The Art of English Poetry (1708) Part 9

_What shall I do to be for ever known, And make the Age to come my own?

I shall like Beasts and common People dye, Unless you write my Elegy._ Cowl.

SECT. II.

_Of the Poems compos'd in Stanzas: And first, of the Stanzas consisting of three, and of four Verses._

In the Poems composed in Stanzas, each Stanza contains a certain number of Verses consisting for the most part of a different number of Syllables: And a Poem that consists of several Stanzas, we generally call an Ode; and this is Lyrick Poetry.

But we must not forget to observe that our Antient Poets frequently made use of intermixed Rhyme in their Heroick Poems, which they dispos'd into Stanzas and Cantos. Thus the _Troilus_ and _Cressida_ of _Chaucer_ is compos'd in Stanzas consisting of 7 Verses; the _Fairy Queen_ of _Spencer_ in Stanzas of 9, _&c._ And this they took from _Italians_, whose Heroick Poems generally consist in Stanzas of 8. But this is now wholly laid aside, and _Davenant_, who compos'd his _Gondibert_ in Stanzas of Verses in alternate Rhyme, was the last that followed their Example of intermingling Rhymes in Heroick Poems.

The Stanzas employ'd in our Poetry, cannot consist of less than three, and are seldom of more than 12 Verses, except in Pindarick Odes, where the Stanzas are different from one another in number of Verses, as shall be shewn.

But to treat of all the different Stanzas that are employ'd or may be admitted in our Poetry, would be a labour no less tedious than useless; it being easie to demonstrate, that they may be vary'd almost to an Infinity, that would be different from one another, either in the Number of the Verses of each Stanza, or in the Number of the Syllables of each Verse; or lastly, in the various intermingling of the Rhyme. I shall therefore confine my self to mention only such as are most frequently us'd by the best of our modern Poets. And first of the Stanzas consisting of three Verses.

In the Stanzas of three Verses, or Triplets, the Verses of each Stanza rhyme to one another; and are either Heroick; as,

_Nothing, thou Elder Brother e'en to shade! } Thou hadst a Being e'er the World was made. } And, (well-fix'd) art alone of ending not afraid._ Roch.}

Or else they consist of 8 Syllables; as these of _Waller_, _Of a fair Lady playing with a Snake_.

_Strange that such Horrour and such Grace } Should dwell together in one Place, } A Fury's Arm, an Angel's Face,_ }

Nor do the Verses of these Stanzas always contain a like number of Syllables; for the first and third may have ten, the second but eight; as,

_Men without Love have oft so cunning grown, } That something like it they have shewn, } But none who had it, ev'r seem'd to have none. } Love's of a strangely open, simple kind, } Can no Arts or Disguises find, } But thinks none sees it, 'cause it self is blind._ Cowl.}

In the Stanzas of 4 Verses, the Rhyme may be intermix'd in two different manners; for either the 1st and 3d Verse may rhyme to each other, and by consequence the 2d and 4th, and this is call'd Alternate Rhyme; or the 1st and 4th may rhyme, and by consequence the 2d and 3d.

But there are some Poems in Stanzas of four Verses, where the Rhymes follow one another, and the Verses differ in number of syllables only; as in _Cowley's_ Hymn to the Light, which begins thus,

_First born of_ Chaos! _who so fair didst come From the old Negro's darksom Womb: Which, when it saw the lovely Child, The melancholy Ma.s.s put on kind Looks and smil'd._

But these Stanzas are generally in Alternate Rhyme, and the Verses consist either of 10 Syllables; as,

_She ne'er saw Courts, but Courts could have undone With untaught Looks and an unpractis'd Heart: Her Nets the most prepar'd could never shun; For Nature spread them in the scorn of Art._ Dav.

Or of 8; as,

_Had_ Echo _with so sweet a Grace,_ Narcissus _loud Complaints return'd: Not for Reflexion of his Face, But of his Voice the Boy had burn'd._ Wall.

Or of 10 and 8. that is to say, the 1st and 3d of 10; the 2d and 4th of 8; as,

_Love from Time's Wings has stol'n the Feathers sure, He has, and put them to his own; For Hours of late as long as Days endure.

And very Minutes Hours are grown._ Cowl.

Or of 8 and 6 in the like manner; as,

_Then ask not Bodies doom'd to dye, To what Abode they go; Since Knowledge is but Sorrow's Spy, 'Tis better not to know._ Dav.

Or of 7; as,

_Not the silver Doves that fly, Yoak'd in_ Cytherea's _Car; Nor the Wings that lift so high, And convey her Son so far;_

_Are so lovely sweet and fair, Or do more enn.o.ble Love; Are so choicely match'd a Pair, Or with more consent do move._ Wall.

_Note_, That it is absolutely necessary that both the Construction and Sense should end with the Stanza, and not fall into the beginning of the following one, as it does in the last Example, which is a fault wholly to be avoided.

SECT. III.

_Of the Stanzas of Six Verses._

The Stanzas of 6 Verses, are generally only one of the before-mention'd Quadrans or Stanzas of 4 Verses, with two Verses at the end that rhyme to one another; as,

_A Rural Judge dispos'd of Beautie's Prize, A simple Shepherd was prefer'd to_ Jove; _Down to the Mountains from the partial Skies Came_ Juno, Pallas, _and the Queen of Love, To plead for that which was so justly giv'n To the bright_ Carlisle _of the Courts of Heav'n._ Wall.

Where the 4 first Verses are only a Quadran, and consist of 10 Syllables each in Alternate Rhyme.

The following Stanza in like manner is compos'd of a Quadran, whose Verses consist of 8 Syllables; and to which 2 Verses that rhyme to one another are added at the end; as,

_Hope waits upon the flowry Prime, And Summer, tho' it be less gay, Yet is not look'd on as a time Of Declination and Decay, For with a full Hand that does bring All that was promised by the Spring._ Wall.

Sometimes the Quadran ends the Stanza; and the two Lines of the same Rhyme begin it; as,

_Here's to thee_, d.i.c.k, _this whining Love despise: Pledge me, my Friend, and drink till thou be'st wise.

It sparkles brighter far than she; 'Tis pure and right without Deceit; And such no Woman e'er can be; No, they are all Sophisticate._ Cowl.

Or as in these, where the first and last Verses of the Stanza consist of 10 Syllables;