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Although elisions are often admitted into our own poetry, they
generally appear to us harsh and injurious to harmony in Latin
verse. There is reason to think that even by the Romans them-
selves, they were considered in some degree objectionable, though
their best poets sanctioned and adopted the use of them. It is
probable, however, that in the ancient pronunciation of these
vowels, much of their apparent harshness was removed. It is not
indeed possible to ascertain precisely what this pronunciation was;
but it is generally supposed either that the elided syllables were
altogether omitted, as they now are in scanning, or that the sound,
which was given to them, was so slight and imperfect, that it
could hardly be distinguished, and consequently interrupted but
little the measure of the verse.
The figure ecthlipsis, or the elision of the final m, has in our
pronunciation a still harsher effect than the elision of the vowel
only, and appears on the first view to be a peculiarity in Latin
poetry, for which it is impossible to account. Dr. Carey, however,
in his ingenious remarks on ecthlipsis, has assigned a satisfactory
reason for the origin and frequent recurrence of this figure. The
Romans, he observes, did not give to the consonant m that . full
and very audible pronunciation, which is given to it ia the English
language; but "they gave to it a slight nasal sound, such as our
French neighbours give to it in the word Faim, and as the Portu-
guese give to it even in Latin words. " This supposition is rendered
probable, and indeed almost confirmed, by the common change of
this consonant into n, and by the frequent omission of it; thus, in
Lat. Pr. F
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? 62 EXERCISES IN
words derived from the Greek, the terminations ov, i>, and ov, became
in Latin am, im, and on or om; and thus also Tusum is written
for tunsum, Passum for pansum, Fas for fans, Nefas for nefans,
Conjux for conjunx, Toties for totiens. It has also been remarked
that Greek names in cuv sometimes dropped the final >>in Latin and
sometimes retained it, without any apparent rule or reason for its
omission in the one case or its retention in the other; thus
moi5TM>> became Pluto, Aaxun Laco, Xslfm Chiron. Hence it may be
inferred that the Romans gave the consonant m or n a pronunciation
so slight, that it could not always be distinguished, and that its
sound at the end of a word in poetry was therefore too feehle to
preserve itself and the preceding vowel from elision.
The exercises, which follow, are designed to exemplify
the observations in the former chapters on casura and
arrangement, as well as the remarks on elision in this
chapter: the introduction of synalapha or ecthlipsis will
not therefore be sufficient to form them into verses, without
a change in the position of the words. The sentences in
English are intended to be translated into Latin verse, by
an application of the rules of syntax, as well as of prosody,
to the corresponding words in Latin, which follow them:
in these exercises a change in the arrangement of the words
is not necessary.
EXERCISES.
1.
Nempc sylva inter varias nutritur columnas,
Laudaturque domus, quae prospicit longos agros.
2.
Vivite felices, et vivite memores nostri,
Sire erimus, seu fata volentnos fuisse.
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? VERSIFICATION. 63
S.
Non pigeat agnamve fcetumve capellae sinu,
Oblita matre desertwnz, referre domum.
4.
Regumque ducumque res gestae, et tristia bella,
Homerus monstravit quo numero possent scribi.
5.
Addictus jurare in verba nullius magistri,
Deferor hospes, quocunque tempestas rapit me.
6.
Post ver, robustior annus transit in aestatem,
Fitque valens juvenis: enim neque robustior aetas
Ulla nec uberior, nec ulla est, quae magis aestuet.
7.
At nisi pectus purgatum est, quae praelia nobis!
Tum scindunt hominem cupidinis quantae acres
Curae solicitum! quantique timores perinde!
8.
Poma quoque, ut primum sensere valentes truncos,
Et habuere suas vires, raptim ad sidera
Nituntur propria vi, haud indiga nostras opisque.
9.
Haec loca certe deserta et taciturna querenti,
Et aura Zephyri possidet vacuum nemus.
Hlc licet impune proferre occultos dolores,
Si modo saxa sola queant tenere fidem.
,10.
Nee inclementia rigidi cccli conterret cum,
Nec frigida vis Boreae, mina e hyemisque.
