Kitabı oku: «The Comic English Grammar: A New And Facetious Introduction To The English Tongue», sayfa 6

A well-known instance of an emphasis improperly placed was furnished by a certain Parson, who read a passage in the Old Testament in the following unlucky manner: "And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass; and they saddled him."

Young ladies are usually very emphatic in ordinary discourse. "What a little dear! Oh! how sweetly pretty! Well! I never did, I declare! So nice, and so innocent, and so good-tempered, and so affectionate, and such a color! And oh! such lovely eyes! and such hair! He was a little duck! he was, he was, he was. Tzig a tzig, tzig, tzig, tzig, tzig!" &c. &c. &c.

This emphatic way of speaking is indicative of two very amiable feelings implanted by nature in the female occiput, and called by the Phrenologists Adhesiveness and Philoprogenitivenes. Those who attempt to imitate it will be conscious, while forcing out their words, of a peculiar mental motion, which we cannot explain otherwise than by saying, that it is analogous to that which attends the act of pressing or squeezing; as when, with the thumb of the right hand, we knead one lump of putty to another, in the palm of the left. Perhaps we might also instance, sucking an orange. In all these cases, the organ of Weight, according to Phrenology, is also active; and this, perhaps, is one of the faculties which induce young ladies to lay a stress upon their words. Nevertheless, we fear that a damsel would hardly be pleased by being told that her weight was considerable, though it would, at the same time, grievously offend her to accuse her of lightness. Here we need scarcely observe, that we refer to lightness, not of complexion, but of sentiment, which is always regarded as a dark shade in the character. This defect, we think, we may safely assert, will never be observed in emphatic fair ones.

But we have not quite yet exhausted the subject of emphasis, considered in relation to young ladies. Their letters are as emphatic as their language is, almost every third word being underlined. Such epistles, inasmuch as they are addressed to the heart, ought not to be submitted to the ear; nevertheless we must say that we have occasionally been wicked and waggish enough to read them aloud – to ourselves alone, of course. The reader may, if he choose, follow our example. We subjoin a specimen of female correspondence, endeared to us by many tender recollections, and admirably adapted to our present purpose.

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I was terribly afraid that Matilda and I would have caught our Death of cold; but thank Goodness no such untoward event took place. It was very uncomfortable and I so wished you had been there.. When we got home who do you think was there? Mr. Sims; and he said he thought that I was so much grown. Only think. And so then you know we took some refreshment, for I assure you, what with the journey and altogether we were very nearly famished; and we were all invited to go to the Chubbs' that Evening to a small Teà Party, for which I must own I thought Mr. Chubb a ism* man. After tea we had a carpet waltz, and although I was very tired I enjoyed it much. There were some very pretty girls there, and one or two agreeable young men; but oh! &c.

The remainder of this letter being of a nature personally interesting to ourselves only, and likely, in the opinion of some readers, to render its insertion attributable to motives of vanity, we shall not be found fault with for objecting to transcribe any more of it.

SECTION IV. OF PAUSES

A Pause, otherwise called a rest, is an absolute cessation of the voice, in speaking or reading, during a perceptible interval, longer or shorter, of time.

Comic Pauses often occur in Oratory. "Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking," is usually followed by a pause of this sort. A young gentleman, his health having been drunk at a party, afforded, in endeavoring to return thanks, a signal illustration of the Pause Comic. "Gentlemen," he began, "the Ancient Romans," – (A pause,) – "gentlemen, the Ancient Romans," – (Hear!) – "The Ancient Romans, Gentlemen," – (Bravo! hear! hear!) – "Gentlemen – that is – the Ancient Romans" – "were very fine fellows, Jack, I dare say," added a friend, pulling the speaker down by the coat-tail.

That notable Ancient Roman, Brutus, is represented by Shakspeare as making a glorious pause: as "Who's here so vile that would not love his country? If any, speak, for him have I offended. I pause for a reply."

Here of course, Brutus pauses, folds his arms, and looks magnanimous. We have heard, though, of an idle and impudent schoolboy, who, at a public recitation, when he had uttered the words "I pause for a reply," gravely took out his penknife and began paring his nails.

This was minding his paws with a vengeance.

