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IMITATIVE HARMONY. |
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The first four feet of this line, being pure iambics, proceed regularly and evenly on till they are contrasted by the fifth, which is admirably composed to represent, by its consonants, short vowels, and accents, the stop and ceasing of the motion. Change the order of words thus:
The wheels of weary life stood still at last,
and the expression is lost; so it would be if the vowels in the last foot were long.
The contrast, in Milton's description, of the opening of the gates of Heaven and of Hell is very remarkable:
Heaven opened wide Her ever-during gates, harmonious sound, On golden hinges turning.
On a sudden open fly, With impetuous recoil and jarring sound, The infernal doors ; and on their hinges grate Harsh thunder.
Keats describes the gliding motion of the clouds by the use of liquid consonants :
And let the clouds of even and of morn Float in voluptuous fleeces o'er the hills.
And the soothing nature of a lullaby is expressed by Shakspere in a similar way:
Philomel with melody Sing in one sweet lullaby; Lulla, lulla, lullaby. |
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