8. We may, with more successful hope, resolve
To wage, by force or guile, successful war,
Irreconcilable to our grand foe,

Who now triumphs, and in excess of joy
Sole reigning, holds the tyranny of Heaven.

9. Which, when Beelzebub perceiv'd, (than whom,
Satan except, none higher sat,) with grave
Aspect, he rose, and in his rising seem'd
A pillar of state.

10. Thee, Sion, and the flowery brooks beneath,
That wash thy hallowed feet, and warbling flow,
Nightly I visit: nor sometimes forget

Those other two, equal'd with me in fate.

NOTE. The principle which has been stated and exemplified in the preceding examples, admits of a few exceptions; but as they can not be classified in such a way as to furnish a safe guide to any but practiced readers, the rule has been laid down as one without exception. Those who are desirous of pursuing the examination of the subject further, and to see the exceptions reduced to the form of rules, may consult Walker's Rhetorical Grammar, pp. 164—5—6—7.

OF POETIC PAUSES.

In order to make the measure of poetry perceptible to the ear, there should generally be a slight pause at the end of each line, even where the sense does not require it.

There is, also, in almost every line of poetry, a pause at or near its middle, which is called the Cesura.

This should, however, never be so placed as to injure the sense of the passage. It is indeed reckoned a great beauty, where it naturally coincides with the pause required by the The cesura, though generally placed near the middle, may be placed at other intervals.

sense.

There are sometimes also two additional pauses in each line, called demi-cesuras.

The cesura is marked (||), and the demi-cesura thus (1), in the examples given.

There is also to be observed a marked accent upon the long

syllable next preceding the cesura, and a slighter one upon that next before each of the demi-cesuras. These pauses and accents constitute chiefly the melody of poetry. When made too prominent, however, they lead to a sing-song style, which should be carefully avoided.

In the following examples the cesura is marked in each line, the demi-cesura in a few cases only.

EXAMPLES.

1. Nature to all things || fixed | the limits fit,
And wisely curb'd || proud man's | pretending wit.

2. So when an angel || by divine command,
With rising tempests || shakes a guilty land.

3. Then from his closing eyes || thy form shall part,
And the last pang || shall tear thee from his heart.
4. Know then thyself; || presume not God to scan;
The proper study || of mankind is man.

5. There is a land || of every land the pride,

Beloved by Heaven || o'er all the world beside,
Where brighter scenes || dispense serener light,
And milder moons || imparadise the night;
Oh, thou shalt find, || howe'er thy footsteps roam,
That land—thy country || and that spot-thy home.

6. In slumbers of midnight || the sailor | boy lay,
His hammock | swung loose || at the sport of the wind,
But watch-worn | and weary || his cares | flew away,
And visions of happiness || danc'd | o'er his mind.

7. You may as well || go stand upon the beach,

And bid the main-flood || bate his usual hight;
You may as well || use questions with the wolf,
Why he hath made || the ewe bleat for the lamb;
You may as well || forbid the mountain pines
To wag their high tops, || and to make no noise,
When they are fretted || with the gusts of heaven;
You may as well || do any thing that's hard,

As seek to soften || that, (than which, what's harder?)
His Jewish heart.

8. She said and struck; | deep enter'd in her side
The piercing steel, || with reeking purple dyed:

Clogg'd in the wound, || the cruel | weapon stands,
The spouting blood || came streaming o'er her hands.
Her sad attendants || saw the deadly stroke,

And with loud cries || the sounding palace shook.

SIMILE.

A Simile, in poetry, should be read in a lower tone of voice, than other parts of the passage.

EXAMPLES.

(The Similes are put in Italics.)

1. Part curb their fiery steeds, or shun the goal
With rapid wheels, or fronted brigades form.
As when, to warn proud cities, war appears
Wag'd in the troubled sky, and armies rush
To battle in the clouds.-

2.

Others with vast Typhon rage more fell,

Rend up both rocks and hills, and ride the air
In whirlwind. Hell scarce holds the wild uproar.
As when Alcides-

-felt the envenom'd robe, and tore
Through pain, up by the roots, Thessalian pines,
And Lichas from the top of Eta threw

Into the Euboic sea.

