Utinam modo nos tră rědi rent. In mō rēs tēm pără pris|cōs. IAMBIC MEASURES. Boeth. 17. The iambic trimeter or senarius consists of three iambic measures or six iambic feet; as, Suis et ipsă Rō❘mă vi❘rībūs | rŭit. Horat. The pure iambic measure was seldom used by the Latin poets. To give to this metre greater slowness and dignity, they introduced spondees into the first, third and fifth feet; and in every foot except the last, which was always an iambus, a long syllable was often changed into two short syllables, so that an anapest or a dactyle was often used for a spondee, and a tribrac for an iambus, and, sometimes, a proceleusmatic was found in the first foot; as, Quò quò scelesti rùitis aūt | cur dextĕrīs. Horat. The writers of comedy, satire, and fables, admitted the spondee, or a foot equal to it, into the second and fourth feet, as well as the first, third and fifth, and a proceleusmatic in the first foot; as, Tuo pǎlātō clau sūs pā|vo pās citūr. Petron. Amit tit měrĭ to proprium qui ăli ēnum appětit. Super ětilām jāc tās tegě rẻ quōd | jubēt | půdōr. Phædrus. 18. The scazon, or choliambus, or lame iambic, is the iambic trimeter with a spondee in the sixth foot, and generally an iambus in the fifth; as, Cur in theatrum Cătă | sěvērě vē❘nīsti? Mart. 19. The iambic tetrameter, or octonarius, or quadratus, a measure used by the comic poets, consists of four iambic measures or eight iambic feet, subject to the same variations as the iambic trimeter; as, Nunc hic dies | ălĭām | vitam affert, ălilōs mōrēs postulat. Terent. 20. The iambic tetrameter catalectic, or Hipponactic, is the iambic tetrameter, deprived of its last syllable, and always having an iambus in the seventh foot; as, Déprén să nā vis in | mări | vēsā niën të vën to. Catull. 21. The iambic trimeter catalectic, or Archilochian, is the iambic trimeter with an iambus in the fifth foot, and wanting the final syllable in the sixth foot; as, Vocă tús at que nõn | võcā tūs aù dit. Horat. 22. The iambic dimeter consists of two iambic measures or four iambic feet, but it admits the same variations as the iambic trimeter; as, Forti sequé mur pēc tore. Cănĭdi ă trac tāvīt | dāpēs. Vidē rě propě rantēs | domūm. Horat. 23. The iambic dimeter hypermeter is the iambic dimeter, with the third foot generally a spondee, and having an odd syllable after the fourth foot; as, Vēnā tor in campis | nivālis. Horat. 24. The iambic dimeter acephalous is the iambic dimeter, having most commonly an iambus in every foot, and always wanting the first syllable; as, Truditur dies | die. Horat. 25. The iambic dimeter catalectic, or Anacreontic, is the dimeter iambic, wanting the final syllable, and having an jambus in the third foot; as, Lex hæc | dăta ēst | cădū cis, Děō juben tě, mēm bris, Mědíca bilis voluptas. Prudentius. 26. The Galliambus consists of two catalectic dimeters, having, in general, a spondee or an anapest in the first foot of the first dimeter, and a tribrac in the second foot of the second dimeter, the final syllable of the second dimeter being omitted; as, Super altă vectus ā tys||cělĕri | rătě mă|rĭā. TROCHAIC MEASURES. Catull. 27. The most common trochaic metre is the tetrameter or Octonarius catalectic, and it consists of seven feet followed by an odd syllable, the last foot being always a trochee, while most of the other feet are liable to the same variations as the feet in iambic measures; as, Pūlchriļūs mūl|tō pă|rārī | quām crĕ|ārī | nōbīlēm. Auson. Dănăi des colitě | vēstrās | hic dilēs quæ rīt mă|nūs. Seneca. 28. The Sapphic verse, invented by the poetess Sappho, consists of five feet, the first a trochee, the second a spondee and sometimes a trochee, the third a dactyle, and the fourth and fifth trochees; as, Cæteris mājōr tibi | miles | impăr. Horat. The strophe or stanza, in which Sappho composed her verses, consists of three Sapphic verses followed by an adonic: its elegance and sweetness made it popular among the Latin poets, and caused it to be often introduced into their elegiac verses. 