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? 6* EXERCISES IN
Statim axe verso, quin exit protinus in auras,
Ut ferat laeta nuncia instantis veris.
11.
Dissensuque rumor alitur; ceu murmurat alti
Pelagi impacata quies, cum, fracto flamine,
Adhuc durat saevitque tumor, per dubiumque aestum
Lassa vestigia recedentis venti fluitant.
12.
Aut si fata movent, paratur orbi generique
Humano lues matura; dehiscent terrene,
Subsidentque urbes? an fervidus aer toilet temperiem ? infida tellus negabit segetes?
13.
Utque, viribus sumtis in cursu, solent ire
Pectore in arma praetentaque tela ferl leones;
Sic ubi unda admiserat se ventis coortis,
In arma ratis ibat, erat multoque altior illis.
14.
Tune potes audire murmura vesani ponti fortis?
et potes jacere in dura nave?
Tu fulcire positas pruinas teneris pedibus?
Tu, Cynthia, potes ferre insolitas nives?
J 5.
Qualis ubi Boreas erupit ab Arctois antris,
Perverrens aerios campos rapido turbine,
It ferus ccelo, et insequitur piceas nubes toto aethere,
dant victa locum et cedunt cava nubila.
16.
Sunt dukes herbae; sunt, quae mitescere flamma
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? VERSIFICATION. 65
Mollirique queant: nec lacteus humor eripitur vobis,
nec mella redolentia florem thymi.
Prodiga tellus suggerit divitias alimentaque mitia;atque prabet epulas sine caede et sanguine.
17.
And now ambassadors came from the city of Lati-
nus, Crowned with branches of olive, and supplicating
favor.
Jamque orator adsum ex urbs Latinus,
Velatus ramus olea, veniaque rogans.
18.
Scarcely had the next rising day fringed the tops of the
mountains with light, When first from the deep ocean the
horses of the sun raise themselves, And breathe forth the
light of day from their panting nostrils.
Posterus vix sumitius spargo lumen mons
Ortus dies, cum primum altus sui gurges tollo
Sol equus, luxque elatus naris efflo.
CHAP. IV. --Syntresis, Syncope, and Apocope.
Synjeresis is the contraction of two syllables into one; as
Alveo, pronounced as a dissyllable.
Synaeresis often takes place in the words Antehac, de-
hinc, dein, deinde, dii, diis, ii, iidem, iisdem, proinde,
semianimis, semihomo; in Greek genitives in ei; and
in several tenses of the verbs Anteambulo, anteo, desum,
and suesco; as
Dii meli|ora ve|llnt, quan|quam non | Ista pre|canda.
Qui can|dore ni|ves an|tment | cursibiis ] auras.
Deist jam|terra fu|g? pela|gus Tro|jamne pe|temus.
*,
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? 66 EXERCISES IN
Unius I 6b no|xam et furi|as A|jacis 0|Ile7. Virg.
This figure occasionally takes place in many words, which have
not been mentioned in the preceding list; btit in almost every
instance of its occurrence, the first syllable affected by it ends in
the vowel e or i. Its occurrence in the datives Cui and huic
is so uniform, that they are generally considered as monosyl-
lables.
Synaeresis may often be referred to synalaepha; thus in the se-
cond and third of the preceding lines from Virgil, the vowel e should
perhaps be considered as elided, rather than as uniting with the
following vowel to form one syllable. This remark may be applied
to Semianimis, semihomo, and other compound words; and it is
confirmed by the quantity of the vowel, which begins the latter part
of the compound word. This vowel often retains its original quan-
tity, when that quantity is short, whereas if the two vowels were
united by synaeresis, instead of the first being elided by synalaepha,
the syllable would in every instance necessarily become long.
To synasresis may be referred the frequent change of the vowels
i and u into the consonants,;' and v; as in the genitives Cujus and
hujus, which are always used for Cuius and huius, and Maja and
Dejanira, which are sometimes substituted for Maia and Deia<<
nira.
Syncope is the omission of a letter or a syllable in the
middle of a word; as Amarat, amantum, for amaverat
and amantium.
The occurrence of this figure in the Latin language is so fre-
quent, that even previously to the Augustan age, many of its
'words had ceased to be used in any but their syncopated form.
