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 xv
... syllables in Latin, thus combining the separate features of accent and ... syllables and accents rather than feet, 2 and only with the new interest in Greece ... unstressed, matching the 'long' and 'short' of the classical originals. Most ...
... syllables in Latin, thus combining the separate features of accent and ... syllables and accents rather than feet, 2 and only with the new interest in Greece ... unstressed, matching the 'long' and 'short' of the classical originals. Most ...
Page xvi
... unstressed syllables , it will be obvious that of the six kinds of foot listed , only those which include syllables of both types can be used as the foundation of a simple metre , producing four main varieties of verse . Those which ...
... unstressed syllables , it will be obvious that of the six kinds of foot listed , only those which include syllables of both types can be used as the foundation of a simple metre , producing four main varieties of verse . Those which ...
Page xxii
... syllables, but in a quite distinct form, closer to the strong-stress metre ... syllable of 'upon' is given some degree of stress. But the source of the third line's rhythmic power is obscured by the foot-scansion ... unstressed ' with '
... syllables, but in a quite distinct form, closer to the strong-stress metre ... syllable of 'upon' is given some degree of stress. But the source of the third line's rhythmic power is obscured by the foot-scansion ... unstressed ' with '
Page xxx
... syllables of a phrase like Jóhn stands , spoken slowly but naturally , and then introduce an increasing number of unstressed syllables between the stresses , keeping the time - interval between the stresses the same : Johnny stands ...
... syllables of a phrase like Jóhn stands , spoken slowly but naturally , and then introduce an increasing number of unstressed syllables between the stresses , keeping the time - interval between the stresses the same : Johnny stands ...
Page xxxii
... syllables followed by two measures of one syllable each: The latter is probably close to the experience of the ... unstressed syllables without metrical consequences. This is obviously not so, as the subtraction of one nonstress will ...
... syllables followed by two measures of one syllable each: The latter is probably close to the experience of the ... unstressed syllables without metrical consequences. This is obviously not so, as the subtraction of one nonstress will ...
Contents
THE RHYTHMS OF ENGLISH SPEECH | 8 |
THE FOURBEAT RHYTHM | 25 |
THE FIVEBEAT RHYTHM | |
WHAT IS A METRICAL RULE? | |
THE FUNCTIONS OF POETIC RHYTHM | |
SOME EXAMPLES | |
RULES AND SCANSION | |
Bibliography | |
Sources of examples | |
Index | |
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Common terms and phrases
accentual-syllabic verse alternation anapaestic chapter common metre complex create David Abercrombie demotion deviation dipodic rhythm discussion distinction double offbeat duple metre duple verse duration emphasis English metre English speech English verse example falling rhythm five-beat line five-beat rhythm four-beat line four-beat rhythm four-beat verse function iambic pentameter implied offbeat initial inversion initial offbeat language line-end linguistic metrical form metrical pattern metrical rules metrical set metrical structure metrical style metrical theory movement nonstresses nursery rhymes occur offbeat condition organisation pause perceived perception phonetic phonological phrase poem poetic poetry poets pronunciation prosody reader reading realised rhythmic form rhythmic structure rhythmic unit rising rhythm scansion semantic sense sequence single offbeat sounds speech rhythms stanza stress contour stress pattern stress-final pairing stress-timing stressed and unstressed strong syllable count syntactic break syntax tendency tension triple metre triple rhythm triple verse trochaic trochee underlying rhythm unrealised beat unstressed syllables variation words