8. Some texts require both explication and observation. 4. Observations, for the most part, should be theological. Occasionally and sparingly, observations historical, philosophical, and critical may be used.

5. Observational preaching ought to be a faithful delineation of persons, characters, and occurrences; the divine conduct; the consequences of a vicious course; the influence of divine agency on the affairs of men; the experience of God's people, their trials, their encouragements, their hopes, their fears, &c.

III. Propositional Discourses.

While a single discourse may embrace many observations, a single proposition may form the basis of a whole discourse, or of more. In explication we treat of the text, divide and discuss it; in proposition we adhere to the general doctrine or subject to be discussed, as stated in the preacher's own words; but if such statement contain any term of doubtful import, such term should at the beginning be explained, but briefly.

The doctrine, theme, or proposition may be divided into two or three other propositions, expressed in perspicuous language, and in as few words as possible.

The arguments should be solid, the proofs clear, the citations conclusive, the examples striking.

The conclusion should be animated and powerful; and worthy of the arguments advanced.

TOPICAL METHODS OF DIVISION.

These have been already considered, under the head of "Topics suggestive of Ideas," and of "The Oration or Discourse."

In preparing a sermon, no more important rule, perhaps, can bʊ given than this (in the words of Dr. H. F. Burder): "Endeavor to ascertain and to exhibit the leading sentiment intended to be conveyed by the text, and let that leading sentiment dictate the spirit and plan of the discourse."

It is thus (he adds) that the preacher will best secure unity of design in every discourse, and a suitable variety in his plans of arrangement. That variety will naturally grow out of the habit of

yielding his mind to the impression which the prominent idea of a text is calculated to produce; a diversity of method, without any direct effort to attain it, will then almost follow, of course, from a variety in the texts and subjects themselves.

LESSON CLIX.

THE WRITING OF POETRY.

An excellent writer, the late Prof. Henry Reed, recommends the writing of verse as an important help in attaining a good prose style. He says,

The study of English poetry being in close affinity with the prose, admits of an important use in the formation of a good prose style. A mind as earnestly practical as Dr. Franklin's observed this; and he recommended the study of poetry and the writing of verse for this very purpose; it was one of the sources of his own excellent English. It is a species of early training for prose writing which he recommended, having recognized it in his own case as having given a genuine copiousness and command of language. This certainly is worth reflection, too, that all the great English poets, Chaucer, Spenser, Shakspeare, Milton, Dryden, Cowper, Byron, Southey, and Wordsworth, have displayed high powers as prose writers.'

Poetic compositions must depend greatly on a native endowment for it; yet a taste and capacity for writing well in verse, may in part be acquired by a careful and frequent perusal, in early life, of the productions of those who excel in this species of composition, and also by committing large portions to memory-a practice that is worthy of adoption by all.

As daily communion with the wise, the intelligent, the well-informed, assists in attaining their traits of character; as we form our tastes, style of conversation, and manners, by those with whom we bring ourselves into frequent contact; so an early and studious familiarity with the poets cannot fail to imbue the mind with a love for poetic creations, and to aid in giving to our thoughts and sentiments and observations the poetic form.

Dr. Johnson, in his "Lives of the Poets," informs us that Cowley, Milton, and Pope are distinguished among the English poets

by the early exertion of their powers; but the works of Cowley were published in his childhood, and therefore of him only can it be certain that his puerile performances received no improvement from his maturer studies.

Pope, at the age of fourteen, wrote in smooth and harmonious verse; at sixteen he wrote his "Pastorals," which have been much admired. At twenty or twenty-one, he composed his celebrated poetical "Essay on Criticism," a work which, in Dr. Johnson's opinion, displays such extent of comprehension, such nicety of distinction, such acquaintance with mankind, and such knowledge both of ancient and modern learning, as are not often attained by the maturest age and longest experience.

Goldsmith, Henry Kirke White, Chatterton, and many others, have also distinguished themselves in writing verse while yet in childhood or early youth—a fact which is here cited for the purpose of encouraging the young to attempt to pursue them in the same walk of literature.

