Example.—­Salutation to America.

“Land of the | beautiful, | beautiful, | land of the | free,
Land of the | negro-slave, | negro-slave, | land of the | chivalry,
Often my | heart had turned, | heart had turned, | longing to | thee;
Often had | mountain-side, | mountain-side, | broad lake, and | stream,
Gleamed on my | waking thought, | waking thought, | crowded my | dream. 
Now thou dost | welcome me, | welcome me, | from the dark | sea,
Land of the | beautiful, | beautiful, | land of the | free,
Land of the | negro-slave, | negro-slave, | land of the | chivalry.”

MEASURE V.—­DACTYLIC OF FOUR FEET, OR TETRAMETER.

Example 1—­The Soldier’s Wife.

   “Weary way |-wanderer, | languid and | sick at heart,
    Travelling | painfully | over the | rugged road,
    Wild-visaged | Wanderer! | God help thee, | wretched one! 
    Sorely thy | little one | drags by thee | barefooted;
    Cold is the | baby that | hangs at thy | bending back,
    Meagre, and | livid, and | screaming for | misery. 
    Woe-begone | mother, half | anger, half | agony,
    Over thy | shoulder thou | lookest to | hush the babe,
    Bleakly the | blinding snow | beats in thy | haggard face. 
    Ne’er will thy | husband re | -turn from the | war again,
    Cold is thy | heart, and as | frozen as | Charity! 
    Cold are thy | children.—­Now | God be thy | comforter!”
        ROBERT SOUTHEY:  Poems, Philad., 1843, p. 250.

Example II.—­Boys.—­A Dactylic Stanza.

   “Boys will an | -ticipate, | lavish, and | dissipate
      All that your | busy pate | hoarded with | care;
    And, in their | foolishness, | passion, and | mulishness,
      Charge you with | churlishness, | spurning your pray’r.”

Example III—­“Labour.”—­The First of Five Stanzas.

   “Pause not to | dream of the | future be | -fore us;
    Pause not to | weep the wild | cares that come | o’er us: 
    Hark, how Cre | -ation’s deep, | musical | chorus,
      Uninter | -mitting, goes | up into | Heaven! 
    Never the | ocean-wave | falters in | flowing;
    Never the | little seed | stops in its | growing;
    More and more | richly the | rose-heart keeps | glowing,
    Till from its | nourishing | stem it is | riven.” 
        FRANCES S. OSGOOD:  Clapp’s Pioneer, p. 94.

Example IV.—­“Boat Song.”—­First Stanza of Four.

   “Hail to the | chief who in | triumph ad | -vances! 
      Honour’d and | bless’d be the | ever-green | pine! 
    Long may the | tree in his | banner that | glances,
      Flourish, the | shelter and | grace of our | line! 
       Heaven send it happy dew,
        Earth lend it sap anew,
    Gayly to | bourgeon, and | broadly to | grow,
        While ev’ry | Highland glen
        Sends our shout | back agen,
    ‘Roderigh Vich Alpine Dhu, ho! ieroe!’”
        WALTER SCOTT:  Lady of the Lake, C. ii, St. 19.