The Future Poetry

358 The Future Poetry

powerful or forcefully pointed expression of thought and ob-
servation; power and beauty are its native character and, even
when it turns to satire or to familiar speech, it keeps always
one or other or both of these characteristics. There is no sound
reason why it should be otherwise in English, why this great
metre should be condemned to an inferior level and inferior
purpose; if that is done, it fails its user and dissatisfies the
reader.
In fact, Clough does once or twice rise above these limita-
tions. Here, following immediately three lines that have been
already quoted as good in their limits, come three others that
suddenly realise the true hexameter rhythm; there is the life
and energy natural to that rhythm, there is the characteristic
swiftness, rush, force, which is one of its notes, there is an ex-
act clothing of the thought, feeling or action in its own native
movement —

What! for a mite, or a mote, an impalpable odour of honour

Armies shall bleed, cities burn, and the soldier red from the storming

Carry hot rancour and lust into chambers of mothers and daughters!

At another place he rises still higher and suddenly discovers,
though only once in a way and apparently without being
conscious of his find, the rhythm of the true quantitative
hexameter —

He

_

li

_

ke a ̆|go

_

dca

_

me|lea

_

vi ̆ng hi ̆s|a

_

mple ̆O ̆|ly

_

mpi ̆a ̆n|cha

_

mbe ̆r

where the opening antibacchius and spondee followed by bound-
ing and undulating dactyls give a sound-value recognisable as
akin to the ancient movement. It would be an epic line if it were
not in the mock-heroic style; but, even so, if we met it apart
from its context, it would remind us at once of the Homeric
rhythms —

Be de kat’ Oulumpoio kar ̄ en ̄on ch ̄ o ̄omenos k ̈ ̄er....