Mortadello

A NOTE ON THE ALEXANDRINE 111 10. After the second and fourth feet, but with each line rimed within itself : Oh for the blind kiss of the wind, the desert air Thrilling the blue and shrilling through my soul’s despair. (“ Thrilling ” and “ shrilling ” are here thrown in without extra charge. This device frequently recurs.) There may be one or two other complications which I have overlooked. I have made use of the usual liberties in the matter of using anapæsts and trochees for iambics. With regard to double rimes, I have sometimes treated them as single rimes, when they occur in the middle of a line ; sometimes I have made the line of thirteen syllables to suit them. I have even, once or twice, used the reverse method of calling a pause a half foot. “ Stare, murderer, stare,” counts as six syllables. All this has been done of high purpose ; there is some in- flection or emphasis to be gained, or some tone to be given to the speech by the irregularity. But there is sure to be a serious quarrel about the caesura. This does not always follow the fall of the rime. I have even rimed with the middle of a word : Hell surges ; all its demons yell with triumph : fell Swell their appalling choirs the unutterable spell. Even some of the plain Alexandrines have no proper caesura : Mischief, I gather, Mistress Mary Magdalene ! Here there is no possible beat. I have done this in order to indicate to the actors who will play this comedy if ever there is an English speaking stage