etc., which, it is said, should be not only
pronounced but written silv'ry, murm'ring, and so on, whenever they
find themselves in trochaic predicament. I have only to say that
"delicate," when circumstanced as above, is neither a dactyl nor a
dactyl's equivalent; that I think it as well to call it a bastard
trochee; and that all words, at all events, should be written and
pronounced in full, and as nearly as possible as nature intended them.
About eleven years ago, there appeared in "The American Monthly
Magazine" (then edited, I believe, by Messrs Hoffman and Benjamin,)
a review of Mr. Willis's Poems; the critic putting forth his strength,
or his weakness, in an endeavor to show that the poet was either
absurdly affected, or grossly ignorant of the laws of verse; the
accusation being based altogether on the fact that Mr. W. made
occasional use of this very word "delicate," and other similar
words, in "the Heroic measure, which every one knew consisted of
feet of two syllables." Mr. W. has often, for example, such lines as
That binds him to a woman's delicate love-
In the gay sunshine, reverent in the storm
With its invisible fingers my loose hair.
Here of course, the feet licate love, verent in and sible fin, are
bastard iambuses; are not anapaests and are not improperly used.
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