Sunday, June 17, 2007

This is my scansion of Dryden's "The Presbyterians". Dryden is easy to scan -- he wrote pretty strict heroic verse. You may ignore the % signs, they are to mark comments in the typesetting file I did this in (LaTeX), or, think of them as marking the scansion lines.

I didn't scan the whole thing, finish it if you like:


More haughty than the rest, the wolfish race
%o B o b o B o B o B
Appear with belly Gaunt and famish'd face:
%o B o B o B o B o B
Never was so deform'd a beast of Grace.
%B -o- B o B o B o B
His ragged tail betwixt his leggs he wears
%o B o B o B o B o B
Close clapp'd for shame, but his rough crest he rears,
% o B o B -o- B * B o B
And pricks up his predestinating ears.
%o B * B -o- B o B o B
His wild disorder'd walk, his hagger'd eyes,
%o B o B o B o B o B
Did all the bestial citizens surprize.
%o B o B o B o b o B
Though fear'd and hated, yet he ruled awhile,
% o B o B o B o B o B
As Captain or Companion of the spoil.
%o B o b o B o b o B
Full many a year his hatefull head had been
%o B -o- B o B o B o B
For tribute paid, nor since in Cambria seen:
%o B o B o B o B o B
The last of all the Litter scap'd by chance,
% o B o B o B o B o B
And from Geneva first infested France.
%o b o B o B o B o B
Some Authors thus his Pedigree will trace,
%o B o b o B o b o B
But others write him of an upstart Race:
Because of Wickliff's Brood no mark he brings
But his innate Antipathy to Kings.
These last deduce him from th' Helvetian kind
Who near the Leman lake his Consort lin'd.
That fi'ry Zuynglius first th' Affection bred,
And meagre Calvin blest the Nuptial Bed.
In Israel some believe him whelp'd long since,
When the proud Sanhedrim oppress'd the Prince,
Or, since he will be Few , derive him higher,
When Corah with his Brethren did conspire,
From Moyses Hand the Sov'reign sway to wrest,
And Aaron of his Ephod to devest:
Till opening Earth made way for all to pass,
And cou'd not bear the Burd'n of a class.

Dryden, John. "Presbyterians, The" The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry.

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