"Nor is Osiris seen In Memphian grove or green Trampling the unshowered grass with lowings loud." The later poets present equally striking examples: as"The master saw the madness rise."-DRYDEN. "With woful measures wan Despair, Low, sullen sounds his grief beguiled."-COLLINS. "Ne'er sighed at the sound of a knell, Or smiled when a Sabbath appeared."-Cowper. "Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon, How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair?"-Burns. "She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies."-BYRON. "Britannia needs no bulwarks, No towers along the steep; Her march is o'er the mountain waves, Her home is on the deep."-Campbell. "Where furious Frank and fiery Hun Shout in their sulphurous canopy."-CAMPBELL. In a dell of dew."-SHELLEY. "Best and brightest, come away, Fairer far than this fair day."—SHELLEY. "He clasps the crag with hooked hands, Close to the sun in lonely lands.”—TENNYSON. "Fairer than all fancy fathoms, falser than all songs have sung." -TENNYSON. Alliteration is used to give emphasis to proverbs; as "Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves." "Love me little, love me long." "Better be an old man's darling than a young man's drudge." The titles of books are often alliterative: Piers Plowman; the Pilgrim's Progress; the Dairyman's Daughter; the Saint and his Saviour; Frost and Fire. § 187. HOMOEOTELEUTON. Homœoteleuton is the opposite of alliteration, being the repetition of the same sound at the end of words. Formerly it was of little importance, but in modern times it has risen to be one of the leading elements in versification. For rhyme is the same as homœoteleuton, and in the presence of its superior music and power alliteration has given way. Its importance in versification will be considered elsewhere. In prose it has no place whatever at the present day, although the Greeks and Romans made use of it not unfrequently. CHAPTER VIII. FIGURES OF EMPHASIS ARISING FROM THE INVERSION OF WORDS. § 188. INVERSION. We have next to consider those figures which produce emphasis by a change in the position of words. This is called inversion. In some The order of words differs in different languages. the subject stands first, then the predicate, and then the object: as, "James strikes John." In others the predicate follows the object: as, "James John strikes." Neither can be called "the natural order," for every language has its own usage in accordance with its own genius. A marked difference is to be observed between inflected and uninflected languages as regards the order of words. In the former this is of secondary importance, since the meaning of a sentence depends upon inflection; but in the latter it is of the first importance, since the meaning depends upon position. It is chiefly in this respect that the modern languages of Europe differ from the ancient, and the English from the Latin. Thus in Latin we can say either Cæsar Pompeium vicit, or Pompeium vicit Cæsar; but in English we must say, Cæsar conquered Pompey, nor can we reverse this without reversing the meaning. This freedom of change in position gave some advantages to the classical languages in the way of emphasizing words. In these there was a certain order which was the normal one; and when this was varied, the word was placed in an unusual position, which made it more conspicuous, and, as a consequence, more emphatic. The same thing holds good to a certain extent in modern languages, and emphasis is given to a word by placing it in an unusual position. § 189. INVERSION IN POETRY. Inversion is more striking in poetry, for here there is a larger liberty in changing the position of words. This is one of the things that come under the head of poetic license, which affects both the choice of words and their arrangement. In poetry the full powers of the language may be seen more conspicuous in every respect than in prose. In no poet can such remarkable examples of inversion be found as in Milton. This was in part due to his classical taste, which led him often to imitate classical idioms, and in part to his exquisite musical feeling. The opening of Paradise Lost affords an example of this: "Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit Brought death into the world and all our woe, Restore us, and regain the blissfui seat, Here the natural order would require that "heavenly Muse" should come first, and then "sing of man's first disobedience." As it is, the subject of his poem gains greater prominence. The same thing may be seen equally well illustrated in the opening lines of the second book: "High on a throne of royal state, which far In ordinary narrative the sentence would begin with the subject, "Satan ;" but here, by this inversion, "Satan" is introduced with immense pomp and splendor. "Him the Almighty Power Hurled headlong, flaming down the ethereal heights To bottomless perdition, there to dwell In adamantine chains and penal fire, Who durst defy the Omnipotent to arms." This is a very remarkable case of inversion, and it will be seen what emphasis is laid on the word "him" by placing it first in the sentence. The word "me" in the following passage gains the same emphasis: "Me, though just right and the fixed laws of heaven Did first create your leader." But nowhere can be found an example of more intense emphasis arising from inversion than in the following from Macbeth: "Not in the legions Of horrid hell can come a devil more damned Here the name "Macbeth," being reserved till the last, comes in with all the force of a climax, and with all the emphasis that arises from an unusual position, and the introduction of the whole by the negative particle. Poetry is full of these inversions, as may be seen in the following passages, which show an arrangement of words of constant occurrence: "Aloft in godlike state The royal hero sate."-DRYDEN. In prose "the royal hero" would stand first. “And longer had she sung, but with a frown "Full many a gem of purest ray serene, The dark, unfathomed caves of ocean bear.”—GRAY. $ 190. INVERSION IN PROSE. Although inversion is not carried out to so great an extent in prose, it is nevertheless of much importance. Many remark able examples are to be found in the English Bible, which show how emphasis may be produced in this way. This is in part due to the fact that it is a translation; and the order of words of the original has in many cases been preserved. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The natural order would be-God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Natural order-He that cometh in the name of the Lord is blessed. "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty." Natural order-Thy works are great and marvellous. "Among many nations there was no king like unto Solomon, who was beloved of God, and God made him king over all Israel, nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin." Here the emphasis upon the word "him" is of unusual force. "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I unto thee." Such inversion as this is very unusual in prose, yet it is quite in accordance with the genius of the English language, and presents the statement with the utmost possible force. Examples of a similar kind may be found everywhere in English prose, and always have the same effect. "The man who first saw that it was possible to found a European empire on the ruins of the Mogul monarchy was Dupleix."-MACAULAY. This is far more effective than if the sentence were written, Dupleix was the first man who saw, etc. "Then was committed that great crime, memorable for its singular atrocity, memorable for the tremendous retribution by which it was followed." -MACAULAY. The common order would be, Then that great crime was committed. "Like the Puritans, he lived 'as ever in the great Taskmaster's eye.' Like them, he kept his mind continually fixed on an Almighty Judge and an eternal |