29. The Phalacian or hendecasyllabic verse consists of five feet, the first of which is generally a spondee, though it is sometimes an iambus or a trochee, the second a dactyle, and the three others trochees; as, Nōn est vivěrě | sēd vă lērě | vită. Martial. 30. The trochaic dimeter consists of four feet, the first and two last of which are always trochees, and the second a trochee, spondee, dactyle, or anapest; as, Non făcit quod | ōptăt | ipsě Ore torvō commi|nāntēs. CHORIAMBIC MEASURES. Boeth. 31. The choriambic pentameter consists of a spondee, three choriambi, and an iambus; as, Ætās | carpe diem | quām mīnĭmūm | crēdŭlă pōs|těrō. Horat. 32. The choriambic tetrameter consists of three choriambi or feet of equal length, followed by a bacchic; as, Omně němūs | cùm flŭvĭis | ōmně cănāt | profúndūm. Cui rěsĕrātă mūgiūnt | aūrĕă claustră mundi. Claud. Serenus. 33. The Alcaic epichoriambic tetrameter acatalectic con sists of the second epitrit, two choriambi, and a bacchic; as, Tē deōs ōrō Sỹbărin | cūr pròpĕrēs | ămândō. Horat. 34. The Asclepiadic tetrameter, invented by the poet Asclepiades, consists of a spondee, two choriambi, andan iambus; as, Mācē nās ǎtǎvis editě rē gibūs. Horat. The first foot of this verse is sometimes a dactyle; as, Effŭgiļum ēt misèrōs ¦ libĕră mōrs ¦ võcet. Seneca. This method of scanning the Asclepiadic may be considered as the most correct: it has, however, been sometimes scanned in a different manner, the first foot being made a spondee, the second a dactyle followed by an odd syllable, and the last two feet dactyles; as, Mæcēnās ǎtǎvis | ēdítě | rēgībūs. Horat. 35. The choriambic trimeter or Glyconic consists of three feet, the first a spondee, an iambic, or a trochee, the second a choriambus, and the third an iambic; as, 36. The choriambic trimeter catalectic or Pherecratic is the Glyconic deprived of its final syllable, and sometimes having an anapest in the first foot; as, 38. The ionic a majore or Sotadic consists of three ionics a majore and a spondee: the ionic feet are, however, frequently changed into dichorees, and a long syllable into two short syllables; as, Vocalía quædam měmo rant consonă | quædam. Terentian. Hās cùm gěmi nă compědě | dêdĭcāt că|tēnās, Sātūrně, tibi Zõilūs, | ānnŭlōs pri|ōrēs. Martial. 39. The ionic a minore consists of three or four feet, which are all ionics a minore; as, Puĕr ālēs tibi tēlās | opěrōsæque Minervæ. COMPOUND METRES. Horat. 40. The greater Alcaic consists of two iambic feet, which are sometimes changed into spondees, and an odd syllable, followed by a choriambus and an iambus; as, Vides ut alta | stēt nivě can dĭdūm, Horat. 41. The Archilochian heptameter consists of the dactylic tetrameter a priore, followed by three trochees; as, Nunc děcět aut viridi niti dūm căput impě dirě | mỹrto. Horat. 42. The dactylico-trochaic tetrameter or lesser Alcaic consists of two dactyles, followed by two trochees; as, Lēviǎ pērsonu ērē | sāxă. Horat. The preceding account of the metres in the most common use among the Latin poets will, it is presumed, be found both comprehensive and accurate. The student, who is desirous of more extensive information on this subject, may consult with advantage Carey's Latin Prosody. In their lyric compositions, the Latin poets seldom confined themselves to one species of verse, but, for the sake of greater variety and harmony, they generally introduced two, and sometimes three different measures into the same ode. This change of metre is found in almost all the lyrics of Horace, and has contributed much to the beauty of his poetry. The first thirty of the following exercises are designed to be scanned; the succeeding thirty-four require the order of the words to be changed, in order to the lines being formed into verses; the remaining exercises are intended to be translated. The figures prefixed to the exercises refer to the metres of the verses contained in them. |