to describe these measures, or succession of syllables according to accent. Let us throw aside for the moment these two systems based on quantity and accent, and commence with what is apparently the simplest method of measuring verse-that of counting syllables. › Take the first stanza of a famous poem, which has been said to be absolutely perfect in word and workmanship, Gray's "Elegy in a Country Churchyard." The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, ΙΟ ΙΟ IO ΙΟ If we count the syllables we shall see that there are ten in each line all the lines are of exactly the same length. Is that the reason why the verse sounds so smooth and regular? It is one reason, but not the only one. Let us see if we can find another reason. We know, of course, that all the lines in a poem need not be, like Gray's, of equal length. If we read the second stanza of another well-known poem, Longfellow's "Psalm of Life," we shall see that the first and third lines have eight syllables each, while the second and fourth lines number only seven syllables. Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; 8 878 ས 7 This stanza also reads smoothly. We shall see, then, that our lines need not all be of equal length. Does the fact that these lines balance each other, alternating eight syllables, seven syllables, eight syllables, seven syllables, make the verse read smoothly? That also is one reason, but again not the only one. Take the first stanza of this same poem of Longfellow's, and we see that the last line does not read quite smoothly: Tell me not in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream, For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem. 8 7 8 7 We find a certain awkwardness in this last line if we try to read it aloud in a rhythmical manner-that is, with regular succession of accents-because we have to pronounce the initial word "and" with more emphasis than the sense indicates. It would be possible to take this line and use it as the initial line of a nonsense stanza as follows: And things are not what they seem, And life is naught but a show, And always it shall be so. What has happened? The line is exactly the same but we read it very differently. The time-scheme is completely altered. Instead of saying, as in the Longfellow stanza, And things are not what they seem. we find ourselves saying, And things are not what they seem. We see, then, that in our simple method of measuring verse by the number of syllables, we must reckon with something else: that something is accent. To emphasize its importance we shall use the terms accented or unaccented syllables instead of strong or weak syllables. Accent is also sometimes called stress, and sometimes beat. It is the emphasis which the voice involuntarily places on certain syllables when pronounced properly in the language to which they belong. To the regular recurrence of accent, half our pleasure in English verse is due. The place where the accent falls gives the form and also the name to our meter. Let us read again the first stanza of Gray's "Elegy in a Country Churchyard" and mark the accents. The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea, We see that every other syllable is accented, beginning with the second. The accent falls with absolute regularity. This, then, is the reason that the verse sounds so smooth and regular. We have found the first great law governing English verse, accent. Let us mark the accents in the second stanza of "A Psalm of Life." Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul. We see that instead of falling on the second syllable, as in Gray's "Elegy," the accent in the "Psalm of Life" falls on the first syllable, which reverses the beat and changes the character of the verse. The accent, however, falls regularly, and so that the stanza reads smoothly. The trouble with the line And things are not what they seem, is that to read it in harmony with the preceding lines, we have to put the accent on a syllable where it would not naturally fall in simple speech and according to the meaning. We therefore see that we must reckon with two kinds of accent: verse-accent and word-accent, and that in English poetry the two should normally fall on the same syllable. EXERCISES FOR CLASS USE AND SELF-INSTRUCTION 1. Give in your own words a definition of the metrical foot. 2. How does the foot in English verse differ from one in Greek or Latin meter? 3. Is it always necessary for a good writer to put the regular number of syllables in a line? Give reasons. 4. Quote one or more lines that contain less syllables than their corresponding lines, and say whether in your opinion the poet omitted syllables purposely, and if so, why. 5. Write a stanza containing one or more words of unusual emphasis as a threat, or a cry of fear-and experiment whether a pause (an omission in the regular meter) after the important word helps or mars the verse. NOTE: The whole subject of Irregularities will be treated later. 6. Try to find one or more poetic lines which give a distinctly pleasurable sound independent of the sense. 7. Define (a) meter, (b) quantity, (c) accent. 8. Mark the accents on two varying stanzas from different poems. 9. Try to find an example in which the word-accent and the verse-accent are not identical—that is, do not fall on the same syllable. 10. Hand in a single short specimen of your own verse, marking any improvements or changes on the margin, or, if the poem is printed, on an accompanying sheet. |