Are' but the sol'einn dec'orations all'

Of the great tomb' of man."

THANATOPSIS.

Another means of varying and heightening the melody, is the cadence in which the verse is made to terminate at a full pause. In blank verse, the pause or full stop may take place on the first or any of the following syllables of the line. Of these, the most pleasing begin with a trochee; and of those, the most graceful terminate on the third, the fifth, or the seventh syllable. As Milton's:

"Sing", heavenly muse, that on the se'cret top-
Of O'reb or of Si'nai-didst inspire'—

That shepherd who-first taught' the chosen seed-
In' the begin'ning-how' the heaven and earth—
Rose" out of cha'os."

There is a similar cadence in the following passages:

"Whom he drew'

God's al'tar to disparage-and displace'-
For one' of Syrian make,—whereon to burn'-
His o'dious offerings-and adore the gods'-
Whom' he had van'quished."

"Advise if this be worth'

Attemp'ting, or to sit in dark'ness here

Hatch'ing vain em'pires."

Many of Milton's cadences commencing with a trochee, and terminating on the fourth syllable, are fine:

"The tow'ers of heaven are filled'—

With arm'ed watch,-that render all access'-
Impreg'nable. Oft' on the bordering deep'-
Encamp' their legions;—or, with ob'scure wing,-
Scout' far and wide-in'to the realm' of night,-
Scorn'ing surprise."

"Thrones' and imperial powers,-off'spring of heaven,— Ethe'rial virtues ;—or those ti'tles now

Must' we renounce, and, chang'ing style, be call'edPrin'ces of hell."

Those commencing with a trochee, and terminating on the sixth syllable, have a similar charm:

"Intermit' no watch

Against' a wakeful foe;-while' I abroad,

Through' all the coasts-of dark' destruc'tion seek

Deliver ́ance for us all. This en'terprize

None' shall partake with me.

"As' when heav'en's fire

Hath sca'thed the forest oaks—or moun'tain pines

With sing'ed top,—their stately growth, though bare',— Stands' on the blast'ed heath."

Those opening with a trochee, and closing on the seventh syllable, have still greater beauty:

"For this infer'nal pit-shall never hold— Celes'tial spir'its in bondage,-nor' the abyssLong' under dark'ness cover."

"He' above' the rest,—

In shape' and gesture-proudly em'inent,-
Stood' like a tower ;-his form' had not yet lost'-
All' her orig'inal brightness."

"Mil'lions of spiri'tual creatures-walk' the earthUnseen,' both when we wake' and when we sleep';All these' with cease'less praise-his works' beholdBoth day' and night.-How often' from the steep'And echo'ing hill—or thick'et have we heard' Celes'tial voices-to the mid'night air,'

Sole', or respon'sive,-each' to other's note'

Sing'ing their great' Creator!"

There is a beautiful example of this cadence in the passage from Homer:

"So' was the coun'cil sha'ken."

Those beginning with a trochee, and ending with the eighth syllable, have almost equal elegance:

"So bent' he seems

On des'perate revenge-that shall redound'-
Up'on his own rebel'lious head."

--

"For man' will hearken-to his gloz'ing lies,'—
And ea'sily transgress-the sole' command,-
Sole pledge' of his obe'dience.-So' will fall'—
He' and his faith'less pro'geny."

When the cadence falls on the last syllable of the line, its beauty is still greatly heightened by its commencing with a trochee :

"He spake';—and to confirm' his words out flew'-
Mil'lions of flaming swords,-drawn' from the thighs-
Of migh'ty cherubim.-The sudden blaze'—
Far round' illumined hell.-High'ly they raged-
Against' the Highest, and fierce' with grasp'ed arms—
Clash'ed on their sounding shields;—the din' of war—
Hurl'ing defi'ance-toward the vault' of heaven."

"The fiend' looked up and knew'

His mount'ed scale aloft ;-nor more,' but fled'—. Mur'muring, and with him fled' the shades' of night."

"We lose' the prime,-to mark' how springOur ten'der plants,-how blows' the citron grove,'What drops' the myrrh,—and what' the balmy reed',How na'ture paints her colors, how' the bee'—

Sits' on the bloom,-extract'ing liquid sweet."

Bryant's blank verse abounds with fine cadences of these several classes:

“These' dim vaults,

These wind'ing aisles,-of human pomp' or pride'
Report' not. No' fantas'tic carv'ings show

The boast' of our vain race,—to change the form'
Of thy fair works'."

"Noise'lessly around

From perch' to perch-the sol'itary bird

Pass'es."

"Nes'tled at his root'

Is beau'ty, such as blooms' not in the glare'

Of the broad sun'."

"These lof'ty trees

Wave' not less proud'ly—that their ancestors

Moul'der beneath them."

"Life mocks' the idle hate'

Of his arch enemy Death ;-yea, seats' himself
Upon the tyrant's throne,-the se'pulchre,