The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-03-09
THE RESTRICTIONS OF RHYME.
Editorial, in Times Democrat.

Editorial, Times democrat
Although rhyme is sometimes said 10 have been
borrowed from the east, it is TO be found in very
early Anglo Saxon poems. Its employment in
English poetry is most antique custom, and, in
the latter part of the sixteenth century, it had
come into general usage, although parties were
formed against il. Sir Philip Sidney and several
others undertook the restoration of English verse
to "the orthodoxy of classic rhythm" Webbe
inveighed against the "rOut of ragged rymers :"
Roger Ascham was not less severe and Ben JON
son-who clearly antedated Emerson's belief that
consistency is the bug bear of little minds-made
rhymes against rhymng. In his "Arte of English
Poesie" Puttenham said that ''many simple clerks,
following either the barbarOus rudeness of the time,
else their own idle inventions, thought them
selves no small fooes when they could make their
verses goe all in rhyme" But the Jingle of verse
is agreeable to the of the ordinary reader, and
in the struggle of rhyme against rhythm, the
former may be said to have gained the upper hand.
Those who have never cOurted the muse, either
for love or money are apt to imagine the poet as
thing of song and gladness, thrilling forth his lays
with the spontaneity of a bird in the wildwoods-
or at least with the mechanical briskness of hand
organ. They unaware of the restrictions of
rhyme; but if they should examine carefully such
forms of verse the sonnet ballade, rondeau, viii
lanee, ETC., it might help them TO understand
ing of the pains with which the poet is forced to
"searche the bottom of his braynes for apt words"
1t may be suggested that if the poet finds the
tyranny of Ginning syllables uncomfortable, the
resource of blank verse is lett him. But blank
verse demands certain majesty of theme and
movement, "thunder roll" of sound, not to be
comprised by every writer, and is, if poorly exc
cuted, the --LATEST of metrical performances. Many
trife has been successfully fOated upon "the rip
pie of laughing rhyme"
If the verse maker writes in comic, serio- comic
satirc vein, his task is comparatively easy for
the most eccentric rhymes may be utilized. Byron
matched "intelectual" with "hen- pecked you all
Gilbert, having named the hero of one of his "Bab
Ballads Duke Humphy, did not scruple 10 state
that he was exceedingly uncomfy" Another
bright mind surmounted seemingly insuperabe
difficulty in writing:
could have pla led on any timbrel
For JOY that had whimbre
Rhymes have been discovered for Sennacherib,
Cadwallader, Popocatapetl, etc., but it is not of
such tours de sOupleSSe that we wish TO speak at
present. These playful vagaries not allowed to
the poet who takes his pen in hand with serious
intent What he finds hardest to bear is the
malevolent ingenuity with which the rhymes force
him to say things he has no desire to say Certain
"old reliables' always TO be encountered in
verse. There is little doubt that the doves unmer
tied reputation for meekness and peace is largely
After that, you have "above," which is safe
rhyme, and "shove," which is out of the question
and several false rhymes, such as "prove," "move"
Grove" ETC., commonly called into service by neces
sity. Rossett often used GOT" in this connection.
Take "dregs," for example, fine, Understanding
Word-yet, after you have exhausted "begs," there
is nothing left but "pegs" "eggs" "kegs" "legs"
and other equally impracticabe monosyllables.
Then, there is "dusk"-you may take your choice
of "musk," "husk," "tusk" and "busk;" none of
them particularly useful in describing evening
scene. If you substitute cleaning" you are
Immediately compelled to go "roaming," and your