Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1841 to 1870 > Stéidhean a' Ghràmair Ghaëlig

246 PROSODY.
RANNACHADH.
Quantity, Accent, Versìfica-
tion, and Figures of Speech.
The Composition of words
in any Ianguage is either
Prose or Poetry.
Prose is language not con-
fìned to a measured number
of syllables or harmonic
sounds.
Poetry or Verse is lan-
guage confìned to a measur-
ed number of long and short
syllables to produce har-
monic sounds.
Quantity. — The quantity
of a syllable is the time oc-
cupied in pronouncing it.
Quantity is either long or
short; as, tùbe, tùb.
àccent. — Accent is the
placing of a greater stress of
the voice on one syllable
than on another; as, Rap'id.
eas mu Tkomhas, Stràc 7
Rànndachd, 'us Fhigearàn
Càinnte.
Is Rosg no Bàrdachd Co-
shuidheachadh fhocal ann
an càinnt air-bith.
Is è Rosg, càinnt nach 'eil
iar a cur 'an àireamh shuidh-
ichte de smidean no fhuaim-
ean ceblmhor.
Is è Bàrdachd no Rànn r
càinnt iar a cur 'an àireamh
shuidhichte de smidean fad
agus grad a dheanamh
fhuaimean ceblmhor.
Tomhas. — Is è tomhas
smide, an tìm à ghabhar 'g à
fuaimeachadh. Tha tomhas
aon chuid fad no grad ; mar,
càs, càs.
Stràc. — Is è Stràc, toirt
buille na 's mò de 'n ghuth
do dh-aon smid na do smid
eile ; mar, EaV&mh.
The Gaelic, which is a branch of the primeval tongue, pos-
sesses poetical qualities of transeendent beauty. It has been, in
all ages, distinguished for its power and success in descriptive
poetry, and for eflfectually moving and impressing the passions.
The ancient Gaelic Bards had peculiar facilities in composing
their verses, and in describing their subjects, because they were
not so much fettered by fixed faws of versificatìon as modem
poets. In pouring fourth their poetical strains, their chief aim
seems to have been, to select suitable words of similar sounds for
the preceding and succeeding lines.*
* " The ancient Bards do not appear to have composed under any fixed laws of
versification, yet the wildest effUsions were not wìthout a certain rule ; their poems,
although in blank verse, had a peculiar adjustment of cadence and feet, easily dis-
coverable to a practical ear."
" Polymetra, orverses of different measures, employed according to the poet's
taste or feeling,— a style capable of being rendered extremely effective, — is held to.