156.

f. Ottava Rima,-eight iambic pentameters, the first six rhyming alternately, the last two in succession. Examples: Shelley, p. 15; Keats, p. Ottava Rima was introduced by Surrey from the Continent, where it has long been a favorite measure. Pulci used it for his Morgante Maggiore, and Byron for his translation of the same, and in his Don Juan; Ariosto for his Orlando Furioso; Tasso for his Gierusalemme Liberata; the great poets of Spain and Portugal for their epics.

g. Spenserian stanza,-eight iambic pentameters rhyming at intervals, closed with a rhyming hexameter or Alexandrine.' The latter name was applied to a 6-iambic line from the fact that early romances on Alexander the Great were written in this metre. Drayton's Polyolbion is written in Alexandrines. The Spenserian stanza is used by Spenser (Faerie Queene), Beattie (Minstrel), and Byron (Childe Harold). For examples, see Byron, p. 64, 266.

h. The Sonnet. For the origin of the Sonnet, see Symonds, p. 91; for structure and examples see p. 93. Elsewhere throughout the FIFTH READER will be found many magnificent examples of the Sonnet; see also Blanco White in FOURTH READER, p. 236.

i. The Ode proper is distinguished by its irregular measures (cf. 3, II.); for critical examinations of this form of poetry, see p. 172, 164.

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8. CÆSURA OR METRICAL PAUSE.-Besides the pause which occurs at the end of each line of poetry, and which, indeed, originally caused poetry to be written in verses " rather than in continuous lines,-a metrical pause or "Cæsura" also occurs once, and sometimes oftener, in the body of every harmonious verse. The cæsura may or may not coincide with a punctuated pause, but in the best poets it coincides with a natural pause in the sense. The English cæsura differs from the Latin and the Greek in never dividing a word; it uniformly follows an emphatic word or syllable, unless that syllable be the first of a long word or be followed by short monosyllables. In Pope's versification the constant recurrence of the cæsura at or near the middle of the lines, and generally after long syllables (see Pope, p. 23, 347, 389) gives a cloying sweetness. Shakspeare, Milton, Wordsworth, and Keats afford a rich variety in their cæsuras. Take for example this famous passage from the Merchant of Venice, Act iv., scene 1:

:

"The quality of Mercy | is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed;
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch | better than his crown;
It is an attribute | to God himself."

9. PRINCIPAL FIGURES OF SPEECH (alphabetically arranged): I. Allegory, a narrative with figurative meaning: e.g. Spenser's Faerie Queene; Landor's Love, Sleep, and Death, p. 459-461. II. Alliteration, the recurrence, at short intervals, of the same letter. III. Allusion, "Fling but a stone, the giant dies," an allusion to David and Goliath. IV. Anacoluthon, a broken sentence. V. Anagram, transposition of the letters of a word so as to form a new word: e.g. live, vile, evil. VI. Anaphora, the repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive sentences or clauses. Frequent in Pope (see p. 23, 24, 348). VII. Anthithesis, contrast. VIII. Antonomasia, the use of a proper for a common name or vice versa; or the description of a person by his employment, etc. e.g. "Some village Hampden," Hampden for patriot. IX. Apologue, a fable; story with a moral. X. Aposiopēsis, leaving a sentence unfinished for artistic effect. XI. Apostrophe, a direct address substituted for a narrative in the 3rd person. XII. Asynděton, the

