now. It is contained
in that part of grammar called Prosody.
9. The next thing I wish you to notice is, that every line of verse
always begins with a capital letter.
10. And thirdly you will notice, that the lines of verse are more
regular in their sound than lines of prose. They have a kind of musical
sound about them, which you very rarely hear, except in verse.
11. And fourthly you will notice, that some of the words are shortened
by leaving out a letter, and putting in its place a mark called an
_apostrophe_, which looks just like a comma, only it is placed higher up
in the line, as in the following line:
"Thus we're prepared for longer days."
12. In this line, if the words were written out at full length, with all
their letters in them, the line would stand as follows:
"Thus we are prepared for longer days."
13. But this would destroy what is called the _measure_ of the line, by
putting too many syllables into it; and therefore the words _we are_ are
shortened, so as to be read as one syllable, and the line is to be read
as follows:
"Thus weer prepared for longer days."
14. The next difference I shall point out to you between prose and
verse, is that in verse the words are placed in a different order from
what they would be in prose; as you will notice in the following lines:
"When all thy mercies, oh my God!
My rising soul surveys,
Transported with the view, I'm lost
In wonder, love and praise."
15. Now, if these lines were written in prose, the words would stand in
the following order: "O my God! when my rising soul surveys all thy
mercies, I'm transported with the view of them, and lost in wonder, love
and praise."
16. And now that I have explained to you a few of the points in which
verse differs from prose, I will only add, that when you read verse, you
must not stop at the end of every line, unless there is a pause or mark
there; and that you must avoid reading it as if you were singing it to a
tune.
LESSON XXXII.
_God Present Everywhere._
1. Thou, Lord, by strictest search hast known
My rising up and lying down;
My secret thoughts are known to thee,
Known long before conceived by me.
2. Surrounded by thy power I stand,
On every side I find thy hand:
O skill for human reach too high!
Too dazzling bright for mortal eye!
3. From thy all-seeing Spirit, Lord,
What hiding-place does earth
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