On the Use of New and Old Words in Poetry
While with false pride, and narrow jealousy,Numbers reject each new expression, won,Perchance, from language richer than our own,O! with glad welcome may the POET seeExtension's golden vantage! the decreeEach way exclusive, scorn, and re-enthroneThe obsolete, if strength, or grace of toneOr imagery await it, with a free,And liberal daring!--For the Critic Train,Whose eyes severe our verbal stores review,Let the firm Bard require that they explainTheir cause of censure; then in balance trueWeigh it; but smile at the objections vainOf sickly Spirits, hating for they do!
“But she, and I, were Creatures innocent,Lov'd for we did.” BEA. and FLE. TWO NOBLE KINSMEN.
“----Nor must you thinkI will your serious and great business scantFor she is with me.” OTHELLO.
Words in this poem
- vantage v. t.
- To profit; to aid.
- imagery n.
- The work of one who makes images or visible representation of objects; imitation work; images in general, or in mass. [OE. imagerie, F. imagerie.]
- await v. t.
- To watch for; to look out for. [OF. awaitier, agaitier; (L. ad) + waitier, gaitier to watch, F. guetter. See Wait.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
On the Use of New and Old Words in Poetry is in the public domain. This text is taken from Original sonnets on various subjects; and odes paraphrased from Horace, Project Gutenberg ebook #27663; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Anna Seward, On the Use of New and Old Words in Poetry, in Original Sonnets on Various Subjects (1799), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #27663, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/seward-sonnets/on-the-use-of-new-and-old-words-in-poetry.html, id L09796.
Form and metre
On the Use of New and Old Words in Poetry is 19 lines in 3 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 87%). 94% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 9.7 syllables. 3 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 47% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ABABCDCDEFEFGG jealousyA · wonB · ownA · seeB · decreeC · enthroneD · toneC · freeD · trainE · reviewF · explainE · trueF · vainG · doG
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| While with false pride, and narrow jealousy, | 10 | ·····/˘/˘˘ |
| Numbers reject each new expression, won, | 10 | /˘˘/··˘/˘· |
| Perchance, from language richer than our own, | 10 | ˘/·/˘/˘·/· |
| O! with glad welcome may the POET see | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Extension's golden vantage! the decree | 10 | ˘/˘/˘/˘·˘/ |
| Each way exclusive, scorn, and re-enthrone | 10 | ··˘/˘···˘/ |
| The obsolete, if strength, or grace of tone | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Or imagery await it, with a free, | 10 | ·/˘˘˘/···· |
| And liberal daring!--For the Critic Train, | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Whose eyes severe our verbal stores review, | 10 | ··˘///˘··/ |
| Let the firm Bard require that they explain | 10 | ·····/··˘/ |
| Their cause of censure; then in balance true | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Weigh it; but smile at the objections vain | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| Of sickly Spirits, hating for they do! | 10 | ·/˘/˘/˘··· |
| “But she, and I, were Creatures innocent, | 10 | ·····/˘/˘˘ |
| Lov'd for we did.” BEA. and FLE. TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. | 12 | ········/˘·· |
| “----Nor must you think | 4 | ···· |
| I will your serious and great business scant | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| For she is with me.” OTHELLO. | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.