ORDER IV.—DACTYLIC VERSE.
In pure Dactylic verse, the stress is laid on the first syllable of each successive three; that is, on the first, the fourth, the seventh, and the tenth syllable of each line of four feet. Full dactylic generally forms triple rhyme. When one of the final short syllables is omitted, the rhyme is double; when both, single. These omissions are here essential to the formation of such rhymes. Dactylic with double rhyme, ends virtually with a trochee; dactylic with single rhyme, commonly ends with a cæsura; that is, with a long syllable taken for a foot. Dactylic with single rhyme is the same as anapestic would be without its initial short syllables. Dactylic verse is rather uncommon; and, when employed, is seldom perfectly pure and regular.
MEASURE I.—DACTYLIC OF EIGHT FEET, OR OCTOMETER.
Example.—Nimrod.
Nimrod the | hunter was | mighty in | hunting, and | famed as the
| ruler of | cities of | yore;
Babel, and | Erech, and | Accad, and | Calneh, from | Shinar's fair
| region his | name afar | bore.
MEASURE II.—DACTYLIC OF SEVEN FEET, OR HEPTAMETER.
Example.—Christ's Kingdom.
Out of the | kingdom of | Christ shall be | gathered, by | angels o'er
| Satan vic | -torious,
All that of |-fendeth, that | lieth, that | faileth to | honour his
| name ever | glorious.
MEASURE III.—DACTYLIC OF SIX FEET, OR HEXAMETER.
Example I.—Time in Motion.
Time, thou art | ever in | motion, on | wheels of the
| days, years, and | ages;
Restless as | waves of the | ocean, when | Eurus or | Boreas | rages.
Example II.—Where, is Grand-Pré?
"This is the | forest pri | -meval; but | where are the | hearts that be
| -neath it
Leap'd like the | roe, when he | hears in the | woodland the
| voice of the | huntsman?
Where is the | thatch-rooféd | village, the | home of A | -cadian
| farmers?"
H. W. LONGFELLOW: Evangeline, Part i, l. 7—9.
MEASURE IV.—DACTYLIC OF FIVE FEET, OR PENTAMETER.
Example.—Salutation to America.
"Land of the | beautiful, | beautiful, | land of the | free,
Land of the | negro-slave, | negro-slave, | land of the | chivalry,
Often my | heart had turned, | heart had turned, | longing to | thee;
Often had | mountain-side, | mountain-side, | broad lake, and | stream,
Gleamed on my | waking thought, | waking thought, | crowded my | dream.
Now thou dost | welcome me, | welcome me, | from the dark | sea,
Land of the | beautiful, | beautiful, | land of the | free,
Land of the | negro-slave, | negro-slave, | land of the | chivalry."
MEASURE V.—DACTYLIC OF FOUR FEET, OR TETRAMETER.
Example 1—The Soldier's Wife.
"Weary way |-wanderer, | languid and | sick at heart,
Travelling | painfully | over the | rugged road,
Wild-visaged | Wanderer! | God help thee, | wretched one!
Sorely thy | little one | drags by thee | barefooted;
Cold is the | baby that | hangs at thy | bending back,
Meagre, and | livid, and | screaming for | misery.
Woe-begone | mother, half | anger, half | agony,
Over thy | shoulder thou | lookest to | hush the babe,
Bleakly the | blinding snow | beats in thy | haggard face.
Ne'er will thy | husband re | -turn from the | war again,
Cold is thy | heart, and as | frozen as | Charity!
Cold are thy | children.—Now | God be thy | comforter!"
ROBERT SOUTHEY: Poems, Philad., 1843, p. 250.
Example II.—Boys.—A Dactylic Stanza.
"Boys will an | -ticipate, | lavish, and | dissipate
All that your | busy pate | hoarded with | care;
And, in their | foolishness, | passion, and | mulishness,
Charge you with | churlishness, | spurning your pray'r."
Example III—"Labour."—The First of Five Stanzas.
"Pause not to | dream of the | future be | -fore us;
Pause not to | weep the wild | cares that come | o'er us:
Hark, how Cre | -ation's deep, | musical | chorus,
Uninter | -mitting, goes | up into | Heaven!
Never the | ocean-wave | falters in | flowing;
Never the | little seed | stops in its | growing;
More and more | richly the | rose-heart keeps | glowing,
Till from its | nourishing | stem it is | riven."
