Thomas Campbell.
To speak first of the word (or words) gallant mast. If gallant mean brave, there are two words. If the words be two, there
is a stronger accent on mast. If the accent on mast be stronger, the rhyme with fast is more complete; in other words, the metre favours the notion of the words being considered as two. Gallant-mast, however, is a compound word, with an especial nautical meaning. In this case the accent is stronger on gal- and weaker on -mast. This, however, is not the state of things that the metre favours. The same applies to mountain wave. The same person who in prose would throw a stronger accent on mount- and a weaker one on wave (so dealing with the word as a compound), might, in poetry, make the words two, by giving to the last syllable a parity of accent.
The following quotation from Ben Jonson may be read in two ways; and the accent may vary with the reading.
1.
Lay thy bow of pearl apart,
And thy silver shining quiver.
2.
Lay thy bow of pearl apart,
And thy silver-shining quiver.