་ཊྛ METRES AND VERSES. METRES. I. Alcaic Metre or Strophe:-two Alcaic hendecasyllables, an Alcaic enneasyllable, and an Alcaic decasyllable. Odes 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20. II. First Asclepiadean Strophe or Stanza :-three lesser Asclepiad verses followed by a Glyconic. Ode 12. III. Sapphic Metre or Strophe:-three Sapphic hendecasyllables, and an Adonius. Odes 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 16. IV. Trochaic Metre:-a Trochaic dimeter catalectic followed by an Iambic trimeter catalectic. Ode 18. VERSES. Verses are either simple or compound. A simple verse is one consisting of feet of the same kind or their legitimate representatives. A compound verse is one in which a verse of one kind is subjoined to a verse of a different kind, this latter being termed the "Base (Báois, in the meaning of "a foundation"). A verse written in diodía (except the Anapæstic), or in feet of four syllables, and complete in itself, having nothing wanting and nothing over, is called acatalectic (ἀκαταληκτικός, not leaving off"). One that is short of a single syllable is termed catalectic (KaтaλNKTĭKós, "leaving off"); of two syllables, brachycatalectic (Bpaxvκαταληκτικός, leaving off short "); of three syllablesin other words having one syllable only beyond the preceding measure-hypercatalectic (Vπеρкатαληktĭkós, 66 leaving off excessively "). N.B. Casura (casura, "a cutting "; hence "a pause or division in a verse) is the interruption of the rhythm of a line by the end of a word occurring in the course of a foot, and is here marked by an asterisk (*). Incision (incisio, in the force of "division, a cutting asunder ") is the termination of a foot simultaneously with the close of a word, and is here indicated by two perpendicular lines . A Base is distinguished by the figure + being placed after its last syllable. SIMPLE AND COMPOUND VERSES. vii SIMPLE VERSES. N.B. The last syllable of a verse is considered common, and hence is not marked in the following examples. 1. Adonius or Adonic Verse:-a dactylic dimeter, of which the first foot must be a dactyl, the other a spondee or trochee : Splendeat ūsu. 2. Alcaic enneasyllable (line of nine syllables) :—an Iambic trimeter hypercatalectic. Strictly, the first foot should be a spondee: cæsura occurs at the third half foot, and incision at the close of the third foot: Cui laūrus* @ tērnōs || hõnōr|es. There are occasional departures from this arrangement: e.g. Res ōr dina ris grānd|ē mū|nus. 3. Trochaic dimeter catalectic (= four trochees less by one syllable): Lärgtöra flagito. 4. Iambic trimeter catalectic (= six iambi less by one syllable), with cæsura at the fifth half foot (penthemimeral casura) :-in the first and third feet a spondee may be used: Měa | rěnid\ět* in | děmô | lăcūnar Ignotus her es reglam occupavi. A tribrach is also found as the representative of a short and long syllable: Rēgum que pueris* nēc | sătell|ès Orc|i. COMPOUND VERSES. 1. VERSE with a DACTYLIC BASE. Alcaic decasyllable (line of ten syllables):-two dactyls as base, followed by two trochees (trochaic monometer): Supposi tōs ciner + |ī dŏl\ōso. Dalmatic o pěpěr + |īt triumpho. 2. VERSES with a SPONDAIC BASE. a. Lesser Asclepiad Verse:-a spondee as base, followed by two choriambi and an iambus. Incision takes place at the close of the first choriambus. Cantus +mē võluit || dicěrě lucidum. b. Glyconic Verse:—a spondee as base, followed by a choriambus and an iambus. Āptă + |rī cithăræ | mŏdis. Fulgens contrěmuit | domus. 3. VERSES with a TROCHAIC BASE. Sapphic hendecasyllable (line of eleven syllables) :-a trochaic monometer, of which the second foot is always a spondee, as base; followed by a dactyl and two trochees. Cæsura properly takes place at the first syllable of the dactyl. Nullus argent +ō* color | ēst ǎvāris Abditō tērr +is* inĭm\īcě | lāmnæ. The cæsura sometimes, yet rarely, occurs after the first short syllable of the dactyl. Flūměn | et régn +làtă* pět làm Lặc ông. 4. VERSE with IAMBIC BASE. Alcaic hendecasyllable (line of eleven syllables) :—an iambic dimeter hypercatalectic as base, followed by a choriambus and an iambus. Incision takes place at the end of the base, Făm nunc | mināc + ī || mūrmůrě cōrn|ŭum. The base being iambic, an iambus might be expected to be at least frequent in the first foot. This, however, is rarely the case, the spondee being generally employed. Q. HORATI FLACCI CARMINUM LIBER SECUNDUS. I. MOTUM ex Metello consule civicum, Nondum expiatis uncta cruoribus, Paulum severæ Musa tragœdiæ Insigne mæstis præsidium reis 5 10 15 B ༈ Jam nunc minaci murmure cornuum Terret equos equitumque vultūs. Audire magnos jam videor duces Præter atrocem animum Catonis. Juno, et deorum quisquis amicior Tellure, victorum nepotes Rettulit inferias Jugurthæ. Quis non Latino sanguine pinguior Campus sepulcris impia prælia Testatur, auditumque Medis Hesperiæ sonitum ruinæ ? Qui gurges, aut quæ flumina lugubris Quæ caret ora cruore nostro ? Sed ne, relictis, Musa procax, jocis, Mecum Dionæo sub antro Quære modos leviore plectro. II. NULLUS argento color est avaris 20 25 30 35 40 |