484 Tra7i suction fi. 



" gray." Yet, though feminine endings make the perfect trochaic mea- 

 sure, such endings also occur in admitted iambic measure : — 



(16.) With wauton heed and giddy funning ; (1. 141.) 



The melting voice through mazes iTuining, 

 Untwisting f.ll the charms thr.t tie 

 The hidden soid of hp^rmony ; 



A cjuite different effect results from the feminine endings in this example. 

 Comparing (15) and (16), we have, — 



(lort.) Straight mine eye hath canght new pleasures, whilst the landscape ronnd 



it measures ; 

 (ICm.) With wanton heed and giddy cunning: the molting voice through mazes 



running, 



Example (15a) reads quite smoothly; (16a) has a curious ''catch" in 

 the middle, a "tripping" effect which is altogether absent from (15fl). 

 In fact, the endings " cunning " and " running " in example (16) are truly 

 feminine, each introducing a triple unit into the verses : the endings " plea- 

 sures " and " measures " in (15) are only apparently feminine ; no triple 

 units result, as the extra syllables of the feminines merely take the places 

 of syllables dropped from the trochaic openings. a 



9. Since they produce a triple unit, the last syllables of '" cunning " 

 and " running " would by many prosodists even of the present day be called 

 hypermetrical or extra-metrical ; but they are surely as much part of the 

 metre as extra syllables introduced in any other part of the verse, as, — 



(17.) Of herbi and other country messes, which the neat-handed Ph'Uis dresses ; 



(1. 85.) 



Presumably " the " would be considered the extra-metrical syllable, for the 

 verse runs smoothly without it : — 



(17«.) Of herbi and other country messes, which neat-handed Phillis dresses ; 

 The fact is, however, that these so-called extra-metrical syllables occupy 

 slight syntactic pauses. These pauses will receive fuller attention in a 

 subsequent section, and they need not receive further consideration at 

 this point, it being noted that it is their presence after certain words 

 arranged in syntactic groups that gives the iambic or trochaic effect. 



10. In " L'AUegTO " and " II Penseroso " the trochaic and iambic lines 

 can be readily perceived ; but unless absolute indication is afforded by 

 the rimes, or by some index other than the words themselves, it is often 

 impossible to say of many poems if they are to be regarded as iambic 

 or trochaic. Often it goes by majority : if over half the hues begin with 

 trochees, the poem is considered trochaic ; if over half with iambs, iambic : 

 it has even been contended that the former gives a merry, the latter a 

 more solemn, measure ; and by these two arbitrary distinctions 

 " L' Allegro " has been called trochaic and " H Penseroso " iambic. Led 

 by the rimes, a first reading of the following " Bacchanahan Verse " by 

 Herrick will probably be iambic : — 



(18.) ffDrink up That we 



Your cup. Foresee. 



But not spill wine ; You are cloy'd here, 



For if you If so, no 



Do Hoe, 



'Tis an ill signe ; But avoid here. 



This can be read, and the rimes would indicate that it should be read, as 

 ambic verse ; and it is not until the last line is reached that the reader 



