LENGTHENING OF WORDS. Trimeter couplet in other cases
The trimeter couplet, beside being frequent in dialogue, is often used by one and the same speaker, but most frequently in comic, and the lighter kind of serious, poetry. It is appropriate for Thisbe: “Most rád | iant Pý | ramús, || most líl | y-whíte | of húe.” M. N. D. iii. 1. 94, 97. And for Pistol, when he rants: “An óath | of míck | le míght; || and fú | ry sháll | abáte.” Hen. V. ii. 1. 70, 44; ii. 3. 4, 64; v. 1. 93. “He ís | not vé | ry táll: || yet fór | his yéars | he's táll.” A. Y. L. iii. 5. 118. “And 'I'll | be swórn | 'tis trúe: || trávell | ers né'er | didlíe.” Temp. iii. 2. 26. “Coy lóoks | with héart- | sore síghs; || one fád | ing mó-
| ment's mírth.” T. G. of V. i. 1. 30. “He wóuld | have gív'n | it yóu,|| but I' | being ín | the wáy
Did ín | your náme | recéive it: || párdon | the fáult, | I
práy.” Ib. 39, 40. “A frée- | stone cól | our'd hánd; || I vér | ilý | did thínk.” A. Y. L. iv. 3. 25. “Then lét's | make háste | awáy, || and lóok | untó | the
máin.” 2 Hen. VI. i. 1. 208. “Am I' | not wítch'd | like hér? || Or thóu | not fálse |
like hím?” Ib. iii. 2. 119. “Why ríng | not óut | the bélls || alóud | throughóut | the
tówn?” 1 Hen. VI. i. 6. 12. “As Æ'th | ióp | ian's tóoth, || ór the | fann'd snów | that's
bólted.” W. T. iv. 4. 375. “This páus | inglý | ensúed. || Néither | the kíng | nor's
héirs.” Hen. VIII. i. 2. 168. “The mónk | might bé | decéiv'd; || and thát | 'twas
dáng(e) | rous fór him.” Ib. 179. “Anón | expéct | him hére; || but íf | she bé | obdúrate
(490).” Rich. III. iii. 1. 39. This metre is often used by the Elizabethan writers in the translation of quotations, inscriptions, &c. It is used for the inscriptions the caskets: “Who chóos | eth mé | shall gáin || what mán | y mén |
desíre.
Who chóos | eth mé | must gíve || and ház | ard áll | he
háth.” M. of V. ii. 7. 5, 9. In the pause between a comparison and the fact such a couplet may be expected. “A's | Æné | as díd
The óld | Anchí | ses béar, || so fróm | the wáves | of Tíber
Did I' | the tír | ed Cæ'sar.” J. C. i. 2. 114. “To háve | what wé | would háve, || we spéak | not whát | we
méan.” M. for M. ii. 4. 118. Sometimes the first trimeter has an extra syllable, which takes the place of the first syllable of the second trimeter. “Shall thére | by bé | the swéeter. || Reá | son thús | with
lífe.” M. for M. iii. 1. 5. “Envél | ope yóu, | good Próvost! || Whó | call'd hére | of
láte?” Ib. iv. 2. 78. “Mátters | of néed | ful válue. || Wé | shall wríte | to yóu.” Ib. i. 1. 56. Sometimes the first trimeter, like the ordinary five-accent verse, has an extra syllable. In the following examples the two verses are clearly distinct. They might almost be regarded as separate lines of three accents rather than as a couplet: “Hypér | ion tó | a sátyr. | So lóv | ing tó | my móther.” Hamlet, i. 2. 140. “For énd | ing thée | no sóoner. || Thou hást | nor yóuth |
nor áge.” M. for M. iii. 1. 32. “That I' | am tóuch'd | with mádness. || Make nót | impóss
| iblé.” Ib. v. 1. 51. (But? 494.) “Ariel. And dó | my spírit | ing gently. ||
Prosp. Do só, | and áfter | two dáys.” Tempest, i. 2. 298. “Belów | their cób | bled shóes. ||
Théy say | there's gráin | enough.” Coriol. i. 1. 200.
