DESIGNED FALSE ENGLISH RHYMES.
(Vol. vii., p. 483.)
I was much surprised to see in your paper such a lengthened defence of Irish rhymes by a reference to those of English poets, and particularly to Pope. I thought it was well known that he, at last, became sensible of the cloying effect of his never-varying melody, and sought to relieve it by deviations from propriety. This is particularly remarkable in his Homer, where he has numerous Irish rhymes like "peace" and "race:" besides "war" and "car;" "far," "dare;" with many other still more barbarous metres. But all those were by regular design for, if ever poet "lisped in numbers," it was he; and "the numbers came" at his command. He introduced those uncouth rhymes to somewhat roughen his too long continued melody, just as certain discords are allowed in great musical compositions. It showed good judgment, for they are an agreeable change by variation. Other English poets too have false rhymes; for even Gray, in his celebrated Elegy, has "toil" and "smile;" "abode" and "God."
But, with respect to Irish poets, Swift should not have been mentioned at all because, with perhaps the exception of his "Cadenus and Vanessa," his poetry was of the doggerel kind; and he purposely used Irish rhymes and debased English. Thus, in the "Lady's Dressing-room:"
"Five hours, and who could do it less in?
By haughty Celia spent in dressing."
Will any one say it was through ignorance that he did not sound the g in dressing? Pope, in his "Eloisa to Abelard," which is sweetness to excess, concludes with:
"He best can paint 'em who has felt 'em most."
Why this is a downright vulgarism compared to Swift's open and undisguised doggerel:
"Libertas et natale solum:
Fine words! I wonder where you stole 'em."
Leaving Swift out of the question, Irish poets are much more careful about their rhymes than the English; because they know that what would be excused or overlooked in them, would be deemed ignorance on their own parts. I venture to assert, that there are more false rhymes in Pope's Iliad alone than in all the poems of Goldsmith and Moore together; though I must again observe that those of Pope were all intentional.
A. B. C.