Ūn|dĕr thĕ grēen|wō̆od trēe
Whŏ lōves | tŏ līe | wĭth mē,
Ănd tūne | hĭs mēr|ry̆ nōte
Ŭ̄ntŏ | thĕ swēet | bĭ̄rd's thrōat,
Cŏme hī|thĕr, cŏme hī|thĕr, cŏme hī|ther:
Hēre | shăll hĕ sēe
Nŏ ēn|ĕmȳ
Bŭt wīn|tĕr ānd | rō̆ugh wēather.

("Ūndĕr | thĕ grēen-" and "Hē̆re shā̆ll | hĕ sēe" would scan equally well in themselves, but line 5, "Come hither," gives the anapæstic hint and key. "Nō | ĕnĕmȳ" is possible.)

[88]

Oct., Iamb., and Troch. { This, this | is he; | softly | awhile;
Let us | not break in up|on him.
Dec. O change | beyond | report, | thought, or | belief!
Alex. See how | he lies | at ran|dom, care|lessly | diffused,
Hexasyl. With lan|guished head | unpropt,
Hexasyl. hyperc. As one | with hope | aban|doned,
Hexasyl. hyperc. And by | himself | given o|ver,
Oct. In sla|vish hab|it, ill-fit|ted weeds |
Tetrasyl. O'er-worn | and soiled.
Alex. Or do | my eyes | misre|present? | Can this | be he?
Oct. cat. That he|roic, | that re|nowned,
Dec. Irre|sisti|ble Sam|son whom, | unarmed,
Alex. No strength | of man | or fier|cest wild | beast could | withstand;
Alex. Who tore | the li|on as | the li|on tears | the kid;
Dec. Ran on | embat|tled ar|mies clad | in iron,
Hexasyl. And, wea|ponless | himself, |
Alex. Made arms | ridi|culous, | useless | the for|gery
Dec. Of bra|zen shield | and spear, | the ham|mered cuirass,
Dec. Chalyb|ean-tem|pered steel | and frock | of mail
Hexasyl. Ada|mante|an proof:

Hardly anything here needs remark, except the use made of the old catalectic octosyllable beloved from Comus days, with its trochaic cadence, and that of half-Alexandrines or hexasyllables. There is only one monometer, towards the centre or waist of the scheme ("O'er-worn and soiled").

[89]

Ōh, hōw | cōmely̆ ĭt | īs, ănd | hōw rĕ|vīvĭng,
Tō thĕ | spīrĭts ŏf | jūst mĕn | lōng ŏp|prēssĕd,
Whēn Gŏd | īntŏ thĕ | hānds ŏf | thēir ŏp|prēssŏr
Pūts ĭn|vīncĭblĕ | mīght.

(Catullian hendecasyllable?)

[90] Milton was eight years old when Shakespeare died, and their combined lives, 1564-1674, more than cover the whole "major" Elizabethan period, 1557-1660, except part of its incipient stage, 1557-1580.

[91] As a variation to blank verse.