son is often careless and languid; and is much outdone by Bishop Atterbury in the music of his periods. Dean Swift despised musical arrangement altogether. Burke excels in harmonious periods. Johnson's style is generally pompous, sometimes lofty, and always Latinised. Corol. Hitherto we have considered agreeable sound, or modulation, in general. It yet remains to treat of a higher beauty of this kind; the sound adapted to the sense. The former was no more than a simple accompaniment, to please the ear; the latter supposes a peculiar expression given to the music. We may remark two degrees of it first, the current of sound, adapted to the tenour of a discourse: next, a particular resemblance effected between some object, and the sounds that are employed in describing it. 224. First, the current of sound may be adapted to the tenour of a discourse. Sounds have, in many respects, a correspondence with our ideas partly natural, partly the effect of artificial associations. Hence it happens, that any one modulation of sound continued, imprints on our style a certain character and expression. Illus. Sentences constructed with the Johnsonian fullness and swell, produce the impression of what is important, magnificent, sedate; for this is the natural tone which such a course of sentiment assumes. But they suit no violent passion, no eager reasoning, no familiar address. These always require measures brisker, easier, and often more abrupt. And, therefore, to swell, or to let down the periods, as the subject demands, is a very important rule in oratory. No one tenour whatever, supposing it to produce no bad effect from satiety, will answer to all different compositions; nor even to all the parts of the same composition. It were as absurd to write a panegyric, and an invective, in a style of the same cadence, as to set the words of a tender love-song to the air of a war-like march. Corol. What is requisite, therefore, is, that we previously fix, in our mind, a just idea of the general tone of sound which suits our subject; that is, which the sentiments we are to express, most naturally asume, and in which they most commonly vent themselves; whether round and smooth, or stately and solemn, or brisk and quick, or interrupted and abrupt. 225. But, besides the general correspondence of the current of sound with the current of thought, there may be a more particular expression attempted, of certain objects, by means of resembling sounds. This can be sometimes accomplished in prose composition; but there only in a more faint degree; now is it there so much expected. In poetry, chiefly, it is looked for; when attention to sound is more demanded, and where the inversions and liberties of poetical style give us a greater command of euphony. CHAPTER X. RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN SOUND AND SENSEINVERSION. 226. THE Sounds of words may be employed for representing, chiefly, three classes of objects; first, other sounds; secondly, motion; and, thirdly, the emotions and passions of our mind. Illus. Though two motions have no connection, yet in many particulars they may be said to have a resemblance. The motions of a vortex and a whirlwind are perfectly similar. All mankind have felt the analogy between dancing and music. All quick, or slow, or difficult motions, though performed in different circumstances, and by different agents, may in loose phraseology be said to resemble one another. Spoken language is a collection of successive and significant sounds, uttered by the speaker; composition is a certain series of those sounds, indicated by a particular sign to each (Art. 37.) which can be run over by the reader and it is obvious, that the motion of the voice of the speaker or the reader may resemble most other motions, at least in the general properties of quickness, slowness, ease, or difficulty. This is the foundation of the resemblance that takes place between the sound and the sense, in the construction of language. 227. Words or sentences consisting chiefly of short syllables, and of course pronounced with rapidity, bear an analogy to quick motion, and may fairly be said to form a resemblance of it; as, impetuosity, preeipitation. Example 1. Virgil describes a horse at full gallop, in the following picturesque line. "Quadrupedanta putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum." Example 2. The same author paints the rapid fight of a pigeon hastening to her nest. "Radit iter liquidum celeres neque commovet alas." 223. The English heroic verse affords not a proper picture of quick motion. It is limited to ten syllables, while the hexameter may extend from thirteen to seventeen. The hexameter acquires this advantage by the admission of five feet of dactyles, which throw into the line a large proportion of short syllables; and the preceding lines of Virgil are pertinent examples. The English heroic verse cannot augment the number of its syllables, and preserve its measure. The only resource left to our poets in this case is, to employ an Alexandrine line, consisting of twelve syllables. Illus. Pope has frequently adopted this expedient, but with little success; for of all the poetical lines we have, the Alexandrine is perhaps the slowest, as it consists generally of monosyllables, which, to be understood, must be slowly pronounced. This was Pope's own opinion; for, he observes, in his Essay on Criticism, that "A needless Alexandrine ends the song, And like a wounded snake drags its slow length along. Example. But Pope, notwithstanding, makes use of this verse to describe quick motion. "Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain, Flies o'er th' unbending corn, and skims along the main." Analysis. It is probable, that this great poet sacrificed, on this and some other similar occasions, a portion of his own taste to gratify the public ear. He was conscious the verse was faulty, but perhaps concluded, that many of his readers would take for a beauty, what was really a blemish; that those who could discern the error, would discern also the proper apology for it; or would allow him, when he could not imitate a quick motion, to approach it as near as possible, by substituting in its place the continuance of a slow one. 229. A word consisting of long syllables, or a sentence of monosyllables, may resemble solemn, harsh, or difficult motion, as forewarn, mankind. Example 1. Thus Pope, in his Essay on Criticism, "But when loud surges lash the sounding shore, The hoarse rough verse should like the torrent roar." Example 2. Again, "With many a weary step, and many a groan, Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone." Analysis. The last line possesses uncommon beauty; for, besides that the words are all monosyllables, which renders a pause necessary after each of them in the pronunciation, the artful repetition of the aspiration paints very forcibly the loss of breath under which Sisyphus might be supposed to labour from the violent exertion of his force. This circumstance is not in the original, which also possesses extraordinary merit. Homer fixes his attention on the muscular exertions, and the motions of Sisyphus. He has, however, the advantage of bis translator, by the superiority of his language gives him, in contrasting the slow and difficult motion upwards, with the rapid and furious motion downwards*. 230. Pope employs again the Alexandrine to describe the motion downward. Example. The huge round stone resulting with a bound, Thunders impetuous down, and smokes along the ground.' 231. Easy or smooth motion may be painted by a succession of soft and harmonious sounds. Example. "Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows, And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows." 232. Virgil describing the -the nymph Egle, says, Pope's Essay on Criticism. gay and easy motion of Example. "Addit se sociam, timidisque supervenit Ægle." 233. Pope has been very successful in contrasting the two kinds of motion last mentioned. In the first four lines of the following quotation, he ridicules the affected pomp and harshness of the versification of *The lines in the original run thus: σε Και μην Σίσυφον ειςεἶδον κρατερ' άλεγε έχοντα Ητοι ο μεν μαλα σκεπτομεν χερσιν τε ποσεν σε N Sir Richard Blackmore. In the last four lines, he With gun, drum, trumpet, blunderbuss, and thunder? Let Carolina smoothe the tuneful lay And sweetly flow o'er all the royal line." * 234. Violent or slow motions may be imitated by abrupt and heavy, or harsh words and lines, as horrid, harrow, hoarse. Example. Again, Pope: Loud sounds the air, redoubling strokes on strokes, O'er hills, o'er dales, o'er craggs, o'er rocks they go." "When Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw, Essay on Criticism, 370. 235. Virgil, describing the efforts of the Cyclops in forming the thunder, thus sings: "Illi inter sese magna vi brachia tollunt." (Geor. 4.) 236. Words may be so modulated, that their sound shall be expressive of the dispositions and emotions of the mind Accordingly, a verse or line, composed mostly of monosyllables, or of long syllables, and of course slowly pronounced, prompts the notion of dignity and solemnity. Pope thus describes Nes tor: |