Alexander Pope: Selected Poetry and Prose

communicating a few thoughts, or rather doubts, of
mine on that head, some of which ’tis likely I may have
hinted to you formerly in conversation; but I will here
put together all the little niceties I can recollect in the
compass of my observation.

1. As to the hiatus, it is certainly to be avoided as often
   as possible; but, on the other hand, since the reason of it
   is only for the sake of the numbers, so, if to avoid it we
   incur another fault against their smoothness, methinks
   the very end of that nicety is destroyed. As when we say
   (for instance)

But th’ old have interest ever in their view

to avoid the hiatus in ‘The old have interest,’ does not
the ear in this place tell us that the hiatus is smoother,
less constrained, and so preferable to the caesura?

2. I would except against all expletives in verse, as ‘do’
   before verbs plural, or even too frequent use of ‘did’ and
   ‘does’, to change the termination of the rhyme, all these
   being against the usual manner of speech and mere
   fillers-up of unnecessary syllables.


3. Monosyllable-lines, unless very artifully managed,
   are stiff, languishing, and hard.


4. The repeating the same rhymes within four or six
   lines of each other, which tire the ear with too much of
   the like sound.


5. The too frequent use of alexandrines, which are
   never graceful but when there is some majesty added to
   the verse by them, or when there cannot be found a word
   in them but what is absolutely needful.


6. Every nice ear must (I believe) have observed that
   in any smooth English verse of ten syllables there is
   naturally a pause either at the fourth, fifth, or sixth
   syllable, as, for example, Waller:

At the fifth: Where’er thy Navy || spreads her canvas

wings.

At the fourth: Homage to thee || and peace to all she

brings.

At the sixth: Like tracks of leverets || in morning snow. 40

10

20

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