I have great reason to recommend these observations to the reader, considering how inaccurately the present subject is handled by critics: not one of them distinguishes the natural resemblance of sound and signification, from the artificial resemblances now described; witness Vida in particular, who in a very long passage has given very few examples but what are of the latter kind.* That there may be a resemblance of articulate sounds to some that are not articulate, is self-evident; and that in fact there exist such resemblances successfully employed by writers of genius, is clear from the foregoing examples, and from many others that might be given. But we may safely pronounce, that this natural resemblance can be carried no farther: the objects of the different senses, differ so widely from each other, as to exclude any resemblance: sound in particular, whether articulate or inarticulate, resembles not in any degree taste, smell, or motion: and as little can it resemble any internal sentiment, feeling, or emotion. But must we then admit, that nothing but sound can be imitated by sound? Taking imitation in its proper sense, as importing a resemblance between two objects, the proposition must be admitted and yet in many passages that are not descriptive of sound, every one must be sensible of a peculiar concord between the sound of the words and their meaning. As there can be no doubt of the fact, what remains is to inquire into its cause. Resembling causes may produce effects that have no resemblance; and causes that have no resemblance may produce resembling effects. A magnificent building, for example, resembles not in any degree an heroic action; and yet the emotions they produce, are concordant, and bear a resemblance Poet. L. iii. 1. 365-454. to each other. We are still more sensible of this resemblance in a song, when the music is properly adapted to the sentiment: there is no resemblance between thought and sound; but there is the strongest resemblance between the emotion raised by music tender and pathetic, and that raised by the complaint of an unsuccessful lover. Applying this observation to the present subject, it appears, that in some instances, the sound even of a single word makes an impression resembling that which is made by the thing it signifies: witness the word running, composed of two short syllables; and more remarkably the words rapidity, impetuosity, precipitation. Brutal manners produce in the spectator an emotion not unlike what is produced by a harsh and rough sound; and hence the beauty of the figurative expression rugged manners. Again, the word little, being pronounced with a very small aperture of the mouth, has a weak and faint sound, which makes an impression resembling that made by a diminutive object. This resemblance of effects is still more remarkable where a number of words are connected in a period: words pronounced in succession make often a strong impression; and when this impression happens to accord with that made by the sense, we are sensible of a complex emotion, peculiarly pleasant; one proceeding from the sentiment, and one from the melody or sound of the words. But the chief pleasure proceeds from having these two concordant emotions combined in perfect harmony, and carried on in the mind to a full close.* Except in the single case where sound is described, all the examples given by critics of sense being imitated in sound, resolve into a resemblance of effects: emotions raised by sound and signification may have a * See Chapter II. Part iv. resemblance; but sound itself cannot have a resemblance to any thing but sound. Proceeding now to particulars, and beginning with those cases where the emotions have the strongest resemblance, I observe, first, That by a number of syllables in succession, an emotion is sometimes raised extremely similar to that raised by successive motion; which may be evident even to those who are defective in taste, from the following fact, that the term movement in all languages is equally applied to both. In this manner, successive motion, such as walking, running, galloping, can be imitated by a succession of long or short syllables, or by a due mixture of both. For example, slow motion may be justly imitated in a verse where long syllables prevail; especially when aided by a slow pronunciation. Illi inter sese magnâ vi brachia tollunt. Georg. iv. 174.. On the other hand, swift motion is imitated by a succession of short syllables: Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum. Again: Radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas. Thirdly, A line composed of monosyllables, makes an impression, by the frequency of its pauses, similar to what is made by laborious interrupted motion; With many a weary step, and many a groan, Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone. Odyssey, xi. 736. First march the heavy mules securely slow; Fourthly, The impression made by rough sounds in succession, resembles that made by rough or tu multuous motion on the other hand, the impression of smooth sounds resembles that of gentle mo= tion. The following is an example of both. Two craggy rocks projecting to the main, Another example of the latter: Odyssey, iii. 118. Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows, Essay on Crit. 366. Fifthly, Prolonged motion is expressed in an Alexandrine line. The first example shall be of slow motion prolonged. A needless Alexandrine ends the song; That like a wounded snake, drags its slow length along. Essay on Crit. 356. The next example is of forcible motion prolong ed: The waves behind impel the waves before, Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain, Again speaking of a rock torn from the brow of a mountain : Still gath'ring force, it smokes, and urg'd amain, Sixthly, A period consisting mostly of long syllables, that is, of syllables pronounced slow, produceth an emotion resembling faintly that which is Hence the produced by gravity and solemnity. beauty of the following verse: Olli sedato respondit corde Latinus. It resembles equally an object that is insipid and uninteresting. Tædet quotidianarum harum formarum. Terence, Eunuchus, Act II. Sc. 3. Seventhly, A slow succession of ideas is a cit cumstance that belongs equally to settled melancholy, and to a period composed of polysyllables pronounced slow and hence by similarity of emotions, the latter is imitative of the former: In those deep solitudes, and awful cells, Pope, Eloisa to Abelard. Eighthly, A long syllable made short, or a short syllable made long, raises, by the difficulty of pronouncing contrary to custom, a feeling similar to that of hard labour: When Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw, Ninthly, Harsh or rough words pronounced with difficulty, excite a feeling similar to that which proceeds from the labour of thought to a dull writer: Just writes to make his barrenness appear, And strains from hard-bound brains eight lines a-year. I shall close with one example more, which of all makes the finest figure. In the first section mention is made of a climax in sound; and in the second, of a climax in sense. It belongs to the present subject to observe, that when these coin |