There are, however, some words, in which the introduction of syn-
cope was not so uniform, and which, though sometimes contract-
ed, still retain in general the original number of trftir syllables.
It is to the contraction of these words only that the term syncope
is now applied.
The words,which are the most frequently contracted
by syncope, arethe preter tenses of verbs, asAmasti for
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? *? VERSIFICATION. 67
amavisti; the participles of compound verbs, as Repos-
tum for Repositum; genitives plural, as Deum for deorum;
and words, which have a u in the penultimate before the
consonant I, as Vinclum for vinculum.
Apocope is the omission of the final vowel or syllable of
a word, before another word beginning with a conso-
nant; as Tuguri for tugurii.
The words, which are most commonly contracted by
apocope, are cases in ii, and enclitics affixed to other
words; as Pecull for peculii, Men' for mene.
A vowel was sometimes cut off in the beginning of a word by
the figure aphaeresis, as st for est; but this contraction was seldom
used by the poets of the Augustan age.
The contraction of one word at least in each of the fol-
lowing exercises is necessary, in order to form them into
verses. The exercises, which are not translated, require a
change in the position of the words, but in the English exer-
cises this alteration of the arrangement will not be found
necessary.
EXERCISES.
1.
Rure levis apis ingerit flores verno alveo,
Ut sedula compleat favos dulci melle.
2.
Pratereo sapiens argentea : periculum tolle,
Jam vaga natura prosiliet fraenis remotis.
3.
Super quae ipse jacens, more hirsuti leonis,
Visceraque, et carnes, ossa oblisisque medullis,
Semz'animesque artus, condebat in avidam alvum.
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? 68 EXERCISES IN
4.
Agros purgamus, agrestes purgamus, dii patrii;
Vos pellite mala de nostris limitibus.
Neu seges herbis fallacibus eludat messem;
, Neu segnior agha timeat celeres lupos.
5.
Cum conditor urbis digereret tempora, in anno
Suo constituit bis quinque menses esse.
Romule, scilicet no>>eras arma magis quam sidera;
Curaque major erat vincere finitimos.
6.
Caprificus findit marmora Messala? , et audax
Mulio ridet dimidios equos Crispi.
At nec furta nocent chartis, et prosunt saecula,
Solaque haec monumenta non noverunt mori.
7.
Perpetuoque comans oliva jam deflorescit;
Et perosa diva fugit aerisonam tubam:
Io fugit terris, et jam virgo non ultima
Creditur justa volavisse ad superas domos.
8.
Tu mihi, currenti ad Candida praescripta supreme
callis,
'Spatium prajmonstra, Calliope, callida musa,
requies hominum, divorumque voluptas;
Ut capiam, te duce, coronam cum insigni laude.
9. '
Ille saucius pectus gravi vulnere venantium,
Turn demum arma nibvet leo; gaudetque comantes
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? VERSIFICATION. 69
Toros cervice excutiens, latronis fixumque
Telum impavidus frangit, et ore cruento fremit.
10.
Then was life sweet to me; nor had I any knowledge
of cruel Arms, nor heard with a trembling heart the
trumpet's sound.
Tunc ego vita foret dulcis; nec tristis novissem
Anna, nee audivissem cor micans tuba.
11.
Forcible, and perspicuous, and very much resembling a
limpid stream, He will pour out his treasures and enrich
Latium with a copious language.
VeAemens, et liquidus, purusque simillimus amnis,
Fundo opes, Latiumque beo dives lingua.
12.
Why is any man in want, who has not deserved po-
verty, while you are rich? Why Are the ancient temples
of the. gods falling to ruin? Why, O wicked man, Do
you not, for your dear country, take something from so
great a hoard?
Cur egeo indignus quisquam, te divite? Quare
Templum ruo antiquus dens? Cur, improbus, cants
Non aliquis patria tantus emetior acervus?
13.
Then Mercury took in his hand the wand, by which he
had been accustomed to chase away sweet Dreams, and
to bring them back again; by which he had been wont
to enter the gloomy Regions of the dead, and again to
animate lifeless shades. \.
