8, drama, prayer, from Lat, orare, 'to pray, through 0.F. 9. Soggens va passage in Montaigne: "There are countries where they veleve that the souls of the best live in all manner of liberty in delightful fields; and that what we call Echo is those souls repeating the words we utter (Moore's note). ፡፡ No. XXXIX. And thou art dead, as young and fair ← À MASTERLY example of Byron's command of strong thought and close reasoning in verse:-as the next is equally characaristic of Shelley's wayward intensity," (F.T.P.) The absolute simplicity of the language and the large proportion of monosyllables are remarkable, as is also the solemn elegiac cadence of the verse, suited to the expression of a grief that does not rebel, but sadly accepts the ruling of destiny. 18. That what I loved is now nothingness. 30. lours, frowns. Cp. 'lowering,' A.v. of Matthew xvi. 3. 60. a faint embrace. Cp. Soph. Ant. 1236, ès d' vypòv åyêŵv' ἔτ ̓ ἔμφρων παρθένῳ προσπτύσσεται, “ and still breathing clasps the maiden in a faint embrace." 71. endears, properly transitive, 'makes dear to me,' and so it may be here, governing 'more': but it may possibly be intransitive, 'is more dear to me.' No. XL. One word is too often profaned WRITTEN to Jane Williams, to whom also were dedicated two other poems in this collection, XCIII. (With a guitar) and cI. (The Recollection). Metre.-There are three couplet, two in the second. subtly mingled. accents in the first line of each The feet are anapaests and iambi 1. One word, love. One feeling, worship. desire of the moth for the star (1. 13). One hope, the 8. that must mean "love." Shelley's wish to keep this word back till the second stanza has led him into some obscurity of expression. No. XLI. Pibroch of Donuil Dhu "THIS is a very ancient pibroch belonging to Clan Macdonald, and supposed to refer to the expedition of Donald Balloch, who, in 1431, launched from the Isles with a considerable force, invaded Lochaber, and at Inverlochy defeated and put to flight the Earls of Mar and Caithness, though at the head of an army superior to his own. The words of the set theme or melody, to which the pipe variations are applied, run thus in Gaelic: "Piobaireachd Dhonuil Dhuidh, piobaireachd Dhonuil (ter); Piob agus bratach air faiche Inverlochi." "The pipe-summons of Donald the Black, the pipe summons of Donald; The war-pipe and the pennon are on the gathering-place at There is a magnificent description of such a summons and of the gathering of the clans in The Lady of the Lake, Canto iii. Metre.-First line two dactyls; second line dactyl and trochee. In the second stanza the metre disregards the division between the lines, as in the third stanza of XXIX.: the effect is the same an irresistible swiftness. In the first and third lines of the third stanza anapaests are substituted for dactyls: the change produces a slower movement appropriate to the stern solemnity of the lines. 1. Pibroch, from Gaelic piobaireachd, 'pipe-music,' a wild piece of martial music for performance on the bagpipes. 8. Gentles, men of 'gentle' or noble birth. 11. War-pipe, the bag-pipe, the national Scotch instrument for martial music. pennon, same word as 'pennant' (see note on LVIII. 3), a pointed flag formerly borne at the end of a spear or lance; or, in wider sense, used simply for 'flag.' 12. Inverlochy, near Fort William, Inverness. Montrose defeated Argyll here in 1645. 13. plaid (Gaelic word), a rectangular piece of woollen cloth worn as a garment by the Scotch Highlanders. The plaid was woven with the 'Tartan' or arrangement of colours indicating the clan. 24. targes, shields, from Lat. tergum, through French. "Target' is the same word. 40. knell, sound as a bell, toll. The verb is older than the substantive. No. XLII. A wet sheet and a flowing sea ALLAN CUNNINGHAM (1784-1842) began life as a stonemason's apprentice, and afterwards became clerk of the works to Chantrey, the sculptor. His writings in prose and verse are not, as a rule, of a very high order; but this sea-song holds a permanent place in English literature. 1. sheet, a rope by which a sail is handled. The original sense is 'projection' or that which shoots out, then a corner, especially of a garment or of a cloth; after which it was extended to mean a whole cloth or sheet. The nautical senses are found in the cognate Scandinavian words (Skeat). Flowing, advancing, rising. This sense is chiefly common in the phrase 'ebb and flow.' 2. follows. A following wind is obviously a favourable one. Compare the Latin secundus, favourable,' derived from sequor, 'to follow.' Virgil combines the original and derivative senses in Aeneid 1. 156: Flectit equos curruque volans dat lora secundo. 