Letters Concerning Poetical Translations | Page 4

Pope's Essay on Criticism.
And ten low Words oft creep in one dull Line.
Mr. Dryden indeed has said in several Places, that the vast Number of Monosyllables in our Language makes it barbarous and rough, and unfit for Poetry. I am apt to think Mr. Pope gave into Mr. Dryden's Sentiment a little too hastily. I own ten low Words too frequently creep on in one dull line, in a Poet's Works, whom Mr. Pope has formerly celebrated with no mean Encomiums.
The following Lines afford an Example in this respect.
At the beginning of the third Book of the Davideis, this is the Description of Goliah's Sword.
"A Sword so great, that it was only fit To take off his great Head, who came with it. Cowley.
Here are ten dull Words most certainly in one dull Line.
"To take off his great Head, who came with it.
And miserable is the Metre in which they creep on. But hundreds of monosyllable Lines are to be found in Milton that are as sublime, as beautiful, and as harmonious as can possibly be written. Look only into the Morning Hymn in the fifth Book.
"Speak ye who best can tell, ye Sons of Light.
Again,
"Thou Sun! of this great World both Eye and Soul.
Again,
"And when high Noon hast gain'd, and when thou fall'st.
Again,
"With the fixt Stars, fixt in their Orb that flies.
Again,
"Breathe soft or loud; and wave your Tops, ye Pines.
Again,
"Bear on your Wings and in your Notes his Praise.
Can it be said that ten dull Words creep on dully in any one of these Lines? But Examples may likewise be given in rhym'd Verse, of the Harmony of Monosyllables. Harmony consists in mixing rough and smooth, soft and harsh Sounds. What Words can be rougher than such as these, Rides, Rapt, Throws, Storms; or smoother than these, Wheel, Hush, Lull?
"Then mounted on his radiant Carr he rides, And wheels along the level of the Tides. Pit's 1st ?neid.
How rough is the first Line, how soft the latter! As soft as the Original, which is a Masterpiece.
"Rapt by his Steeds he flies in open Day, Throws up the Reins, and skims the watry Way.
"Has given to thee great ?olus to raise Storms at thy sov'reign Will, and smooth the Seas.
"He spake, and speaking chas'd the Clouds away, Hush'd the loud Billows, and restor'd the Day.
"Mean time the Goddess on Ascanius throws, A balmy Slumber and a sweet Repose. Lull'd in her Lap to Rest, the Queen of Love, Convey'd him to the soft Idalian Grove. Pit's 1st ?neid.
Where can a smoother Line than this be found in our Language?
"Lull'd in her Lap to Rest, the Queen of Love.
And it may be observed that this Line is all Monosyllables.
Monosyllables are likewise of great consequence on another account. The Strength of the English Language is greatly owing to them: For to them it is principally obliged for its Conciseness; and Conciseness is Strength. Now Conciseness is not only to express ourselves in as few Words as we can, but the Excellency of the Language shews itself, if those few Words are composed of few Syllables. And herein upon Examination, the Strength of the English Tongue will be found to lye; and for this reason it may be said to be more concise than the Latin; which will appear if Virgil is turned into English, I mean even English Verse. For Example:
"--_Ubi tot Simois correpta sub undas Scuta virum, Galeasq; & fortia Corpora volvit._
"Where Simois Streams incumber'd with the slain, Roll'd Shields, and Helms, and Heroes to the Main. Pit's 1st ?neid.
To discover which of these two Passages is the most concise, it is not sufficient to shew, that there are two whole English Lines, and but one Line and three Parts of another in the Latin. Latin and English Lines cannot be compared together, because in a Latin Line there are six Feet, and in an English Line but five. Again, in Latin Verse there must be in every Line one Foot of three Syllables, often three or four, or even five Feet of three Syllables, and sometimes four or five Syllables in one Foot. Whereas in an English Line, there is hardly ever more than two Syllables in a foot. So that an English Verse cannot be compared with the Latin by the Line, or by the Foot, but only by the Syllables of which the Words are composed, which make the Feet in both the Languages. The Business then is to enquire whether we write or pronounce more Syllables in the Latin or English Verses here quoted: Upon Enquiry it appears that there are twenty nine Syllables in the Latin, and but twenty one in the English; so that the English is almost one third part less than the Latin; which certainly shews the former to be much more