Gird as a man thy loins, I will ask thee ; inform thou me.' Here poetry distinguishes itself from prose chiefly by the division into two short equal parts. This peculiarity of poetic diction is expressed by the word 'TX, which properly denotes dividing the matter, and so speaking or singing in separated portions. Among the Arabians, who, however, have syllabic measure, each verse is divided into two hemistichs by a cxsura in the middle. What is termed service metre' in English versification is not unlike this in the main : it is the metre' of the Psalm-versions, and of ordinary hymn-books, though in the latter it is arranged in four lines— `But one request I make to him I that sits the skies above, That I were fairly out of debt I as I were out of love.' Suckling.
The simple two-membered rhythm hitherto de scribed prevails, especially in the book of Job, the Proverbs, and a portion of the Psalms ; but in the last, and still more in the Prophets, there are nu merous verses with three, four, or yet more mem bers.
In verses consisting of three members (tristicha) sometimes all three are parallel— `Happy the man who walketh not in the paths of the unrighteous, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers.' Ps. i. t.
Sometimes two of the members stand opposed to the third ' To all the world goes forth their sound, To the end of the world their words ; For the sun he places a tabernacle in them.'
Ps. nix. 4.
Verses of four members contain either two simple parallels ' With righteousness shall he judge the poor, And decide with equity for the afflicted of the people ; He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth ; With the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.' Is. xi. 4.
Or the first and third answer to each other; also the second and fourth— `That smote the people in anger With a continual stroke ; That lorded it over the nations in wrath With unremitted oppression.' Is. xiv. 6.
If the members are more numerous or dispropor tionate (Is. xi. 1), or if the parallelism is imper fect or irregular, the diction of poetry is lost and prose ensues ; as is the case in Is. v. 1-6, and fre quently in the later prophets, as Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
It is not to be supposed that each poem consists exclusively of one sort of verse ; for though this feature does present itself, yet frequently several kinds are found together in one composition, so as to give great ease, freedom, and capability to the style. We select the following beautiful specimen, because a chorus is introduced—