The Rhythms of English PoetryExamines the way in which poetry in English makes use of rhythm. The author argues that there are three major influences which determine the verse-forms used in any language: the natural rhythm of the spoken language itself; the properties of rhythmic form; and the metrical conventions which have grown up within the literary tradition. He investigates these in order to explain the forms of English verse, and to show how rhythm and metre work as an essential part of the reader's experience of poetry. |
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Page 6
... iambic foot or iamb / x trochaic foot or trochee x x pyrrhic foot or pyrrhic / / spondaic foot or spondee x x ... pentameter five feet hexameter or alexandrine six feet heptameter seven feet octometer eight feet Since the English ...
... iambic foot or iamb / x trochaic foot or trochee x x pyrrhic foot or pyrrhic / / spondaic foot or spondee x x ... pentameter five feet hexameter or alexandrine six feet heptameter seven feet octometer eight feet Since the English ...
Page 7
... Iambic pentameter |x / I x / I x 7 I x / lx / l (1) I Enforced! to seek! some co I vert nigh Iat hand I Trochaic trimeter |IX I I X I /xI (2) IHigher |still and Ihigher I Anapaestic tetrameter IX X /I X X / | X X / I X X / I (3) IWhen ...
... Iambic pentameter |x / I x / I x 7 I x / lx / l (1) I Enforced! to seek! some co I vert nigh Iat hand I Trochaic trimeter |IX I I X I /xI (2) IHigher |still and Ihigher I Anapaestic tetrameter IX X /I X X / | X X / I X X / I (3) IWhen ...
Page 9
... iambic pentameter? X/ XIXIXI XI |x/|x/|x/|x/|x/| Both indicate the quintuple occurrence of a nonstress and a stress which gives the line its character, but the second seems to imply in addition that the transition between a nonstress ...
... iambic pentameter? X/ XIXIXI XI |x/|x/|x/|x/|x/| Both indicate the quintuple occurrence of a nonstress and a stress which gives the line its character, but the second seems to imply in addition that the transition between a nonstress ...
Page 17
... iambic pentameter verse: / x / / x / x / X 1 x / x / When men see by Time's hand the world destroyed If we remove the foot-divisions, however, we can see why it strikes the ear so uncomfortably: it has six main stresses, all vying for ...
... iambic pentameter verse: / x / / x / x / X 1 x / x / When men see by Time's hand the world destroyed If we remove the foot-divisions, however, we can see why it strikes the ear so uncomfortably: it has six main stresses, all vying for ...
Page 34
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Contents
Rhythm | 57 |
Metre | 145 |
Practice | 283 |
RULES AND SCANSION | 357 |
Bibliography | 363 |
Sources of examples | 376 |
Index | 388 |
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Common terms and phrases
accentual-syllabic verse alternation anapaestic B B B B Ceolred chapter classical approach common metre complex create David Abercrombie deviation discussion distinction double offbeat duple metre duple verse emphasis English metre English verse example falling rhythm five-beat line following line four-beat line four-beat rhythm four-beat verse function iambic pentameter implied offbeat initial inversion initial offbeat language linguistic literary metrical form metrical pattern metrical rules metrical set metrical structure metrical style metrical subordination metrical theory metrist movement nonstresses occur offbeat condition optional pause perceived perception phonetic phonological phrase poem poetic poetry poets promotion pronunciation prosody reader reading rhyme rhythmic form rhythmic structure rhythmic unit scansion semantic sense sequence single offbeat speech rhythms stanza stress contour stress pattern stress-final pairing stress-initial pairing stress-timing stressed and unstressed strong syllable count syntactic break syntax tension tradition triple metre triple rhythm triple verse trochaic trochee underlying rhythm unrealised beat unstressed syllables words