SECTION V. OF TONES

Tones consist of the modulations of the voice, or the notes or variations of sound which we use in speak-ing: thus differing materially both from emphasis, and pauses.

An interesting diversity of tones is exhibited by the popular voice at an election.

Also by charcoal-men, milk-men, and chimneysweeps; and by fruit-sellers, and news-boys.

We cannot exactly write tones (though it is easy enough to write notes,) but we shall nevertheless endeavor to give some idea of their utility.

Observe, that two doves billing resemble two magistrates bowing; – because they are beak to beak.

A lover and a police-magistrate (unless the two characters should chance to be combined, which sometimes happens, that is, when the latter is a lover of justice) would say, "Answer me," in very different tones.

A lover again would utter the words "For ever and ever," in a very different tone from that in which a minister would repeat them.

A young lady, on her first introduction to you, says, "Sir," in a tone very unlike that in which she sometime afterwards delivers herself of the same monosyllable when she is addressing you under the influence of jealousy.

As to the word "Sir," the number of constructions which, according to the tone in which it is spoken, it may be made to bear, are incalculable. We may adduce a few instances.

"Please, Sir, let me off."

"No, Sir!"

"Waiter! you, Sir."

"Yes, Sir! yes, Sir!"

"Sir, I am greatly obliged to you."

"Sir, you are quite welcome."

"Your servant, Sir" (by a man who brings you a challenge.)

"Servant, Sir" (by a tailor bowing you to the door.) "Sir, you are a gentleman!"

"Sir, you are a scoundrel!"

We need not go on with examples ad infinitum. If after what we have said anybody does not understand the nature of Tone, all we shall say of him is, that he is a Tony Lumpkin.

CHAPTER II. OF VERSIFICATION

It is with peculiar pleasure that we approach this part of Prosody. We belong to a class of persons to whom a celebrated phrenological manipulator ascribes "some poetical feeling, if studied or called forth;" and, to borrow another expression from the same quarter, we sometimes "versify a little;" that is to say, we versify our literary occupations by an occasional flirtation with the muses.

We have a great respect for the memory of our old schoolmaster; notwithstanding which, we think we can beat him (which, we shall be told by the wags, would be tit for tat) at poet-making, though, indeed, he was a magician in his way. "I'll make thee a poet, my boy," he used to say, "or the rod shall."

Let us try what we can do.

A verse consists of a certain number and variety of syllables, put together and arranged according to certain laws.

Verses being also called dulcet strains, harmonious numbers, tuneful lays, and so forth, it is clear that such combination and arrangement must be so made as to please the ear.

Versification is the making of verses. This seems such a truism as to be not worth stating; but it is necessary to define what Versification is, because many people suppose it to be the same thing with poetry. We will prove that it is not.

"Much business in the Funds has lately been

Transacted various monied men between;

Though speculation early in the week

Went slowly; nought was done whereof to speak.

The largest operations, it was found,

Were twenty-five and fifty thousand pound."

We might proceed in the same strain, but we have already done half a dozen lines without a particle of poetry in them; and we do not wish to overwhelm people with proofs of what a great many will take upon trust.

Every fool knows what Rhyme is; so we need not say anything about that.

ON POETICAL FEET

Poetical feet! Why, Fanny Elsler's feet and Taglioni's feet are poetical feet – are they not? or else what is meant by calling dancing the poetry of Motion? And cannot each of those artistes boast of a toe which is the very essence of all poetry – a TO' KAAO'N?

No. You may make verses on Taglioni's feet, (though if she be a poetess, she can do that better than you, standing, too, on one leg, like the man that Horace speaks of;) but you cannot make them of her feet. Feet of which verses are composed are made of syllables, not of bones, muscles, and ligaments. Feet and pauses are the constituent parts of a verse.

We have heard one boy ask of another, who was singing, "How much is that a yard?" still the yard is not a poetical measure.

The feet which are used in poetry consist either of two or three syllables. There are four kinds of feet of two, and an equal number of three syllables. Four and four are eight: therefore Pegasus is an octoped; and if our readers do not understand this logic, we are sorry for it. But as touching the feet – we have

1. The Trochee, which has the first syllable accent, ed, and the last unaccented: as, "Yànkëe dôodlë."

2. The Iambus, which has the first syllable unaccented, and the last accented: as, "Thé mâid hërsëlf with roûge, àlâs! bëdaübs."

