Admit this and we throw the origin far back in
the night of Time- beyond the origin of written verse.
But to resume. The amount of complexity I have now supposed to be
attained is very considerable. Various systems of equalization are
appreciated at once (or nearly so) in their respective values and in
the value of each system with reference to all the others. As our
present ultimatum of complexity, we have arrived at triple-rhymed,
natural-dactylic lines, existing proportionally as well as equally
with regard to other triple-rhymed, natural-dactylic lines. For
example:
Virginal Lilian, rigidly, humblily dutiful;
Saintlily, lowlily,
Thrillingly, holily
Beautiful!
Here we appreciate, first, the absolute equality between the long
syllable of each dactyl and the two short conjointly; secondly, the
absolute equality between each dactyl and any other dactyl, in other
words, among all the dactyls; thirdly, the absolute equality between
the two middle lines; fourthly, the absolute equality between the
first line and the three others taken conjointly, fifthly, the
absolute equality between the last two syllables of the respective
words "dutiful" and "beautiful"; sixthly, the absolute equality
between the two last syllables of the respective words "lowlily" and
"holily"; seventhly, the proximate equality between the first syllable
of "dutiful" and the first syllable of "beautiful"; eighthly, the
proximate equality between the first syllable of "lowlily" and that of
"holily"; ninthly, the proportional equality (that of five to one)
between the first line and each of its members, the dactyls;
tenthly, the proportional equality (that of two to one) between each
of the middle lines and its members, the dactyls, eleventhly, the
proportional equality between the first line and each of the two
middle, that of five to two; twelfthly, the proportional equality
between the first line and the last, that of five to one;
thirteenthly, the proportional equality between each of the middle
lines and the last, that of two to one, lastly, the proportional
equality, as concerns number, between all the lines taken
collectively, and any individual line, that of four to one.
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