently brought into use; and is pretty well adapted to the elegy or dirge, as it was used in this way, in this composition. Perhaps simply four lines may be preferable, as respects the form.

This is iambic verse, with the first and third lines ending with amphibrachs, or with short syllables annexed, which changes the species of the verse.

10. Stanzas are seldom or never composed in lines of more than five feet metre; but this may be easily done, if necessary, and with no impropriety; as, the six and seven feet metres are nothing else, but the shorter metres doubled, or united in one; hence, two lines of short metre will make one in long; and also two stanzas; as for example : "Shout to the Lord, ye surging seas, in your eternal roar;

Let wave to wave resound his praise, and shore reply to shore. Thunder and hail, and fire and storms, the troops of his command, Appear, in all your dreadful forms, and speak his awful hand."

Watts.

The foregoing are some of the most common and useful forms of stanzas, which pertain to iambic verse. Other forms are occasionally used; some of which may be useful, and worthy of imitation; and others not. Iambic being the kind of verse most commonly used, pertaining to that are many and various forms of the stanza: pertaining to the other kinds of verse, are not so many.

SECTION III. - Stanzas not Iambic.

Aside from iambic, our other kinds of verse are trochaic, anapæstic, amphibrachic, and composite. In these different kinds of verse, we have stanzas, of which I will cite examples.

1. One kind of stanza is composed of the two species of trochaic verse, arranged alternately, and rhyming alternately; as, for example:

"Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber;

Holy angels guard thy bed;
Heavenly blessings, without number,
Gently falling on thy head."-Watts.

This is the only kind of stanza which I recollect to have seen of trochaic verse: stanzas may be composed, however, of either of those species of trochaic verse, and also in different metres.

2. Stanzas are composed of anapæstic verse, of three feet metre, and rhyming alternately, thus:

"I am monarch of all I survey,

[And] my right there is none to dispute;

From the centre all round to the sea,
I am lord of the fowl and the brute."-Cowper.

3. Stanzas are composed of anapæstic verse, of four feet metre, and rhyming alternately: the following is an example; but of the species, not purely anapæstic.

""Tis night, | and the landscape is lovely no more;
I mourn, | but ye woodlands, I mourn not for you;
For morn | is approaching your charms to restore,
Perfum'd | with fresh fragrance, and glit'ring with dew."

Beattie.

4. Stanzas are composed of anapæstic verse, of the two metres, above cited, arranged alternately; as, in the following.

"When I think of my home, and my own native land,
In a moment I seem to be there;

But, alas! recollecting the place where I stand,
I am driven again to despair."

5. Stanzas are composed of amphibrachic verse, and in lines of two metres, alternately; thus:

"The moment | was fearful; | a mighti | er foe
Had ne'er swung | the battle- | axe o'er him;
But hope nerv'd | his arm for | a desper | ate blow,
And Tecumseh | fell prostrate | before him."

This stanza was cited from a well written poem; the kind of verse being adapted to the subject; but somewhat irregular, however, and not purely amphibrachic, as may be seen by scansion. The first and third lines being of the species of amphibrachic verse, in which the final short syllables are wanting: the last line also having a supernumerary short syllable, at the beginning.

6. Another kind of stanza is composed of amphibrachic and anapæstic verse, arranged alternately; as, in the following:

"Behold, on yon summits, where heaven has thron'd her,
How she starts from her proud, inaccessible seat;
With nature's impregnable ramparts around her,
And the cataract's thunder, and foam at her feet."

7. Sometimes we see this stanza in reversed order; thus:

"Go and tame the wild torrent, or stem with a straw,

The surges that sweep o'er the strand that confin'd them:
But presume not again to give freedom a law,

Nor think, with the chains they have broken, to bind them."

These two kinds of verse, anapæstic and amphibrachic, being similar in measure and movement, correspond harmoniously in stanzas. These kinds of stanzas are adapted to descriptive and harmonious compositions; and are sometimes very properly used in subjects more solemn and pathetic. Of the two forms above cited, perhaps the former may be considered preferable.

We have stanzas, some of composite, and some of irregular construction; but these are similar in forms to others. Some, pertaining to these classes, were cited in the chapter preceding; under the article, orders.

8. One more of which, being partly composite, I will

cite.

"The breaking waves dash'd high, On a stern | and rock bound coast; And the woods, | against a stormy sky Their giant branches tost." - Hemans. The foregoing are examples of the various forms of most kinds of stanzas, which are used in common compositions, aside from odes. SECTION IV. — Of Odes.

Of odes we have various kinds, which are variously composed of stanzas and strophes, &c., which are diverse in their forms, from those above cited, and also from each other. Some of which I will cite examples of.