omission of connectives; e.g. "I came, saw, conquered "-opposed to Polysynděton, or a multiplicity of connectives. XIII. Circumlocution, the use of an unnecessary number of words to convey an idea. XIV. Climax, the ascent of a subject from a lower to a higher interest; opposed to AntiClimax, which is the descent from a higher to a lower. XV. Ellipsis, an omission of one or more words; e.g. "Impossible!" XVI. Enallage, the use of one part of speech for another, or of one number, mood, etc., for another. XVII. Epigram, a pointed saying, often expressed in terms that seem to be contradictory. XVIII. Epizeuxis, emphatic repetition of a word. XIX. Erotesis, passionate interrogation. XX. Euphemism, a gentle term used to describe what is disagreeable. XXI. Hyperbăton, change of proper grammatical order. XXII. Hyperbole, exaggeration. XXIII. Irony, the use of language whose intended meaning is the opposite of the literal. XXIV. Litotes, a strong affirmation by means of a double negation. XXV. Metaphor, an implied comparison. XXVI. Metonymy, the description of anything by means of some accompaniment; e.g. redcoats for "soldiers." XXVII. Onomatopeia, an imitation of sound or motion (see Pope, p. 23) in the words used. XXVIII. Oxymoron, the use of terms apparently contradictory for purposes of emphasis. XXIX. Paronomasia, a play upon words, a pun. XXX. Paraphrase, the expansion of a passage as opposed to translation and close rendering. XXXI. Personification, the attributing of life and mind to inanimate things. XXXII. Simile, a comparison directly expressed. XXXIII. Synecdoche, a putting a part for the whole (or vice versa); e.g. Ten sail for ten ships. XXXIV. Tautology, saying the same thing twice. XXXV. Transferred Epithet, the application of an epithet to something kindred rather than to its own proper word; e.g. Hence to his idle bed." XXXVI. Vision, the calling up of a scene in bodily presence, as in Byron's Dying Gladiator, I see before me, etc., p. 64.

10. GENERAL QUESTIONS.

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[The Questions are upon the Text, Notes, and Supplementary Memoranda.]

The following questions are suggested as applicable to the Reading Lessons generally :

I. Give a brief literary analysis of the passage or passages indicated. II. Reconstruct in your own words one or more of the passages thus analyzed.

III. Now read with proper emphasis and expression, so as to bring out distinctly the author's meaning.

IV. Who is the author of the selection; and when did he live?

V. At what age (if the data are furnished) was this selection first published? Mention anything else from the author's pen.

VI. After consulting your Manual of English Literature and the Memoranda of Living Authors (p. 481) give a brief outline of the author's career.

VII. Mention any incidents in the author's history, or any personal peculiarities, that may have tinted his style, influenced his point of view, or controlled his general treatment of the subject. Try whether you can discover any evidence in the passage now before you.

VIII. What Figures of Speech (9) occur in the selection, and which of them most frequently?

IX. Endeavor to express the author's special qualities of style.

X. Point out what appear to you excellences in the way of (a) harmonious succession of words; (b) clearness of expression; (c) vigor of thought; (d) vivid or picturesque description; (e) effective contrasts, etc.

XI. Point out what appear to you defects (if any) in the way of :

(a) discordant succession of words; (b) obscurity or ambiguity; (c) weak or commonplace treatment; (d) turgid or bombastic writing; (e) circumlocution; (f) tautology; (g) diffuseness; (h) mixing of metaphors; (i) grammatical errors, etc.

XII. Explain the literary and the historical allusions.

XIII. If a topographical description occurs, draw a sketch-map to illustrate the narrative.

XIV. Give the grammatical analysis of the sentences indicated.

XV. Arrange the words of a given passage into groups according to the languages to which they have been traced.

XVI. Distinguish those words (if any) which have undergone (a) changes of form, or (b) changes of meaning, since their first appearance in our language.

[On questions of philology the student will do well to consult Skeat's Etymological Dictionary.]

11. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR POETICAL READINGS.

[Consult the Introductory Notes.]

XVII. In what metre is this passage written? Point out metrical irregularities (if any) and account for them.

XVIII. If in rhyming verse, what name is applied to the stanza or other rhyme-combination? By what authors has it been used?

XIX. Point out false or defective rhymes (if any); also double or triple rhymes (if any).

XX. In the passage indicated (especially if blank verse) mark the posi tion of the cæsuras.

12. (P. 13.) SUNRISE IN THE LATMIAN FOREST.-John Keats.

Example of Literary Analysis.

1. Position and extent of the forest:

Upon the sides of Latmos was outspread
A mighty forest;

Where no man went;

and if from shepherd's keep A lamb strayed far a-down those inmost glens,

(d) for such a loss the shepherd was well recompensed:

ay, great his gains

Who thus one lamb did lose.

V. The altar of Pan, the god of shepherds:

1. Decked for the morning sacrifice:

Stems thronging all around between the swell
Of tuft and slanting branches:

Full in the middle of this pleasantness
There stood a marble altar,