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COMBINATIONS OF VERSES. |
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Comest to daunt me ! Wrapt not in Eastern balms, But with thy fleshless palms Stretched, as if asking alms, Why dost thou haunt me ?
Longfellow. " The Spectre in Armour."
(h). Stanzas of Nine VERSES.
One particular arrangement of nine-line verse is known as the Spenserian stanza, being first used by Spenser in his Fairie Queene. It consists of eight heroics followed by an Alexandrine, and these are made to rhyme in three sets, 1,3; 2, 4, 5, 7 ; 6, 8, 9. Though it is thus complex in structure, there is sufficient variety in its stately swing to render it suitable, either for lengthy or short compositions, and to make it a favourite form with most of our poets. Besides the Fairie Queene, Thomson's Castle ofIndolence; Beattie's Minstrel, Burns's Cotter's SatÂurday Night, Byron's Childe Harold, and Shelley's Revolt of Islam, are written in it. A stanza from each of these poems follows:
His life was nigh into death's door yplast, And thread-bare cote and cobbled shoes he wore ; Ne scarce good morsell all his life did taste ; But both from backe and bellie still did spare, To fill his bags, and richesse to compare : Yet childe ne kinsman living had he none To leave them to ; but thorough daily care To get, and nightly feare to lose, his owne, He led a wretched life, unto himselfe unknowne.
Spenser.
" Avarirr." |
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