Turn dextra virga insero, qui pello dulcis
Aut suadeo iterum somnus, qui niger subeo
Tartara, et exanguis animo assuesco umbra.
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? 70 EXERCISES IN
14.
The Zephyrs had heard the voice and the sighs of the
complaining shepherd, And the winds sighed with him in
mournful sounds: The river had heard him, and an echo-
ing murmur to his murmurs The water returned, and a
. complaint to his complaints.
Audio Zephyrus vox gemitusque dolens,
Et moestus ventus congerao sonus:
Audio rivus, resonusque ad murmur murmur,
Et questus ad questus, ingemino aqua.
15.
Streams of silver flow over the verdant plains; The
sand, richer than Hesperian Tagus, appears as gold.
Through the odoriferous riches the gentle air of the Ze-
phyr breathes, A dewy air, springing up among innumer-
able roses.
Flumen vernans lambo argenteus campus;
Ditior Hesperius, flaveo arena, Tagus.
Serpo odoriferus per opes levis. aura Favonius,
Aura, sub innumerus, humidus, natus rosa.
16.
Then the poet, rejoicing in the prosperous state of his
country, Sought again the harmonious strings of his ne-
glected lyre; And having attuned with a slender quill its
idle strings, He swept the renowned instrument of ivory
with a joyful hand.
Turn, patria festus laitatus tempos, vates
Desuetus repeto filum canorus lyra;
Et, reses lenis modulatus pecien nervus
Pollex festivus nobilis duco ebur.
17.
Have you seen (surely you often see) that the droop-
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? VERSIFICATION. 71
ing lilies wither, Which a shower of rain beats down?
Thus did she waste away with a slow disease, thus
did she grow pale, Her last day now drawing near its
end.
Videone (quin saepe video) ut languidus marceo
Lilium, qui prsegravo imber aqua?
Lentus sic pereo tabum, sic palleo ille,
Ad finis extremus jam properans dies.
18.
The ship, weighed down by the slaughter of the men,
and filled with much blood, Receives frequent blows on
its curved side: But after it let in the sea at its leaking^
joints, Filled to its highest parts, it sunk in the waves.
Strages vir cumulatus ratis, multusque cruor
Plenus, per obliquus creber latus accipio ictus:
At postquam ruptus pelagus compages haurio,
Ad summus repletus forus, descendo in unda.
19.
He admires at a distance the arms an d empty chariots
of heroes. Their spears stand fixed in the ground, and at
liberty in different places Through the plains their horses
feed: that care of their chariots And of their arms, which
they had when alive, that care their shining Horses to
train up, the same follows them, though interred in the
earth.
Anna procul currusque vir miror inanes.
Sto terra defixus hasta, passimque solutus
Per campus pascor equus: qui gratia currus
Armaque fuit vi,vis, qui cura nitens
Pasco equus, idem, sequor tcllus repositus.
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? 72 EXERCISES IN
CHAPTER V.
Diuresis, Episnthesis, and Paragoge.
Dijeresis is the division of one syllable into two; as
Aura, aurai.
This figure is most commonly introduced into a word by dividing
a diphthong or a syllable composed of two vowels into two sepa-
rate syllables; as . Suadeo for suadeo, Ueliquiis for reliquus; by
changing the consonants j and v into the vowels i and u; as
Sylua for sylva, Troia for Troja; and in words derived from the
Greek by changing i into ei; as Elegei'a for elegia.
-- Epenthesis is the addition of a letter or syllable in the
middle of a word; as Alitum, alituum; Reliquiae, relli-
quiae.
Paragoge is the addition of a letter or syllable to the
end of a word; as Dici, dicier.
The words, which are most frequently lengthened by this figure,
are verbs passive and verbs deponent in the infinitive mood.
Another figure, by which words were sometimes lengthened, is
termed prosthesis; it added a letter or syllable to the beginning
of a word; as Gnatus for natus, Tetuli for tuli.
Besides the introduction of one of the preceding figures
into each of the following exercises, the arrangement of
the words must be changed; in the exercises, which are
translated, this change may he confined to one word only
in each line.
EXERCISES.
1.
