Chapter VIII: The Epithalamium Stanza and Other Odic Stanzas

§ =301.= The Spenserian stanza stands in unmistakable connexion with Spenser's highly artistic and elaborate =Epithalamium stanza= (Globe Ed. 587-91) inasmuch as the last line, _That all the woods may answer and their echo ring_, repeated in each stanza as a burden together with the word _sing_ which ends the preceding verse, has six measures, the rest of the stanza consisting of three- and five-foot lines.

Like the Spenserian stanza, the Epithalamium stanza has given rise to numerous imitations.

It cannot be said that one fixed form of stanza is employed throughout the whole extent of Spenser's Epithalamium. It rather consists of two main forms of stanza, viz. one of eighteen lines (st. i, ii, iv, v, vi, x, xvi, xxi, xxiii), and one of nineteen lines (st. iii, vii, viii, ix, xi, xii, xiii, xiv, xvii, xviii, xix, xx, xxii), whereas one stanza, the fifteenth, has only seventeen lines. In the arrangement of rhymes there are also sporadic varieties: cf. e.g. iv and ix.

The arrangement of verse, however, is always similar in both groups. The main part of the stanza consists of five-foot verses, the succession of which is interrupted three times by three-foot ones, the final verse of the stanza having six measures. In the stanza of eighteen lines the usual arrangement is _a b a b c₅ c₃ d c d e₅ e₃ f g g f₅ g₃ r₅ R₆_. In those of nineteen lines it is _a b a b c₅ c₃ d c d e₅ e₃ f g g f h₅ h₃ r₅ R₆_. The scheme of the stanza of seventeen lines is _a b a b c₅ c₃ d c d e f f g h₅ h₃ r₅ R₆_.

The two following stanzas (ii, iii) may be quoted as specimens of the two chief forms:

_Early, before the worlds light-giving lampe
His golden beame upon the hils doth spred,
Having disperst the nights unchearefull dampe,
Doe ye awake; and, with fresh lustyhed,
Go to the bowre of my beloved love,
My truest turtle dove;
Bid her awake; for Hymen is awake,
And long since ready forth his maske to move,
With his bright Tead that flames with many a flake,
And many a bachelor to waite on him,
In theyr fresh garments trim.
Bid her awake therefore, and soone her dight,
For lo! the wished day is come at last,
That shall, for all the paynes and sorrowes past,
Pay to her usury of long delight:
And, whylest she doth her dight,
Doe ye to her of joy and solace sing,
That all the woods may answer, and your eccho ring._

_Bring with you all the Nymphes that you can heare
Both of the rivers and the forrests greene,
And of the sea that neighbours to her neare;
Al with gay girlands goodly wel beseene.
And let them also with them bring in hand
Another gay girland,
For my fayre love, of lillyes and of roses,
Bound truelove wize, with a blue silke riband.
And let them make great store of bridal poses,
And let them eeke bring store of other flowers
To deck the bridale bowers.
And let the ground whereas her foot shall tread,
For feare the stones her tender foot should wrong,
Be strewed with fragrant flowers all along,
And diapred lyke the discoloured mead.
Which done, doe at her chamber dore awayt,
For she will waken strayt;
The whiles doe ye this song unto her sing,
The woods shall to you answer, and your Eccho ring._

These stanzas evidently consist of three or four unequal parts, the two first parts (ll. 1-6, 7-11) being connected by rhyme. There is a certain similarity between them, the chief difference being that the second _pes_, as we may call it, is shortened by one verse. With the third part, a new system of verses rhyming together commences, forming a kind of last part (_downsong_ or _cauda_); and as the final couplet of the stanza is generally closely connected in sense with this, the assumption of a tripartite division of the stanza is preferable to that of a quadripartite division.

§ =302.= Stanzas of this kind have also been used by later poets in similar poems. But all these imitations of the Epithalamium stanza are shorter than their model. As to their structure, some of them might also be ranked among the irregular Spenserian stanzas, as they agree with those in having a longer final verse of six or seven measures. But as a rule, they have--not to speak of the similarity of theme--the combination of three- and five-foot verses in the principal part, on the model, it seems, of Spenser's Epithalamium stanza.

