Rondeau—Rondel.—French (and English) forms in which lines are repeated at regular intervals. (See pp. [125-6].)
Sapphic.—A classical metre consisting of three longer lines and one shorter (called an Adonic) arranged in the following scheme:—
̄ ̆ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̆ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆̄
̄ ̆ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̆ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆̄
̄ ̆ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̆ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆̄
̄ ̆ ̆ ̄ ̆̄
It has been frequently tried in English, both as burlesque and seriously. For the former use (as in Canning's immortal "Needy Knife-Grinder") it is, like most classical metres, well suited, though the true Greek and even Latin rhythm is generally (v. sup. p. [124]) violated. In serious verse Mr. Swinburne has produced exquisite and others (as Watts and Cowper) respectable examples; but even the best is a tour de force only.
Section.—A term not useless in its general sense as denoting verse divisions larger than a foot; but now prejudicially preoccupied by Guest (v. sup. p. [254], note) and others.
Septenar.—A word applied (very undesirably) by most German and a few English writers to the fourteener or seven-foot iambic.
Septet.—A verse or stanza of seven lines.
Sestet, also Sixain.—A verse or stanza of six lines.