3. The Spondee, which has both the words or syllables accented: as, "âll hâil, grëat king, Tom Thumb, all hail!"

4. The Pyrrhic, which has both the words or syllables unaccented: as, "ôn thë tree'top."

5. The Dactyl, which has the first syllable accented and the two latter unaccented: as, "Jônàthin, Jëffër-sôn."

6. The Amphibrach has the first and last syllables unaccented and the middle one accented: as, "Oë'r-whelmïng, transported, ecstatic, delightful, àccéptëd, àddrëssës."

7. The Anapaest (or as we used to say, Nasty-beast) has the two first syllables unaccented and the last accented: as, "ôvërgrôwn grënàdiër."

8. The Tribrach has all its syllables unaccented: as, "Matrïmôny, exquisite nëss."

These feet are divided into principal feet, out of which pieces of poetry may be wholly or chiefly formed; and secondary feet, the use of which is to diversify the number and improve the verse.

We shall now proceed to explain the nature of the principal feet.

Iambic verses are of several kinds, each kind consisting of a certain number of feet or syllables.

1. The shortest form of the English Iambic consists of an Iambus, with an additional short syllable thus coinciding with the Amphibrach: as,

"What Sùsàn,

My beauty!

Refuse one

So true t' ye?

This ditty

Of sadness

Begs pity

For madness."

2. The second form of the English Iambic consists of two Iambuses, and sometimes takes an additional short syllable: as,

"My eÿe, whàt fün.

With dog and gun,

And song and shout,

To roam about!

And shoot our snipes!

And smoke our pipes!

Or eat at ease,

Beneath the trees,

Our bread and cheese!

To rouse the hare

From gloomy lair;

To scale the mountain

And ford the fountain,

While rustics wonder

To hear our thunder."

3. The third form consists of three Iambuses: as in the following morceau, the author of which is, we regret to say, unknown to us; though we did once hear somebody say that it was Mr. Anon.

"Jâck Spràtt éat âll thé fât,

His wife eat all the lean,

And so between them both,

They lick'd the platter clean."

In this verse an additional short syllable is also admitted: as,

"Âlëxïs yoüthful ploügh-bôy,

A Shepherdess adored,

Who loved fat Hodge, the cow-boy,

So t'other chap was floored."

4. The fourth form is made up of four Iambuses: as,

"Àdieü my boots, cômpàniôns old,

New footed twice, and four times soled;

My footsteps ye have guarded long,

Life's brambles, thorns, and flints among;

And now you're past the cobbler's art,

And fate declares that we must part.

Ah me! what cordial can restore

The gaping patch repatch'd before?

What healing art renew the weal

Of subject so infirm of heel?

What potion, pill, or draught control

So deep an ulcer of the sole?

5. The fifth species of English Iambic consists of five Iambuses: as,

You Côme, Tràgïc Müse, ïn tâttèr'd vést ârrày'd,

And while through blood, and mud, and crimes I wade,

Support my steps, and this, my strain, inspire

With Horror's blackest thoughts and bluest fire!"

The Epic of which the above example is the opening, will perhaps appear hereafter. This kind of Iambic constitutes what is called the heroic measure: – of which we shall have more to say by and by; but shall only remark at present that it, in common with most of the ordinary English measures, is susceptible of many varieties, by the admission of other feet, as Trochees, Dactyls, Anapaests, &c.

6. Our Iambic in its sixth form, is commonly called the Alexandrine measure. It consists of six Iambuses: as,

"His worship gâve thë word, ànd Snôoks was borne âwày."

The Alexandrine is sometimes introduced into heroic rhyme, and when used, as the late Mr. John Reeve was wont to say, "with a little moderation," occasions an agreeable variety. Thus the example quoted is preceded by the following lines: —

"What! found at midnight with a darkey, lit,

A bull-dog, jemmy, screw, and centre-bit

And tongueless of his aim? It cannot be

But he was bent, at least, on felony;

He stands remanded. 'Ho! Policeman A!'