Stanzas of this kind (eight lines up to fourteen) occur in Donne and Ben Jonson; the schemes being--

of eight lines: _a b a b₅ c₃ c₂ d₃ d₆_ (Poets, iv. 588);

of eleven lines: _a₅ a b₄ b₅ c₃ c d d e e₅ E₇_ (ib. iv. 19);

of twelve lines: _a₄ a b c c b d e₅ e₃ d f₅ F₆_ (ib. 16);

of fourteen lines: _a₅ a b₄ b₅ c₃ d d c₅ e₄ e f f g₅ G₆_ (ib. 15).

For specimens see _Metrik_, ii, § 512.

Stanzas similar in subject and structure, but without the longer end-verse, may be treated here, as well as some odic stanzas similar in structure (9-18 lines) and in theme, occurring in earlier poets, as e.g. Sidney, Spenser, John Donne, Samuel Daniel, Ben Jonson, Drummond, and Milton. In Modern English poetry there are only some few examples of such stanzas to be met with in translations of Italian canzones; e.g. in Leigh Hunt. The schemes are as follows. Stanzas of nine lines, _a b a b₅ b c₃ c₅ d₃ D₅_ (Sidney, _Arcadia_, p. 388); of ten lines, _a a₃ b₅ b₃ c₅ c d d₃ e e₅_ (Ben Jonson, _Ode to himself_, Poets, iv. 607); of eleven lines, _a a₄ b₃ b₄ c₃ c₅ D₃ D₂ E₃ E₂ d₅_ (ib. 611); of twelve lines, _a₂ b₅ b₂ a c c₅ d d₃ e₅ f₃ f₅ e₂_ (ib. 572), _a₃ a b₅ b₃ c c₅ d₃ d e₅ e₃ f f₅_ (Drummond, ib. 664); of thirteen lines, _a b₃ a₅ c b₃ c₅ c d e e₃ d₅ f₃ f₅_ (Sidney, _Arcadia_, p. 394), _a b₃ c₅ a b₃ c₅ c d e e₃ d₅ f₃ f₅_ (S. Daniel, _The Pastoral_, Poets, iv. 225), agreeing in form with the eleventh of Petrarch's canzones, _Chiare, fresche e dolci acque_, translated by Leigh Hunt (p. 394) on the scheme, _a a₃ b₅ c c₃ b₅ b d d₃ e₄ e₅ f₄ f₅_; of fourteen lines, _a b c b a c c₅ d d₃ c e₅ f₃ f₂ e₃_ (Milton, _Upon the Circumcision_, ii. 408); of eighteen lines, _a b b a₅ a₃ c d c d₅ d₃ e e f e₅ f f₃ G G₅_ (Spenser, _Prothalamium_, p. 605). For examples of these stanzas, partly formed on the model of the Italian canzones, see _Metrik_, ii, §§ 512-15.

§ =303.= The English odic stanzas have been influenced too, although only in a general way, by the anisometrical structure of the Greek odes. This, however, was only to a slight extent the case in the so-called =Pindaric Odes=, as the metres usually employed in them were essentially the same, and retained in their composition the same anisometrical character exhibited by the odic stanzas considered in the preceding paragraphs.

There are, however, two groups of Pindaric Odes, viz. Regular and Irregular, and it is chiefly the latter group to which the preceding remark refers.

The irregular odes were possibly modelled on certain non-strophical poems or hymns, consisting of anisometrical verses throughout, with an entirely irregular system of rhymes. We have an example of them already in the poems of Donne, the inventor or imitator of some odic stanzas mentioned in the previous paragraph; it is in his poem _The Dissolution_ (Poets, iv. 38) consisting of twenty-two rhyming verses of two to seven measures on the model

_a₃ b₄ c₅ d ~₃ b₄ a c₅ d ~₃ e₄ e₅ f₃ f₅ e₅ g₄ g₅ h₃ h₄ i i₅ k₃ l₂ l
k₅ k₇_.

A similar form is found in Milton's poems _On Time_ (ii. 411) and _At a Solemn Music_ (ii. 412). Other examples taken from later poets are quoted in _Metrik_, ii, § 523. M. Arnold's poems _The Voice_ (second half) (p. 36) and _Stagirius_ (p. 38) likewise fall under this head.

To the combined influence of the earlier somewhat lengthy unstrophical odes on the one hand, and of the shorter, strophical ones also composed of anisometrical verses on the other, we have possibly to trace the particular odic form which was used by Cowley when he translated, or rather paraphrased, the Odes of Pindar. Owing to Cowley's popularity, this form came much into fashion afterwards through his numerous imitators, and it is much in vogue even at the present day.