-Each at the head,

Level'd his deadly aim; their fatal hands

No second stroke intend; and such a frown
Each cast at th' other, as when two black clouds,
With heaven's artillery fraught, come rolling on
Over the Caspian, there stand front to front,
Hovering a space, till winds the signal blow
To join the dark encounter, in mid-air:
So frown'd, the mighty combatants.

3. Then pleas'd and thankful, from the porch they go,
And, but the landlord, none had cause of woe:
The cup had vanish'd; for, in secret guise,
The younger guest purloin'd the glittering prize.
As one who spies a serpent in his way,
Glistening and basking in the summer ray,
Disorder'd, stops to shun the danger near,

Then walks with faintness on, and looks with fear,—

So seem'd the sire, when first upon the road,

The shining spoil his wily partner show'd.

QUESTIONS.-What is the difference between the inflection proper in prose and in verse? What is the principal difficulty in reading poetry correctly? How may this difficulty be overcome? If there should be doubt as to the proper inflection, how may the inflection be determined? If the poetical accent or emphasis conflicts with the common and authorized pronunciation, which should yield? How may the difficulty sometimes be compromised? Illustrate this by examples. What pauses are peculiar to poetry? What caution should be observed with regard to the cesura? How should a simile be read in poetry?

V. THE VOICE.

STRENGTH AND COMPASS.

THE first object of every speaker's attention, is to have a smooth, even, full tone of voice. If nature has not given him such a voice, he must endeavor, as much as possible, to acquire it; nor ought he to despair; for such is the force of exercise upon the organs of speech, that constant practice will strengthen the voice in any key to which we accustom it. That key, therefore, which is most natural, and which we have the greatest occasion to use, should be the key we ought the most diligently to improve.

Every one has a certain pitch of voice in which he can speak most easily to himself and most agreeably to others; this may be called the natural pitch; this is the pitch in which we converse; and this must be the basis of every improvement we acquire from art and exercise. In order, therefore, to strengthen this middle tone, we ought to read and speak in it, as loud as possible, without suffering the voice to rise into a higher key. This, however, is no easy operation. It is not very difficult to be loud in a high tone, but to be loud and forcible without raising the voice into a higher key, requires great practice and management.

The best method of acquiring this power of voice, is to practice reading and speaking some strong, animated passages, in a small room, and to persons placed at as small a

distance as possible; for, as we naturally raise our voice to a higher key, when we speak to people at a great distance, so we naturally lower our key, as those, to whom we speak, come nearer. When, therefore, we have no idea of being heard at a distance, the voice will not be so apt to rise into a higher key, when we wish to be forcible; and, consequently, exerting as much force as we are able, in a small room, and to people near us, will tend to swell and strengthen the voice, in the middle tone.-Rhetorical Grammar, p. 245.

LOW TONES OF VOICE,

May be acquired and strengthened, by practice on such pieces as naturally require a pitch a little below the natural or conversational tone; such, for example, as contain the expression of hatred, scorn, or reproach, as well as those of a very grave and solemn character. When the student can pronounce such pieces with ease and force, let him practice them on a little lower note, and so on, until the voice has been sufficiently cultivated in that direction.

2.

3.

This is the very painting of your fears:

This is the air-drawn dagger which you said
Led you to Duncan. Oh, these pains and starts
(Impostors to true fear) would well become

A woman's story, at a winter's fire,

Authoriz'd by her grandam.

Shame itself!

Why do you make such faces? When all 's done,
You look but on a stool.

Thou slave! thou wretch! thou coward!

Thou little valiant, great in villainly!

Thou ever strong upon the stronger side!

Thou fortune's champion, thou dost never fight
But when her humorous ladyship is by,

To teach thee safety! Thou art perjur'd too,
And sooth'st up greatness. What a fool art thou,
A ramping fool; to brag, and stamp, and sweat,
Upon my party! thou cold-blooded slave.

Poison be their drink,

Gall, worse than gall, the daintiest meat they taste;