9. The next thing I wish you to notice is, that every line of verse always begins with a capital letter.
10. And thirdly you will notice, that the lines of verse are more regular in their sound than lines of prose. They have a kind of musical sound about them, which you very rarely hear, except in verse.
11. And fourthly you will notice, that some of the words are shortened by leaving out a letter, and putting in its place a mark called an _apostrophe_, which looks just like a comma, only it is placed higher up in the line, as in the following line:
12. In this line, if the words were written out at full length, with all their letters in them, the line would stand as follows:
13. But this would destroy what is called the _measure_ of the line, by putting too many syllables into it; and therefore the words _we are_ are shortened, so as to be read as one syllable, and the line is to be read as follows:
14. The next difference I shall point out to you between prose and verse, is that in verse the words are placed in a different order from what they would be in prose; as you will notice in the following lines:
"When all thy mercies, oh my God! My rising soul surveys, Transported with the view, I'm lost In wonder, love and praise."
15. Now, if these lines were written in prose, the words would stand in the following order: "O my God! when my rising soul surveys all thy mercies, I'm transported with the view of them, and lost in wonder, love and praise."
16. And now that I have explained to you a few of the points in which verse differs from prose, I will only add, that when you read verse, you must not stop at the end of every line, unless there is a pause or mark there; and that you must avoid reading it as if you were singing it to a tune.
1. Thou, Lord, by strictest search hast known My rising up and lying down; My secret thoughts are known to thee, Known long before conceived by me.
2. Surrounded by thy power I stand, On every side I find thy hand: O skill for human reach too high! Too dazzling bright for mortal eye!
3. From thy all-seeing Spirit, Lord, What hiding-place does earth afford? O where can I thy influence shun, Or whither from thy presence run?
4. If up to heaven I take my flight, 'Tis there thou dwell'st enthroned in light; If to the world unseen, my God, There also hast thou thine abode.