His worship gave the word, and Snooks was borne away."

7. The seventh and last form of our Iambic measure is made up of seven Iambuses. This species of verse has been immortalised by the adoption of those eminent hands, Messrs. Sternhold and Hopkins. It runs thus: —

Goôd pëople âll, I prây dràw nëar, fôr yôu I needs müst têll,

That William Brown is dead and gone; the man you knew full well.

A broad-brimm'd hat, black breeches, and an old Welch wig he wore:

And now and then a long brown coat all button'd up before."

The present measure is as admirably adapted for the

Platform as for the Conventicle.

"My name it is Bill Scroggins, and my fate it is to die,

For I was at the Sessions tried and cast for felony.

My friends, to these my dying words I pray attention lend,

The public-house has brought me unto this untimely end."

Verses of this kind are now usually broken into two lines, with four feet in the first line, and three in the second: as,

"I wish I wëre â little pig

To wallow in the mire,

To eat, and drink, and sleep at ease

Is all that I desire."

Trochaic verse is of several kinds.

1. The shortest Trochaic verse in the English language consists of one Trochee and a long syllable: as,

"Billy Black

Got the sack."

Lindley Murray asserts that this measure is defective in dignity, and can seldom be used on serious occasions. Yet it is Pope who thus sings:

"Dreadful screams,

Dismal gleams.

Fires that glow,

Shrieks of woe," &c.

And for our own poor part, let us see what we can make out of a storm.

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2. The second English form of the Trochaic consists of two feet: as,

"Vermicelli,

Cürrànt jêlly."

It sometimes contains two feet, or trochees, with an additional long syllable: as,

"Youth inclined tô wed,

Go and shave thy head."

3. The third species consists of three trochees: as,

"Sing a song ôf sixpence.

Or of three trochees, with an additional long syllable: as,

"Thrice mÿ côat, hâve o'er thée rôll'd,

Summer hot and winter cold,

Since the Snip's creative art

Into being bade thee start;

Now like works the most sublime,

Thou displaty'st the power of time.

Broad grey patches plainly trace,

Right and left each blade-bone's place;

When thy shining collar's scann'd,

Punsters think on classic land:

Thread-bare sleeves thine age proclaim,

Elbows worn announce the same;

Elbows mouldy-black of hue,

Save where white a crack shines through;

While thy parting seams declare

Thou'rt unfit for farther wear —

Then, farewell! "What! Moses! ho!"

"Clo', Sir? clo', Sir? clo', Sir? clo'?"

4. The fourth Trochaic species consists of four trochees, as:

"Ugh! yôu little lümp ôf blübbër,

Sleep, oh! sleep in quiet, do!

Cease awhile your bib to slobber —

Cease your bottle mouth to screw.

"How I wish your eyelids never

Would unclose again at all;

For I know as soon as ever

You're awake, you're sure to squall.

"Dad and Mammy's darling honey,

Tomb-stone cherub, stuff'd with slops,

Let each noodle, dolt, and spooney

Smack, who will, your pudding chops.

"As for me, as soon I'd smother,

As I'd drown a sucking cat,

You, you cub, or any other,

Nasty little squalling brat."

"Would you, you disagreeable old Bachelor?"

This form may take an additional long syllable, but this measure is very uncommon. Example:

"Chrônônhôtônthôlôgôs the Great,

Godlike in a barrow kept his state."

5. The fifth Trochaic species is likewise uncommon; and, as a Bowbellian would say, "uncommon" ugly, It contains five trochees: as,

"Hëre lies Màrÿ, wife ôf Thômas Càrtër,

Who to typhus fever proved a martyr."

These are a specimen of the "uncouth rhymes" so touchingly alluded to by Gray.

6. The sixth form of the English Trochaic is a line of six trochees: as,

"Môst bëwitching damsel, charming Aràbéllâ,

Prithee, cast an eye of pity on a fellow."

The Dactylic measure is extremely uncommon. The following may be considered an example of one species of it:

"Cëlià thé crüël, resolv'd nôt tô mârry sôon,

Boasts of a heart like a fortified garrison,

Bulwarks and battlements keeping the beaux all off,

Shot from within knocking lovers like foes all off."

