This mètre is but rarely employed alone
Ex. Dans la plaine Naît un bruit ; C'est l'haleine De la nuit. Hugo.
51. Verses of two syllables are still more rare, and are generally mingled with longer measures.
Ex. Nous pouvons nous rendre sans bruit
Au pied de ce château dès la petite pointe Du jour.
La surprise à l'ombre étant jointe,
Nous rendra sans hasard maîtres de ce séjour. La Fontaine. 1. This mètre is but rarely employed alone.
Ex. Murs, ville, Et port, Asile De mort, Mer grise Où brise La brise ;
Tout dort. Hugo.
§ 52. Verses of one syllable may be mingled with longer measures.
Ex. Et l'on voit des commis Mis
Comme des princes, Qui jadis sont venus Nus
De leurs provinces. Panard.
§53. Free verses (vers libres) are those in which the poet mingles at will various measures, in such a manner as to produce an effect agreeable to the cultivated ear. The measures which mingle most gracefully are verses of twélve and of eiffht syllables, and those of twélve and six.
Ex. Sortez, ombres, sortez de la nuit éternelle ; Voyez le jour pour le troubler ; Que l'affreux Désespoir, que la Eage cruelle Prennent soin de vous rassembler.
STANZAS
Avancez, malheureux coupables, Soyez aujourd'hui déchaînés ; Goûtez l'unique bien des cœurs infortunés,
Ne soyez pas seuls misérables. Quinault.
1. Verses of seven syllables do not combine harmoniously with those of eight or of twelve, and in gênerai, two mètres, one of whieh has one syllable more than the other, should not be placed in succession.
2. Verses of ten syllables should not be combined with those of twelve in the régulai* stanza; and verses of ten do not readily unité with those of eight
STANZAS
§ 54:. Stanza (from an Italian word signifying repose) is a succession of verses forming complète sensé ; and the term stanzas is especially applied to a pièce of poetry composed of a certain number of stanzas.
1. Stanzas are irregular or regular : the former belong to free verses (53), and the latter présent a fixed number of verses, and are subject, as to the mètre and the arrangement of the rhymes, to a regular rule which is observed throughout the poem.
2. In odes stanzas are called strophes, and in songs, couplets.
3. In pièces of poetry entitled stanzas, each stanza contains generally four, five, or six verses.
4. A stanza of four verses is called a quatrain, of six verses, a sixain, of eight a huitain or an octave, and of ten a dixain or dizain.
5. Stanzas may employ a single measure, or several measures combined : in the former case they are called isometrical, and in the latter they usualîy consist of alexandrines combined with verses of eight syllables, or of six.
