Between two verses, even when closely connected in sensé

Ex. Deux fois de mon hymen le nœud mal assorti

A chassé tous les dieux du plus juste parti. Corneille.

3. A final nasal vowel (an, en, in, etc.) may be followed by a word beginning with a vowel.*

Ex. JjSifaim aux animaux ne faisait point la guerre. Boileau.

4. When a word ends in e mute preceded by a vowel, when this e is elided before a vowel there is an hiatus, which is permitted.

Ex. Hector tomba sous lui, Troie expira sous vous. Racine. Rem. Hiatus in the two preceding cases produces a disagreeable effect when two similar sounds are brought together by it.

Ex. Immolant trente mets à leur faim indomptable. Boileau. Roulât sur la pensée et non pas sur les mots. Id.

5. Words ending in r may be followed by a vowel even when the r is not pronounced.f

Ex. Je reprends sur-le-champ le papier et la plume. Boileau.

Rem. The above rule may be applied to any final consonant; but observe the note upon it.

Ex. L'an suivant elle mit son nid en lieu plus haut. La Fontaine.

6. The adverb oui, occurring twice in succession, is allowed in dialogue.

Ex. Oui, oui, vous nous contez une plaisante histoire. Molière.

7. The interjections ah, eh, oh, may be followed by a vowel, the final h being considered aspirated.

Ex. Ah! il faut modérer un peu ses passions. Molière.

* This produces an agreeable sound when the pronunciation unités the words, as un homme, on aime ; otherwise the sound is harsh and disagreeable, as Apollon en connaît; j'en avais un encore.

t This produces, as in the case of the nasals, an agreeable sound when the r is carried over to the next word, as le premier homme ; otherwise not, as in the case cited above from Boileau.

ERENCH VERSIFICATION.

ËLISION AND SYNJERESIS.

§ 30. When a word ends in e mute, and the next word of the verse begins with a vowel or unaspirated A, the e is elided in the pronunciation.

Ex. Ismène est auprès d'elle, Ismène, toute en pleurs. Racine.

This verse is scanned as follows :

Ismèri est auprès d'ell', Ismène, touf en pleurs.

Rem. 1. The mute e must be elided in the body of a verse when an accented vowel immediately précèdes it. Hence, les joies, les destinées, ils voient, ils prient, containing an e mute, which the final consonants do not allow to be elided, can only be placed at the end of a verse.

Rem. 2. The e mute, which characterizes féminine rhymes, never counts in the measure.

Ex. Que dans le Capitole elle voit attachées

Les dépouilles des juifs par vos mains arrachées. Racine.

Rem. 3. The féminine grande loses by apocope its final e before certain words, which usage has established : grand' mère, grand' salle, la grand' chambre, à grand' peine, etc. (Gr. p. 177. N.)

Rem. 4. The e mute may be omitted even before a consonant, and in the middle of a Word, to represent vulgar speech in the trivial style ; as

nous n' somm's pas ; d' la tête ; p'tit.

Rem. 5. Thee mute sometimes receives the tonic accent, as voyez-le, and should not then be elided,* at least in elevated style.

Rem. 6. An e mute sometimes merely lengthens the previous syllable, being pronounced with it by synœresis.

Ex. Avant la fin du jour vous me justifierez. Racine.

Note. Modéra orthography replaces thèse e mutes by a circumflex accent ; as j'avoûrai, je prîrais, paîment.

Rem. 7. The e mute counts for nothing in the measure in the verbal ending aient in the past progressive and conditional, and in the subjunctives aient and soient, from avoir and être. (See 5.)

Ex. Les présents du tyran soient le prix de sa mort. Corneille.

* This elision took place in the older poets, and even as late as the âge of Louis XIV., but only in the familiar style.

Ex. Condamnez-^ à l'amende, ou, s'il le casse, au fouet. Racine.

ENJAMBEMENT

ENJAMBEMENT

§ 31. Enjambement takes place when the sensé commence d in one verse is finish ed in a portion of the folio wing. This is forbidden in the alexandrine verse, especially in elevated style. Boileau ascribes to Malherbe the crédit of having established this rule, in thèse Unes :

Les stances avec grâce apprirent à tomber, Et le vers sur le vers n'osa plus enjamber.

Rem. 1. Enjambement is permitted when to the words carried over an explanatory or limiting phrase is added, which complètes the verse.

Ex. Oui, j'accorde qu'Auguste a droit de conserver

L'empire, où sa vertu l'a fait seule arriver. Corneille.

Rem. 2. Enjambement is also allowed when there is a suspension or interruption.

Ex. N'y manquez pas du moins, j'ai quatorze bouteilles

D'un vieux vin. . . . Boucingot n'en a pas de pareilles.

Boileau.

Rem. 3. Enjambement is not so strictly forbidden in the familiar style, i. e., in comedy, fables, stories, familiar letters, &c.

Rem. 4. Enjambement is frequently permitted in the pentameter, or verse of ten syllables.