Anapaestic verses are of various kinds.

1. The shortest anapæstic verse is a single anapaest:

"In thë glass

There's an ass."

This measure, after all, is ambiguous; for if the stress of the voice be laid on the first and third syllables, it becomes trochaic. Perhaps, therefore, it is best to consider the first form of our Anapæstic verse, as made up of two anapaests: as,

"Sët â schôolbôy ât wôrk

With a knife and a fork."

And here if you like, you may have another short syllable: as,

"And hôw sôon thë yoüng glüttôn

Will astonish your mutton!"

2. The second species consists of three anapaests: as,

"Amàrÿllïs was slëndër ànd tail,

Colin Clodpole was dumpy and fat;

And tho' she did'n't like him at all,

Yet he doted on her for all that."

This metre is sometimes denominated sing-song.

3. The third kind of English Anapæstics may be very well exemplified by an Irish song:

"Hâve yôu e'er hàd thë lück tô sëe Dônnÿbrôok Fair?"

It consists, as will have been observed, of four ana-pæsts. Sometimes it admits of a short syllable at the end of the verse: as,

In the dëad ôf thë night, when with dire càtërwàuling

Of grimalkins in chorus the house-tops resound:

All insensibly drunk, and unconsciously sprawling

In the kennel, how pleasant it is to be found!"

The various specimens of versification of which examples have been given, may be improved and varied by the admission of secondary feet into their composition; but as we are not writing an Art of Poetry, we cannot afford to show how: particularly as the only way, after all, of acquiring a real knowledge of the structure of English verse, is by extensive reading. Besides, there yet remain a few Directions for Poetical Beginners, which we feel ourselves called upon to give, and for which, if we do not take care, we shall not have room.

The commencement of a poet's career is usually the writing of nonsense verses. The nonsense of these compositions is very often unintentional; but sometimes words are put together avowedly without regard to sense, and with no other view than that of acquiring a familiarity with metrical arrangement: as,

"Approach, disdain, involuntary, tell."

But this is dry work. It may be necessary to compose in this way just at first, but in our opinion, there is a good and a bad taste to be displayed even in writing nonsense verses; that is, verses which really deserve that name. We recommend the young poet to make it his aim to render his nonsense as perfect as —

It were manifestly culpable to make no mention, in a work of this sort, of certain measures which are especially and essentially, of a comic nature. Some of these have been already adverted to, but two principal varieties yet remain to be considered.

1. Measures taken from the Latin, in which the structure of the ancient verse, as far as the number and arrangement of the feet are concerned, is preserved, but the quantity of which is regulated in accordance with the spirit of our own language. The character of such verses will be best displayed by employing them on sentimental or serious subjects. Take, for example, Long and Short, or Hexameter and Pentameter verses.

"Jülïà, girl ôf my heart, ïs thàn jëssâmïne swëetër, ôr frësh mëads

Hày-côvër'd; whât rôse tints thôse ôn hër chëeks, thàt flôurish,

Approach? those bright eyes, what stars, what glittering dew-drops?

And oh! what Parian marble, or snow, that bosom?

If she my love return, what bliss will be greater than mine; but

What more deep sadness if she reprove my passion?

Either a bridegroom proud yon ivy-clad church shall receive me

Soon; or the cold church-yard me with its turf shall cover."

Or the Sapphic metre of which the late Mr. Canning's "Knife-Grinder" is so brilliant an example. Sappho, fair reader, was a poetess, who made love-verses which could be actually scanned. History relates that, for the sake of some unprincipled or unfeeling fellow, she committed felo de se.

"I can endüre this crüël pain nô lôngër;

Fare ye well, blue skies, rivers, fields, and song-birds!'

Thus the youth spoke; and adding,

'Oh, Jemima!' Plunged in the billow!"

2. Measures reducible to no rule, or Doggrel. Sternhold and Hopkins were illustrious as Doggrel writers.

Doggrel is commonly used by anonymous poets for the purpose of embodying the moral reflections which a homicide or an execution excites in the sensitive mind. May we hope that our remarks on Prosody will in some little degree tend to facilitate, perhaps to improve, the future treatment of those two deeply interesting subjects – Love and Murder?