Thomson’s favourite method of forming compounds however is that of Type V, each book of “The Seasons” containing large numbers, the first element (full, prone, quick, etc.) often repeated with a variant second element. Sometimes constant repetition in this way produces the impression of a tiresome mannerism. Thus “many” joined to present and past-participles is used irregularly with quasi-adverbial force, apparently meaning “in many ways,” “many times,” or even “much,” as “many-twinkling leaves” (“Spring,” 158), “many-bleating flock” (ibid., 835), etc. In the same way the word “mazy” seems to have had a fascination for Thomson. Thus he has “the mazy-running soul of melody” (“Spring,” 577), “the mazy-running brook” (“Summer,” 373), “and mazy-running clefts” (“Autumn,” 816), etc. Not all of this type, however, are mere mechanical formations; some have real poetic value and bear witness to Thomson’s undoubted gift for achieving happy expressive effects. Thus the “close-embowering wood” (“Autumn,” 208), “the lonesome muse low-whispering” (ibid., 955), “the deep-tangled copse” (“Spring,” 594), “the hollow-whispering breeze” (ibid., 919), “the grey-grown oaks” (“Summer,” 225), “flowery-tempting paths” (“Spring,” 1109), “the morn faint-gleaming” (“Summer,” 48), “dark-embowered firs” (“Winter,” 813), “the winds hollow-blustering” (ibid., 988), “the mossy-tinctured streams” (“Spring,” 380), as well as such passages as
the long-forgotten strain
At first faint-warbled
(“Spring,” 585)
and
Ships dim-discovered dropping from the clouds.
(“Summer,” 946)
Thomson’s compound epithets with a true adverb as the first element (Sixth Type), such as “north-inflated tempest” (“Autumn,” 892), are not particularly striking, and some of them are awkward and result in giving a harsh effect to the verse, as
goodness and wit
In seldom-meeting harmony combined.