Andersen. — The Verse-unit. 637 



ing respectively four and five syllables, would have to be " reduced " by 

 the taking-away of a certain number of syllables. This process would be 

 so simple that it is quite evident that the reciters as yet felt no necessity 

 to reduce either the number of stresses or the number of syllables — that 

 is to 'say, the " form," whilst it was in course of development, had not 

 begun to obtrude — detrition was going on, but unconsciously. In the 

 verse under consideration its structure is more conformable, as under : — 



(30«.) He clo/sed her ears/ and her mouth/ covered o'er/, 

 Then down/ through the o/cean the maid/ he bore/. 



It is not for one moment intended that this were any improvement what- 

 ever ; it is merely intended to show that the reciters had not yet become 

 self-conscious as regards type. In the fifty verses, or one hundred lines, of 

 which the whole poem is composed, there are thirty-five miits of four 

 syllables, and one of five syllables, the most remarkable example being 

 the second line of the 35th stanza : — 



(30&.) 1. AW/ the ho,iy i/mages they turned/ themselves,' from him/. 



Given its due stresses, this line becomes a full Ballad verse : — 



2. AH/ the ho/ly i/mages,' they turned/ themselves/ from him/. 



The full stanza might almost be regarded as a very crude embryo of the 

 Dowsabel stanza : — 



3. The Mer/man trod/ the door/ within/ 

 But all/ the ho/ly i/mages/ 



They turned/ themselves/ from him/. 



Stanza 26 is alone in being a feminine Komance verse. The verses so far 

 noted are those tending to exceed or actually exceeding the average verse 

 of the type. There are three verses that fall below the average, resolving 

 themselves into feminine Nibeluiigen : these are contained in stanzas 16, 

 21, and 43, and their effect is most pleasing and characteristic. As regards 

 the free blending of duple and triple units (the quadruple have already 

 been noted), attention need only be directed to stanzas 4, 10, 26, 28, 29, 

 and 42 as typical instances. 



As two utter contrasts in British treatment of this beautiful ballad, 

 attention may be called to Kobert Buchanan's quatrains in his " Ballad 

 Stories " published in 1869, and Matthew Arnold's exquisite adaptation, 

 " The Forsaken Merman." 



9. As the stanza-form of " Agnes and the Merman " is of the simplest 

 kind, it is possible that the verses were varied as independent members, no 

 connection being felt between any one verse and the one either foregoing 

 or following — that is to say, no formal connection. A few examples may 

 therefore be quoted of stanzas that have advanced considerably in their 

 formal development, stanzas that are built up of two verses, or four lines, 

 and whose verses show decidedly that the Romance verse had shortened 

 to the Ballad. Again the examples are from an old Danish ballad in 

 Grundtvig's collection — " Svend Svejdal." The stanzas chosen are not 

 all consecutive, their places in the ballad being indicated by the number 

 prefixed before each one : — 



(31.) 4. Ne/ver thou/ in sleep/ shalt slum/ber. 

 Nor e/ver rest/ shalt gain/. 



Till thou/ hast loosed/ the sor/rowful-lieart/ed, 

 Who ma/ny days,' in fet/ters has lain/. 



