One of the important characteristics of the Augustan period in the history of the English language is a very vigorous and energetic use of the form of verse called the heroic couplet, i.e., of iambic pentameter rhyming in pairs like aa, bb, and cc.
It was Chaucer who for the first time familiarized this verse form by using it in his writings. During the Renaissance period the blank verse, i.e., the verse without rhyme, specially the iambic pentameter, became the favourite verse form because of its greater flexibility. During this period also, the heroic couplet was, no doubt, used once in a while but it was not at all popular.
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It became the favourite verse form of the Augustan period and was widely used by Dryden, Goldsmith, Pope and Johnson. In the writings of Pope in particular it acquired a perfection it never had before. The characteristic features of the use of heroic couplet by Pope have been summarized by Sampson (1972:384) as follows:
… there are no tri-syllabic feet and very few inversions; the rhymes fall preferably on monosyllabic words, which thus receive the full terminal stress; one of the rhyming words is, where possible, a verb.
The following are some samples of Pope’s use of the heroic couplet:
Ev’n copious Dryden wanted, or forgot,
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The last and greatest art, the art to blot.
A heap of dust alone remains of thee;
‘Tis all thou art, and all the proud shall be!
Whoever thinks a faultless piece to see,
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Thinks what ne’er was, nor is nor e’er shall be.