Libabant pocula Bacchi in medio aula? ,
Dapibus impositis auro, tenebant paterasque.
2.
Si ulla copia lympha e finiret sitim tibi,
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? VERSIFICATION. 73
Narrares medicis; quod paravisti (sync. ) quanto plura,
Cupis tanto plura, nulline audes fateri?
S.
Ilia est audax malo. Stabant cum atris vestibus
Ante toros fratrum sorores, crine demisso:
Una e quibus, trahens tela haerentia viscere,
Moribunda relanguit ore imposito fratri.
4.
Atque hlc legatos remissos ex JEtola urbe,
Jubet fari, quae referant; et reposcit responsa,
Cuncta suo ordine. Tum silentia facta Unguis,
Et Venulus parens dicto ita infit fari.
5.
Haec praeterea duo oppida disjectis muris,
Vides reliquias veterumque virorum monumenta.
Hanc pater Janus condidit, hanc urbem Saturnus;
Janiculum fuerat nomen huic, illi Saturnia.
6.
Quassa puppes ducuntur in cava navalia,
Ne temere dissolvantur in mediis aquis.
Ne cadat, et inhonestet multas palmas adeptas,
Languidus equus carpit gramina in pratis.
Miles, ut non est satis utilis emeritis annis,
Ponit ad antiquos Lares arma, quae tulit.
% 7'
Qualis ubi nimbus sidere abrupto ad terras
It per medium mare, heu, praescia longe miseris
Agricolis corda horrescunt; ille dabit ruinas
Arboribus stragemque satis, late ruet omnia.
jMt. Pr. G
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? 74. EXERCISES IN
Venti antevolant, feirunt sonitumque ad littora. ''
Rhceteus ductor talis in adversos hostes.
8.
Urbs quoque et tutela tuarum legum lassat te,
Et morum, quos cupis esse similes tuis.
Nee otia, quae praestas gentibus, contingunt tibi;
Bellaque irrequieta geris cum multis.
In hoc pondere tantarum rerum, mirer igitur
Te unquam evolvisse nostras jocos.
9.
Ivory surrounds the courts; the roof is rendered firm
by brazen beams; And ores rise up into lofty columns.
Atrium cingo ebur; trabs solido as oilmen; et yj celsus columna surgo electrum.
\ 10.
It was night, and through all the lands, the wearied
animals, And the race of birds and of cattle, deep sleep
, held fast.
Sum nox, et terra animal fessus per onuiis,
Ales pecusque genus, altus sopor habeo.
11.
For the cautious wolf shuns the pitfall, and the hawk
The suspected snares, and the kite the concealed hook.
Enim cautus metuo fovea lupus, accipiterque
Laqueus suspectus, et opertus milvus harnus.
iq: j
If the fates would suffer me to pass my life agreeably to
my own wishes, And to relieve my cares in my own way,
I would first renew the Trojan city and the beloved re-
mains of my countrymen; The lofty towers of Priam
should still stand.
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? VERSIFICATION. 75
Ego si fatura meus patior duco vita auspicium,
? et meus spunte cumpono cura,
Urbs Trojanus primum meus dulcisque,
Colo reliquiae; Priamus tectum altus maneo.
CHAPTER VI.
ENALLAGE OR VARIATION OF WORDS.
In the composition of Latin verse, it will often be found-
necessary not only to change the prosaic arrangement of
the words, but to substitute, for some of the expressions,
other phrases of the same signification, but of different
length and quantity.
The language of poetry differs in so many respects from the lan-
guage of prose, that any attempt to form rules, by which the one
may be changed into the other, would be vain and absurd. This
change can be effected only by an intimate acquaintance with the
beauties of composition, united with a poetical and active imagi-
nation. It is not consequently the object of this chapter to point
out any method of changing prose into poetry, but simply to fur-
nish observations and exercises, which may be of some assistance
in forming language, that is already poetical, into regular verse. '
Enallage is the substitution of one word for another.
The singular number may frequently be changed into
the plural, and the plural into the singular; as Mella,
nostri, flore, for mel, mei, floribus:
Fervet opus, <<jdolentque thymo fragrantia mella.
