(Yardley Oak.)
(The spondee "Tīme māde" and trochee "kīng ŏf" are certainly intentional, whether consciously as such or not. The anapæst "-mĕrŏus flōcks" may not have been meant, for Cowper had not cleared his mind up about "elision," but is one in fact.)
XXXIII. The Regularised Pindaric Ode
Analysis of Gray's Bard (the second and third divisions coincide to the minutest degree):
I. i.
1."Ruin seize thee, ruthless King! 2.Confusion on thy banners wait; 3.Tho' fanned by Conquest's crimson wing 4.They mock the air with idle state. 5.Helm, nor hauberk's twisted mail, 6.Nor e'en thy virtues, Tyrant, shall avail 7.To save thy secret soul from nightly fears, 8.From Cambria's curse, from Cambria's tears!" 9.—Such were the sounds that o'er the crested pride 10.Of the first Edward scatter'd wild dismay, 11.As down the steep of Snowdon's shaggy side 12.He wound with toilsome march his long array:— 13.Stout Glo'ster stood aghast in speechless trance; 14."To arms!" cried Mortimer, and couch'd his quivering lance.
I. i. (Strophe)
- 1. Troch. dim. cat. ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄.
- 2. Iamb. dim. acat. ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄.
- 3. ditto
- 4. ditto
- 5 as 1.
- 6 and 7. Heroics nearly pure, ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄.
- 8 as 2 to 4.
- 9 to 13. Heroics
- 14. Alexandrine ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄ ̆ ̄. "Quiv'ring," probably.
I. ii.
1. On a rock, whose haughty brow 2. Frowns o'er old Conway's foaming flood, 3. Robed in the sable garb of woe 4. With haggard eyes the Poet stood 5. (Loose his beard and hoary hair 6. Stream'd like a meteor to the troubled air), 7. And with a master's hand and prophet's fire 8. Struck the deep sorrows of his lyre: 9. "Hark, how each giant-oak and desert-cave 10. Sighs to the torrent's awful voice beneath! 11. O'er thee, oh King! their hundred arms they wave, 12. Revenge on thee in hoarser murmurs breathe; 13. Vocal no more, since Cambria's fatal day, 14. To high-born Hoel's harp, or soft Llewellyn's lay.