The characteristic features of Cowley's free renderings and imitations of Pindar's odes are, in the first place, that he dealt very freely with the matter of his Greek original, giving only the general sense with arbitrary omissions and additions; and, in the second place, he paid no attention to the characteristic strophic structure of the original, which is a system of stanzas recurring in the same order till the end of the poem, and consisting of two stanzas of identical form, the strophe and antistrophe, followed by a third, the epode, entirely differing from the two others in structure. In this respect Cowley did not even attempt to imitate the original poems, the metres of which were very imperfectly understood till long after his time.

Hence there is a very great difference between the originals and the English translations of Cowley, a difference which is clear even to the eye from the inequality of the number of stanzas and the number of verses in them.

§ =304.= The first Nemean ode, e.g. consists of four equal parts, each one being formed of a strophe and antistrophe of seven lines, and of a four-lined epode; twelve stanzas in all. Cowley's translation, on the other hand, has only nine stanzas, each of an entirely different structure, their schemes being as follows:

I. _a a₅ b b₄ c₃ c d₆ d₄ e e₃ e f₄ f₅ g₄ g₅_, 15 l.
II. _a a₄ b₃ b₄ b₅ c₄ c₃ c₅ d₄ d₅ e e₄ f₃ f₃ e₅_, 15 l.
III. _a₅ b₃ b₄ a a₅ c₃ c₄ d e e₃ d f ~₄ f ~₆ g₄ g₅ g₇_, 16 l.
IV. _a₅ a b b₄ b c c c₅ d₃ d₅ e e₄ e₆_, 13 l.
V. _a a b b c₅ c₄ c₅ d₄ e d₅ e f f₄ g₅ g₆_, 15 l.
VI. _a a₅ b₄ b₅ c₆ d₅ d₄ c e f₅ f₄ f₅ g₄ g e h₅ h₇_, 17 l.
VII. _a₅ a₃ b₅ b₄ b₅ c₃ c₆ d₄ e₃ e₆ d₅ f f g₄ g₇_, 15 l.
VIII. _a₂ a b₅ b₃ c₄ c₆ d₅ d e₄ e₃ f f₄ g₆ g h₄ h₆_, 16 l.
IX. _a₄ a₅ b₄ b c₆ c d₄ d₅ d e₃ e₆_, 11 l.

Cowley's own original stanzas and those of his numerous imitators are of a similar irregular and arbitrary structure; cf. Cowley's ode _Brutus_ (Poets, v. 303), which has the following stanzaic forms:

I. _a₄ a b₅ b₄ c c₅ c₄ c₅ d₆ d d₅ d₄ d₅ d₆_, 14 l.
II. _a b a a b₅ b₄ c c d d₅ d₃ d e₄ e₅ f₃ g₃ g₄ f₆_, 17 l.
III. _a₃ a₅ b₄ b₆ c₅ c d₄ d d e e₅ f f₄ g ~₅ g ~₆_, 15 l.
IV. _a a a₅ b₃ b₄ a₅ a a₄ b₅ c₄ c d₅ d₄ e₆ e₅ f₄ f₆_, 17 l.
V. _a b₅ b₄ a₆ c₂ c₅ c₄ a c₅ c₆ d d e₄ e₅ f₃ f g g₅ h
h₄ i i₅ i₄_, 23 l.

Waller's ode _Upon modern Critics_ (Poets, v. 650) has the following stanzaic forms:

I. _a b b₄ a c₅ c d₄ d₅ d₄ e f₅ f f₄ e₅ f₄ g g h₅ i₃ i h₄
k₅ k₆_, 23 l.
II. _a a₄ b₃ b c c d₄ d₅ e f f g₄ g₅ e₃ h i₄ i₅ h k k₄ l l₅_, 23 l.
III. _a a b b c₄ c₅ d d e e f f₄ e₃ f e g₄ h₅ h g i₄ i₆_, 21 l.
IV. _a b b a₄ c c₅ d₃ d₄ e₅ d₄ d f₅ f₄ g g₅ h₄ h₅ i i₅_, 19 l.
V. _a a b b c₄ d₅ c₃ d e₅ e₆ f₅ f₄ g₅ g h h₄ i₃ i₆_, 18 l.
VI. _a₄ b₃ a b a c c d₄ d₆ e e₄ f f g₅ g₄ g h₅ h i₄ i₆_, 20 l.