Nil nostrl miserVe? mori me denique coges?
Quotque in floreTrjvo pomis se fertilis arbos
Induerat, totidem autumno matura tenebat. ViRG.
This change of number is not confined to substantives, but is
equally frequent in pronouns and verbs, when they are of the first
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? 76 EXERCISES IN
person. The substitution of Noster for meus is also a common
irregularity.
Adverbs are often changed into adjectives, which are
most commonly made to agree with a noun, but which
are sometimes put in the neuter gender singular or plural;
as Ardentes, recens, transversa, for ardenter, recenter,
transverse:
Instant ardentes Tyrii; pars ducere murtos.
Sole recens orto, aut noctem ducentibus astris.
Novimus et qui, te, transversa tuentibus hircis. Virg.
A substantive of the genitive case may frequently be
changed into an adjective agreeing with the preceding
noun, and a noun in the genitive may sometimes be used
instead of an adjective; as Humanis for hominum, and
Hominum for humanis:
Nesciaque humanis precibus mansuescere corda.
Aut deus ille malis hominum mitescere discat. Virg.
A participle may sometimes be substituted for a verb,
for a relative and verb, and for a conjunction and verb;
as Fassus, spretae portans, for passus est, qua; spreta erat,
et portat:
Multa quoque et bello passus dum conderet urbem.
Nec dum etiam causae irarum saevique dolores
Exciderant animo: manet alta mente repostum
Judicium Paridis, spretaeque injuria formae.
Gens inimica mihi Tyrrhenum navigat aequor,
Ilium in Italiam portans, victosque Penates. Virg.
A compound is often used instead of its simple word,
and the simple word instead of its compound; as Mittite,
consequitur, evinctus, for omittite, sequitur, vinctus:
Experti, revocate animo6, mcestumque timorem
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? VERSIFICATION. 77
Mittite; forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit.
Quem modo navali Mnestheus certatnine victor
Consequitur, viridi Mnestheus evinctus oliva. Virg.
A repetition of a word or of several words may some-
times be used, instead of a conjunction, to connect the
parts of a sentence; as Nunc and super multa foret:
Nunc omnis ager, nunc omnis parturit arbos;
Nunc frondent sylvae; nunc formosissimus annus.
Multa super Priamo rogitans, superHectoremulta.
Virg.
The verb Sum may sometimes be elegantly changed
into a verb neuter; as Horrent for sunt:
Namque aliae turpes horrent, ceu pulvere ab alto
Cum venit, et terram sicco spuit ore viator. Virg.
The verb Sum, with a dative expressed or understood,
is often elegantly used for habeo; as Sunt nobis poma for
habemus poma:
Hie tamen hanc mecum poteris requiescere noctem
Fronde super viridi. Sunt nobis mitia poma. Virg.
An active verb may sometimes be changed into the
passive voice, and a neuter verb into a verb impersonal, by
altering the construction of the sentence; as Insidiis ca-
piere and discumbitur, for insidiae capient te and discum-
bunt:
Si ver6 solem ad rapidum lunasque sequentes
Ordine respicies, nunquam te crastina fallet
Hora, neque insidiis noctis capiere serenae.
Jam pater iEneas et jam Trojana juventus
Conveniunt, stratoque super discumbitur astro. Virg.
The case of a substantive may often be changed without
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? 7ft EXERCISES IN
violating the rules of syntax; as Delphinum for delphini-
bus:
Delphinum similes, qui per maria humida nando
Carpathium Libycumque secant, luduntque per undas.
Virg.
Any word may be changed into a synonymous term or
a word of the same signification: that word, however, is
always to be preferred in versification, which expresses
the idea most clearly, most forcibly, and most poetically.
All the preceding changes of words cannot strictly he referred
to enallage, neither have all the changes been specified, which the
introduction of this figure often occasions; those only have been
mentioned, which are of the most frequent assistance in versifica-
tion, and which do not require of the young student any consider-
able knowledge of the idiom of the language, or of the usage of
the poets.
The situation of one word is required to be changed in
each verse of the following exercises, except in those lines
which are designed to exemplify the foregoing observations.
EXERCISES.
Singular and Plural.