As to the hunted hart the sallying spring,

Or stream full flowing, that his swelling sides
Laves, as he floats along the herbag'd brink.

Cool through the nerves your pleasing comfort glides;
The heart beats glad, the fresh expanded eye

And ear resume their watch; the sinews knit;

And life shoots swift through all the lighten❜d limbs.”

Young's address to the lilies is a fine example of the figure:

"Queen lilies! and ye painted populace

Who dwell in fields, and lead ambrosial lives!

In morn and evening dew your beauties bathe,
And drink the sun, which gives your cheeks to glow,
And outblush---mine excepted-every fair;

You gladlier grew, ambitious of her hand,
Which often cropt your odors, incense meet
To thought so pure. Ye lovely fugitives!
Coeval race with man; for man you smile;
Why not smile at him too? you share indeed
His sudden pass, but not his constant pain.”

The figure differs from the metaphor. 1. In that it is an address to the person or object which is its subject. The metaphor is not an address to its subject, but affirms something respecting it. 2. That which the apostrophe declares of its subject is in harmony with its nature, and literally true of it;

that which the metaphor ascribes to its subject is not literally true, but only resembles that which is literally true of it.

The figure thus admits of a bold and full portraiture of the persons or objects addressed, in a highly poetic form, employing the metaphor, comparison, metonymy, hyperbole, and hypocatastasis as its auxiliaries, as freely as though the discourse were a description or narrative.

What is an apostrophe! Does it admit a description of the person or object addressed? Are the properties and acts it ascribes to its subjects such as accord with their nature? How does it differ from the metaphor? What is its influence on a composition?

Where does the pause fall in the lines from Milton, "Hail, holy light, offspring of heaven first-born"? Which of the lines commence with a trochee? Where does the casura fall in Young's lines, "Queen lilies! and ye painted populace"!

LESSONS.

There are in the first twelve lines of Milton's apostrophe to light, eight metaphors, and one comparison. Which are they? There are in the other lines several metaphors.

they!

Which are

There are in Young's apostrophe to night, fourteen metaphors, counting such expressions as elder-born, starry-crown, and ravenbrow as one. Point them out.

Let the scholar give an example of the figure from the Scriptures. Let one be given from a poet.

THE Prosopopœia, or Personification, is an ascription of intelligence to an impersonal thing, material or mental, by addressing it as though it had the organs of hearing, sight, or motion; or ascribing to it the passions and actions of men. Thus Moses, in his prophetic song to the congregation of Israel (Deut. xxxii. 1-43), summoned the heavens and the earth to listen to his words:

"Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak;
And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

My doctrine shall drop as the rain;
My speech shall distil as the dew;

As the small rain upon the tender herb,
And as the showers upon the grass;
Because I will publish the name of the Lord,

Ascribe ye greatness unto our God."

The heavens and earth are thus addressed as though they had the organ of hearing, were consciously present at the utterance of the song, and witnesses of its solemn recitals, and its prophetic warnings and announcements.

It is used in the same form by Isaiah, in the introduction of his prophecy (chap. i. 1);

"Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
For it is Jehovah that speaketh."

The mountains are summoned by it (Micah vi. 2) to witness the controversy of God with his people:

"Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy,
And ye strong foundations of the earth;

For the Lord hath a controversy with his people,
And he will plead with Israel."

The heavens are called by Jeremiah (chap. ii. 12, 13) to contemplate the apostasy of the Israelites, with the amazement and fear with which it was suited to impress beholders:

"Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this,
And be horribly afraid.

Be ye very desolate, saith the Lord,

For my people have committed two evils

:

They have forsaken me,

The fountain of living waters;

And hewed them out cisterns,

Broken cisterns, that can hold no water."

He calls the earth to be witness of the prophetic denunciation he uttered respecting Coniah (chap. xxii. 29, 30):

"O earth, earth, earth,

Hear the word of the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord:

Write ye this man childless,

A man that shall not prosper in his days;

For no man of his seed shall prosper,
Sitting upon the throne of David,

And ruling any more in Judah."

Isaiah calls the heavens and earth, the mountains and forests, to celebrate with songs and joy the redemption of Jacob (chap. xliv. 23);

"Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah hath effected it; Utter a joyful sound, O ye depths of the earth;

Burst forth into song, 0 ye mountains!

Thou forest, and every tree therein !
For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob;

And will be glorified in Israel."