Not, its two first letters after can; as can't for cannot.
Am, its a after i; I'm for I am.
Us, its u after let; let's for let us.
Taken, its k, ta'en; for so it ought to be written, not ta'ne.
Heaven, seven, even, eleven, and the participles driven, given, thriven, and their compounds, may lose their last vowel; as heav'n, forgiv'n, &c. See the foregoing section.
To these may be added, bow'r, pow'r, flow'r, tow'r, show'r, for bower, tower, &c.
Never, ever, over, may lose their v, and are contracted thus, ne'er, e'er, o'er.
Some words admit of an elision of their first syllable; as 'tween, 'twixt, 'mong, 'mongst, 'gainst, 'bove, 'cause, 'fore, for between, betwixt, among, amongst, against, above, because, before, and some others that may be observed in reading our poets.
I have already, in the third section of this chapter, spoken of the elision of the e of the particle the before vowels; but it is requisite likewise to take notice, that it sometimes loses its vowel before a word that begins with a consonant, and then its two remaining letters are joined to the preceding word; as to th' wall for to the wall, by th' wall for by the wall, &c., but this is scarcely allowable in heroic poetry.
The particles in, of, and on, sometimes lose their consonants, and are joined to the particle the in like manner, as i'th', o'th', for in the, of the.