8. lee, on the sheltered side, away from the wind; Scandinavian word. 11. snoring. So the breeze is sometimes said to 'mutter' or 'growl.' 14. tight, water-tight; but it also expresses trimness, completeness. 17. hornéd, crescent-shaped. No. XLIII. Ye Mariners of England THIS stirring sea-song was written by Campbell to the tune of an older song, 'Ye Gentlemen of England,' composed by Martin Parker, 1630. Metre.-Observe the rapidity given by the double rhyme in the seventh line of each stanza. Compare the similar effect in lines 31, 45, 55, of Lord Ullin's Daughter (XVIII.). 15. Blake, Robert (1599-1657). The great English Admiral who won several victories over the Dutch and afterwards over the Spaniards in the time of the Commonwealth. Nelson, Horatio. Lord Nelson, the greatest of all English Admirals, born 1758, killed at the battle of Trafalgar Bay, in which he defeated the French and Spanish fleets, October 21, 1805. 21. bulwarks, originally the bole or trunk of a tree, then a rampart or fortification made of the trunks of trees. The Paris boulevards are broad streets occupying the site of ancient ramparts. The word is specially used (as in XLIV. 11) of the railboards or defences of a ship. 22. steep, adj. for subst., the cliffs. Cp. Milton, Hymn on Nativity, "The steep of Delphos "—a phrase afterwards used by Gray. 25. native oak, the wooden walls of old England,' the wooden ships, superseded by ironclads, which in turn have been replaced by vessels built of steel. 31. meteor, metaphor for simile: 'the flag of England shall still strike terror into her enemies like a terrible meteor, a sign of evil omen, burning in the midnight sky.' No. XLIV. Of Nelson and the North ONE of the noblest patriotic songs in the language, full of martial ardour, yet inspired with a magnanimity that is conspicuously absent from many popular war-poems. The metre is magnificently handled, and the solitary blemish in the poem is the introduction of the mermaid. The battle of the Baltic was fought off Copenhagen on April 2nd, 1801. "It resulted in the breaking up of the northern coalition against England, which had been one of Napoleon's most cherished schemes. After safely passing Cronenberg Castle, Nelson persuaded Parker to commence the attack without delay. Two days were spent by Nelson in sounding the King's Channel, which lies between Copenhagen and a large shoal, and is only three-quarters of a mile broad. Along the land side of this channel the Danes had ranged nineteen ships and floating batteries. Everything being in readiness, Nelson made the signal for action early in the morning of the 2nd. The action began at ten o'clock. Riou, with the frigates, at once attacked the Crown Batteries, and maintained the unequal contest for three hours, until he was killed. The battle raged for three hours without any apparent advantage being gained, and Sir Hyde Parker made the signal for recall. Nelson, affecting not to see it, continued the action, and about two o'clock the greater part of the Danish fire ceased. It was impossible, however, to take possession of the ships that struck, because they were protected by the batteries on shore. Nelson, wishing to save further bloodshed, sent ashore a flag of truce, saying that he must be allowed to take possession of the prizes, if only for the sake of the wounded men on board of them; and during the next day, Good Friday, the work still went on. The following days were spent by Nelson in maturing the negotiations, and on the 9th he succeeded in concluding an armistice for fourteen weeks, his object being to gain time to attack the Russians. The opportune death of the Czar Paul rendered any active hostility with that country unnecessary, and the armistice resulted in a treaty between England and the Northern Powers." -Dictionary of English History, Low and Pulling. Metre.-The feet are iambi varied with anapaests. The fifth line of the stanza presents some difficulty. Probably it is meant to consist of four feet, the last being an anapaest. But though there are always four emphatic syllables in each line, they do not always coincide with the verse accent, or respect the division into feet; e.g. the emphasis in lines 5, 32 requires us to read And her arms along the deep slowly boo'm. přo'udly shon'e. The fine metrical effect obtained is ample justification for the irregularity: the poet's instinct in a case like this is absolutely sound, more to be trusted than rules. compare Wordsworth in XIX. 6. 8. Prince. The Crown Prince of 10. leviathans, identified with the whale, and so b sea-beast Leviathan, that swim the ocea any huge monster 11. bulwarks |