FRANCES S. OSGOOD: Clapp's Pioneer, p. 94.
Example IV.—"Boat Song."—First Stanza of Four.
"Hail to the | chief who in | triumph ad | -vances!
Honour'd and | bless'd be the | ever-green | pine!
Long may the | tree in his | banner that | glances,
Flourish, the | shelter and | grace of our | line!
Heaven send it happy dew,
Earth lend it sap anew,
Gayly to | bourgeon, and | broadly to | grow,
While ev'ry | Highland glen
Sends our shout | back agen,
'Roderigh Vich Alpine Dhu, ho! ieroe!'"
WALTER SCOTT: Lady of the Lake, C. ii, St. 19.
MEASURE VI.—DACTYLIC OF THREE FEET, OR TRIMETER.
Example.—To the Katydid.
"Ka-ty-did, | Ka-ty-did, | sweetly sing,—
Sing to thy | loving mates | near to thee;
Summer is | come, and the | trees are green,—
Summer's glad | season so | dear to thee.
Cheerily, | cheerily, | insect, sing;
Blithe be thy | notes in the | hickory;
Every | bough shall an | answer ring,
Sweeter than | trumpet of | victory."
MEASURE VII.—DACTYLIC OF TWO FEET, OR DIMETER.
Example I.—The Bachelor.—Four Lines from Many.
"Free from sa | -tiety,
Care, and anx | -iety,
Charms in va | -riety,
Fall to his | share."—ANON.: Newspaper.
Example II.—The Pibroch.—Sixteen Lines from Forty.
"Pibroch of | Donuil Dhu,
Pibroch of | Donuil,
Wake thy wild | voice anew.
Summon Clan | -Conuil.
Come away, | come away!
Hark to the | summons!
Come in your | war-array,
Gentles and | commons!
"Come as the | winds come, when
Forests are | rended;
Come as the | waves come, when
Navies are | stranded;
Faster come, | faster come,
Faster and | faster!
Chief, vassal, | page, and groom,
Tenant and | master."—W. SCOTT.
Example III.—"My Boy."
'There is even a happiness that makes the heart afraid.'—HOOD.
1.
"One more new | claimant for
Human fra | -ternity,
Swelling the | flood that sweeps
On to e | -ternity;
I who have | filled the cup,
Tremble to | think of it;
For, be it | what it may,
I must yet | drink of it.
2.
Room for him | into the
Ranks of hu |-manity;
Give him a | place in your
Kingdom of | vanity!
Welcome the | stranger with
Kindly af |-fection;
Hopefully, | trustfully,
Not with de |-jection.
3.
See, in his | waywardness
How his fist | doubles;
Thus pugi |-listical,
Daring life's | troubles:
Strange that the | neophyte
Enters ex |-istence
In such an | attitude,
Feigning re |-sistance.
4.
Could he but | have a glimpse
Into fu |-turity,
Well might he | fight against
Farther ma |-turity;
Yet does it | seem to me
As if his | purity
Were against | sinfulness
Ample se |-curity.
5.
Incompre |-hensible,
Budding im |-mortal,
Thrust all a |-mazedly
Under life's | portal;
Born to a | destiny
Clouded in | mystery,
Wisdom it |-self cannot
Guess at its | history.
6.
Something too | much of this
Timon-like | croaking;
See his face | wrinkle now,
Laughter pro |-voking.
Now he cries | lustily—
Bravo, my | hearty one!
Lungs like an | orator
Cheering his | party on.
7.
Look how his | merry eyes
Turn to me | pleadingly!
Can we help | loving him—
Loving ex |-ceedingly?
Partly with | hopefulness,
Partly with | fears,
Mine, as I | look at him,
Moisten with | tears.
8.
Now then to | find a name;—
Where shall we | search for it?
Turn to his | ancestry,
Or to the | church for it?
Shall we en |-dow him with
Title he |-roic,
After some | warrior,
Poet, or | stoic?
9.
One aunty | says he will
Soon 'lisp in | numbers,'
Turning his | thoughts to rhyme,
E'en in his | slumbers;
Watts rhymed in | babyhood,
No blemish | spots his fame—
Christen him | even so:
Young Mr. | Watts his name."
ANONYMOUS: Knickerbocker, and Newspapers, 1849.
MEASURE VIII.—DACTYLIC OF ONE FOOT, OR MONOMETER.
"Fearfully,
Tearfully."