"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.