JAMBIC

JAMBIC, in ancient poetry, a sort of verse, so called from its consisting either wholly, or in great part, of iambus's. See LAMBUS.

Ruddiman makes two kinds of iambic, viz. dimeter and trimeter; the former containing four feet, and the latter six. And as to the variety of their feet, they consist wholly of iambus's, as in the two following verses of Horace:

1 2 3 4 5 6
Dim. Inar|sit a|stud|sius|
Trim. Suis|& i|psa Ro|ma vi|ribus|ruit.

Or, a dactylus, spondeus, anapestus, and sometimes tribrachys, obtain in the odd places; and the tribrachys also in the even places, excepting the last.—Examples of all which may be seen in Horace; as,

Dimeter.

1 2 3 4 5 6
Candida|tra|ctavit|dapes|
Vide|re prope|rantes domum|

Trimeter.

Quo|quo|scel|esti rui|tis|aut|cur dex|teris.
Prius|que coelum si|det in|ferius|maris.
Alit|ibus at|que cani|bus homi|cidi| He|ctorem.
Pavidum|que lep|or| aut ad|venam laque|ligruem.