4bb Transactions. 



Section I : it is tlie words themselves that are dactyhc, not the rhythm ; 

 and to divide according to the word - construction is syntactic, not 

 rhythmic, division. Take a poem where this dactyUc effect, produced, as 

 before noted, by the almost impalpable syntactic pauses dividing words, is- 

 most strongly marked — Hood's " Bridge of Sighs " : — 



(11.) Make no decj) scrutiny 

 Into her mutiny 



Rash and nndutifiiJ ; 

 Past all dishonour — 

 Death has left on Iier 



Only the beautiful. 



The " effect "' here is undoubtedly dactylic : but Hood could only main- 

 tain the perfect measure in short snatches, heightening the effect by 

 the free use of dactylic words — or words of three syllables accented on 

 the first syllable — as, " tenderly," " slenderly," " humanly." " womanly." 

 " dutiful," " beautiful," &c. But other effects are evident : — 



(12.) The bleak wind of March 



Made her tremble and shiver : 

 But not the dark arch 



Of the black flowing river. 



Here anapests and amphibrachs take the place of dactyls. Amphibrachs 

 preponderate in — 



(13.) (I. So far in the river. 



b. From window and casement. 

 From garret to ba.sement, 

 She stood, with amazement — &c. 



The examples in (14) are paralleled by Thackeray's " Mahogany Tree,"' 

 which is in anapests. (See example (61) in Section III.) 



7. The difficulty of maintaining a dactyhc metre that shall be perfect 

 in form for any length of time is shown by the continual lapses in such 

 metre. The " Bridge of Sighs " evidences this, and still more does Scott'a 

 song, — 



(15.) Where shall the lover rest. 

 Whom the fates sever 

 Fi'om his true maiden's breast. 



Parted for ever ? 

 Where, through groves dee]) and high. 



Sounds the far billow, 

 Where early violets die 

 Under the willow. 



Not only are the units " lover rest." " maiden's breast," " deep and high,"' 

 " violets die," very poor dactyls, the necessarily unaccented syllables- 

 being much too hea\y, but the riming is most faulty. The rime should 

 begin on the stress and ring through the unaccented syllables, as in " slen- 

 derly " and " tenderly " ; here it does not appear until the last syllable, 

 which is unaccented. In the third stanza — 



(lb.) Where shall the traitor rest, 



He the deceiver. 

 Who coidd win the maiden's breast, 



Ruin and leave her ? 

 Li the lost battle, 



Borne down by the flying. 

 Where mingles war's rattle 



With gi'oans of the dying. 



