The Art of English Poetry (1708) Part 7

_Th'_ Hesperian _Fruit, and made the Dragon sleep._ Wall.

CHAP. II.

_Of Rhyme._

SECT. I.

_What Rhyme is, and the several Sorts of it._

Rhyme is a Likeness or Uniformity of Sound in the terminations of two Words, I say, of Sound, not of Letters; for the Office of Rhyme being to content and please the Ear, and not the Eye, the Sound only is to be regarded, not the Writing: Thus _Maid_ and _Perswade_, _Laugh_ and _Quaff_, tho' they differ in Writing, rhyme very well: But _Plough_ and _Cough_, tho' written alike, rhyme not at all.

In our Versification we may observe 3 several sorts of Rhyme; Single, Double, and Treble.

The single Rhyme is of two sorts: One of the Words that are accented on the last Syllable: Another, of those that have their Accent on the last save two.

The Words accented on the last Syllable, if they end in a Consonant, or mute E, oblige the Rhyme to begin at the vowel that precedes their last Consonant, and to continue to the end of the Word: In a Consonant; as,

_Here might be seen that Beauty, Wealth, and Wit, And Prowess, to the Pow'r of Love submit._ Dryd.

In mute E; as,

_A Spark of Virtue by the deepest Shade Of sad Adversity, is fairer made._ Wall.

But if a Diphthong precede the last Consonant, the Rhyme must begin at that Vowel of it whose Sound most prevails; as,

_Next to the Pow'r of waking Tempests cease, Was in that Storm to have so calm a Peace._ Wall.

If the Words accented on the last Syllable end in any of the Vowels except mute E, or in a Diphthong, the Rhyme is made only to that Vowel or Diphthong. To the Vowel; as

_So wing'd with Praise we penetrate the Sky, Teach Clouds and Stars to praise him as we fly._ Wall.

To the Diphthong; as,

_So hungry Wolves, tho' greedy of their Prey, Stop when they find a Lion in the way._ Wall.

The other sort of single Rhyme is of the Words that have their Accent on the last Syllable save two. And these rhyme to the other in the same manner as the former; that is to say, if they end in any of the Vowels, except mute E, the Rhyme is made only to that Vowel; as,

_So seems to speak the youthful Deity; Voice, Colour, Hair, and all like_ Mercury. Wall.

But if they end in a Consonant or mute E, the Rhyme must begin at the Vowel that precedes that Consonant, and continue to the end of the Word.

As has been shewn by the former Examples.

But we must take notice, that all the Words that are accented on the last save two, will rhyme, not only to one another, but also to all the Words whose Terminations have the same Sound, tho' they are accented on the last Syllable. Thus _Tenderness_ rhymes not only to _Poetess_, _Wretchedness_, and the like, that are accented on the last save two, but also to _Confess_, _Excess_, &c. that are accented on the last; as,

_Thou art my Father now, these Words confess, That Same, and that indulgent Tenderness._ Dryd.

SECT. II.

_Of Double and Treble Rhyme._

All Words that are accented on the last save one, require the Rhyme to begin at the Vowel of that Syllable, and to continue to the end of the Word; and this is what we call Double Rhyme; as,

_Then all for Women, Painting, Rhyming, Drinking, Besides ten Thousand Freaks that dy'd in Thinking._ Dryd.

But it is convenient to take notice, that the ancient Poets did not always observe this Rule, and took care only that the last Syllables of the Words should be alike in Sound, without any regard to the Seat of the Accent. Thus _Nation_ and _Affection_, _Tenderness_ and _Hapless_, _Villany_ and _Gentry_, _Follow_ and _Willow_, and the like, were allow'd as Rhymes to each other in the Days of _Chaucer_, _Spencer_, and the rest of the Antients; but this is now become a fault in our Versification; and these two Verses of _Cowley_ rhyme not at all.

_A clear and lively brown was_ Merab's _Dye; Such as the proudest Colours might envy._

Nor these of _Dryden_.

_Thus Air was void of Light, and Earth unstable, And Waters dark Abyss unnavigable._

Because we may not place an Accent on the last Syllable of _Envy_, nor on the last save one of _unnavigable_; which nevertheless we must be oblig'd to do, if we make the first of them rhyme to _Dye_, the last to _Unstable_.

But we may that observe in Burlesque Poetry, it is permitted to place an Accent upon a Syllable that naturally has none; as,

_When Pulpit, Drum Ecclesiastick, Was beat with Fist instead of a Stick._

Where unless we p.r.o.nounce the Particle A with a strong Accent upon it, and make it sound like the Vowel _a_ in the last Syllable but one of _Ecclesiastick_, the Verse will lose all its Beauty and Rhyme. But this is allowable in Burlesque Poetry only.

Observe that these double Rhymes may be compos'd of two several Words; provided the Accent be on the last Syllable of the first of them; as in these Verses of _Cowley_, speaking of Gold;

_A Curse on him who did refine it, A Curse on him who first did coin it._

Or some of the Verses may end in an entire word, and the Rhyme to it be compos'd of several; as,

_Tho' stor'd with Deletery Med'cines, Which whosoever took is dead since._ Hud.