Crabbe also used this ornament profusely, as:
| “Then ’cross the bounding brook they make their way O’er its rough bridge, and there behold the bay; The ocean smiling to the fervid sun, The waves that faintly fall and slowly run, The ships at distance, and the boats at hand, And now they walk upon the seaside sand, Counting the number, and what kind they be, Ships softly sinking in the sleepy sea.” |
Take also this from Shelley’s “Ode to a Skylark:”
| “Teach me half the gladness That my brain must know, Such harmonious madness From my lips would flow, The world should listen then, as I am listening now. ······· Waking or asleep, Thou of death must deem Things more true and deep Than we mortals dream, Or how could thy notes flow in such a crystal stream?” |
In the numbers of “Truth” for November 1881, there appeared a variety of excellent examples of alphabetic verses in the course of a competition, and of these there follows one:
| “A was the Anchor which held fast our ship; B was the Boatswain, with whistle to lip; C was the Captain, who took the command; D was the Doctor, with physic at hand; E was the Euchre we played on the quiet; F was the Fellow who kicked up a riot; G was the Girl who was always so ill; H was the Hammock from which I’d a spill I was the Iceberg we passed on our way; J was the Jersey I wore all the day; K was the Keel, which was stuck on the shore; L was the Lubber we all thought a bore; M was the Mate, no one better I’d wish; N was the Net in which I caught a fish; O was the Oar which I broke—’twas so weak; P was the Pennon which flew at our peak; Q was the Quoit which was made out of rope; R was the Rat which would eat all our soap; S was the Sailor who got very tight; T was the Tempest which came on one night; U was the Uproar the night of the storm; V was the Vessel we spoke in due form; W’s the Watch which the crew kept in turn; X was Xantippe, whom each one did spurn; Y was our Yacht, which flew through the foam; Z was the Zany who wouldn’t leave home.” |