While the study and reading of the poets with great attention and interest, together with close and admiring observations of nature, and notice of the workings of one's own mind, are valuable means of cultivating the poetic spirit and of preparing to write in verse, it saves much labor to make one's self acquainted with the laws and forms and diction of versification, so as to be able the more readily to conform to them.

LESSON CLX.

VERSIFICATION.

This is the art of making verses, being a measured Arrangement of words, containing a regular succession of accented and unaccented syllables. By the former is meant the syllables upon which stress of voice is laid in pronunciation.

A verse is a line of poetry, and consists of a certain number of accented (or strong) and unaccented (weak) syllables, following each other in regular order.

Each succession or group of such syllables is called a measure, or foot. These measures were called feet, because among the Greeks their time (in pronunciation) was regulated by the fort of the Corypheus, or director of the choirs.

Verse is of two kinds, Rhyme and Blank verse. Rhyine requires the last syllables of different lines to sound alike, such lines being arranged in some regular order.

Verses in which there is no such correspondence of sound, constitute Blank Verse.

Verses are also distinguished by pauses, which, in reading, occur at regular or measured distances. The final pause occurs at the end of each line. The casural pauses (so called because they cut or divide the line into two members), occur in other parts of the line or verse.

A Stanza consists of a certain number of verses, or lines. A Couplet (or Distich) is a stanza of two verses; a Triplet, of three. A Hemistich, is half a verse. But this division is not always equal; one of the half-verses does not always contain the same number of syllables as the other.

Scansion or scanning, is the act of dividing a verse into the measures or feet that compose it.

A complete verse (or line) is called acatalectic; if not complete, it is called catalectic; if it has a redundant syllable, the verse is called hypermeter or hypercatalectic.

Versification is perfect, so far as concerns measure (says Mr. Mulligan), when the arrangement of the words in a verse is such that, regarded as mere prose, the relative force which the syllables demand for correct pronunciation corresponds with the demands of the measure of the verse; in other words, when the good pronunciation of a passage naturally produces metrical melody. To this we may add, that the perfection of verse, as regards pauses, consists in so arranging the words that the metrical pauses demanded by the laws of the verse shall occur at places where a pause is allowable without injury to the sense. When in both these respects the demands of the particular measure and form of verse are complied with, without greater departure from the ordinary grammatical arrangement of language than is allowable and becoming in poetical compositions, the versification is good, so far as regards all but rhyme (if rhyme is present).

All the feet used in poetry consist either of two or of three syllabies, and are reducible to eight kinds; namely, four of two syllables, and four of three, as follows:

A Trocnee has the first syllable accented, and the last unac cented; as, "Hateful, péttish."

An Iambus has the first syllable unaccented, and the last ac cented; as, "Betray, consist."

A Spondee has both the words or syllables accented; as, "The pale mōōn."

A Pyrrhic has both the words or syllables unaccented; as, "On the tall tree."

A Dactyle has the first syllable accented, and the two latter unaccented; as, "Laborěr, póssible."

An Amphibrach has the first and last syllables unaccented, and the middle one accented; as, "Delightful, doméstic."

An Anapæst has the first two syllables unaccented, and the last accented; as, "Contrăvēne, acquiésce."

A Tribrach has all its syllables unaccented; as, “Nūměrăblě, cónquerable."

Some of these feet may be denominated principal feet, as pieces of poetry may be wholly or chiefly formed of any of them. Such are the Iambus, Trochee, Dactyle, and Anapest. The others may be termed secondary feet; because their chief use is to diversify the numbers, and to improve the verse.

Iambic verses may be divided into several species, according to the number of feet or syllables of which they are composed.

Ex. 1.-The shortest form of the English Iambic consists of an Iambus, with an additional short or unaccented syllable; as,

Disdaining,
Complaining,
Consenting,
Repenting.

We have no poem of this measure, but it may be met with in stanzas The Iambus, with this addition, coincides with the Amphibrach

Ex. 2. The second form of Iambic is also too short to be continned through any great number of lines. It consists of two Iambuses,