The Arte of English Poesie eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 355 pages of information about The Arte of English Poesie.

The Arte of English Poesie eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 355 pages of information about The Arte of English Poesie.

Or thus if we speake in prose and not in meetre.
  Mischaunces ought not to be lamented,
  But rather by wisedome in time preuented: 
  For such mishappes as be remedilesse,
  To sorrow them it is but foolishnesse: 
  Yet are we all so frayle of nature,
  As to be greeued with euery displeasure.

The craking Scotts as the Cronicle reportes at a certaine time made this
bald rime vpon the English-men.
  Long beards hartlesse,
  Painted hoodes witlesse: 
  Gay coates gracelesse,
  Make all England thriftlesse.

Which is no perfect rime in deede, but clauses finishing in the self same tune:  for a rime of good simphonie should not conclude his concords with one & the same terminant sillable, as less, less, less, but with diuers and like terminants, as les, pres, mes, as was before declared in the chapter of your cadences, and your clauses in prose should neither finish with the same nor with the like terminants, but with the contrary as hath bene shewed before in the booke of proportions; yet many vse it otherwise, neglecting the Poeticall harmonie and skill.  And th’Earle of Surrey with Syr Thomas Wyat the most excellent makers of their time, more peraduenture respecting the fitnesse and ponderositie of their wordes then the true cadence or simphonie, were very licencious in this point.  We call this figure following the originall, the [like loose] alluding to th’Archers terme who is not said to finish the feate of his shot before he giue the loose, and deliuer his arrow from his bow, in which respect we vse to say marke the loose of a thing for marke the end of it.

  [Sidenote:  Parimion, or the Figure of like letter.]
Ye do by another figure notably affect th’eare when ye make euery word of the verse to begin with a like letter, as for example in this verse written in an Epithaphe of our making.
  Time tried his truth his trauailes and his trust,
  And time to late tried his integritie.

It is a figure much vsed by our common rimers, and doth well if it be not too much vsed, for then it falleth into the vice which shalbe hereafter spoken of called Tautologia.

  [Sidenote:  Asyndeton, or the Loose language.]
Ye haue another sort of speach in a maner defectiue because it wants good band or coupling, and is the figure [Asyndeton] we call him [loose language] and doth not a litle alter th’eare as thus.
  I saw it, I said it, I will sweare it.

Caesar the Dictator vpon the victorie hee obteined against Pharnax king of Bithinia shewing the celeritie of his conquest, wrate home to the Senate in this tenour of speach no lesse swift and speedy then his victorie.
  Veni, vidi, vici,
  I came, I saw, I overcame.

Meaning thus I was no sooner come and beheld them but the victorie fell on my side.

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The Arte of English Poesie from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.