All the stanzas are of unequal length and consist of the most various verses (of three, four, mostly five, even six and seven measures) and arrangements of rhymes. Parallel rhymes are very common; but sometimes we have crossed, enclosing, and other kinds of rhyme, as e.g. the system of the Italian _terzina_. A characteristic feature is that at the end of the stanza very often three parallel rhymes occur, and that, as a rule, the stanza winds up with a somewhat longer line of six or seven measures, as in the Spenserian and the Epithalamium stanza; but sometimes we also find a short final verse.

To these Irregular Pindaric Odes, besides, belong Dryden's celebrated odes _Threnodia Augustalis_ and _Alexander's Feast_, the latter having a more lyrical form, with a short choral strophe after each main stanza; and Pope's _Ode on St. Cecilia's Day_. A long list of references to similar poems from Cowley to Tennyson is given in _Metrik_, ii, §§ 516-22; amongst these different forms the rhymeless odic stanzas occurring in Dr. Sayers (_Dramatic Sketches_), Southey (e.g. _Thalaba_) and Shelley (_Queen Mab_) are noticeable.

§ =305.= To these Irregular Pindaric Odes strong opposition was raised by the dramatist Congreve, who in a special _Discourse on the Pindaric Ode_ (Poets, vii. 509) proved that Pindar's odes were by no means formed on the model of such an arbitrary strophic structure as that of the so-called Pindaric Odes which had hitherto been popular in English poetry. To refute this false view he explained and emphasized their actual structure (see § 303), which he imitated himself in his Pindaric Ode addressed to the Queen, written soon after May 20, 1706, and composed in anisometrical rhyming verses. He was mistaken, however, in thinking that he was the first to make this attempt in English. Nearly a hundred years before him, Ben Jonson had imitated Pindar's odic form on exactly the same principles; in his _Ode Pindaric_ to the memory of Sir Lucius Carey and Sir H. Morison (_Poets_, iv. 585) we have the strophe (_turn_), antistrophe (_counter-turn_), and the epode (_stand_), recurring four times (cf. _Metrik_, ii, § 525). Ben Jonson, however, found no followers; so that his attempt had remained unknown even to Congreve. The regular Pindaric Odes by this poet, on the other hand, called forth a great many imitations of a similar kind and structure. For this reason the first three stanzas of Congreve's _Pindaric Ode_ (Poets, vii. 570) may be quoted here as an example, the scheme of the strophe and antistrophe being _a a₅ b₃ c c₄ b₅ b₆_, that of the epode _a b a b₄ c₅ d₄ c₃ d₄ e₄ e f g₃ g₄ f₅_:

THE STROPHE.

_Daughter of memory, immortal muse,
Calliope; what poet wilt thou choose,
Of Anna's name to sing?
To whom wilt thou thy fire impart,
Thy lyre, thy voice, and tuneful art;
Whom raise sublime on thy aethereal wing,
And consecrate with dews of thy Castalian spring?_

THE ANTISTROPHE.

_Without thy aid, the most aspiring mind
Must flag beneath, to narrow flights confin'd,
Striving to rise in vain:
Nor e'er can hope with equal lays
To celebrate bright virtue's praise.
Thy aid obtain'd, ev'n I, the humblest swain,
May climb Pierian heights, and quit the lowly plain._

THE EPODE.

_High in the starry orb is hung,
And next Alcides' guardian arm,
That harp to which thy Orpheus sung
Who woods, and rocks, and winds could charm;
That harp which on Cyllene's shady hill,
When first the vocal shell was found,
With more than mortal skill
Inventor Hermes taught to sound:
Hermes on bright Latona's son,
By sweet persuasion won,
The wondrous work bestow'd;
Latona's son, to thine
Indulgent, gave the gift divine;
A god the gift, a god th' invention show'd._

The most celebrated among the later Pindaric Odes formed on similar principles are Gray's odes _The Progress of Poesy_ (Poets, x. 218) and _The Bard_ (ib. 220). References to other odes are given in _Metrik_, ii, § 527.

In dramatic poetry M. Arnold attempted to imitate the structure of the different parts of the Chorus of Greek tragedy in his fragment _Antigone_ (p. 211), and more strictly in his tragedy _Merope_ (p. 350). It would lead us too far, however, to give a detailed description of the strophic forms occurring there.

With regard to other lyrical pieces in masques and operas (also of an unequal-membered strophic structure) and with regard to cantata-stanzas and other stanzas differing among themselves, in other poems which cannot be further discussed here, we must refer the reader to §§ 528-31 of our larger work.