The Harmony of Verse 9781487577889

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THE HARMONY OF VERSE

WILLIAM C. MORTON

THE HARMONY OF VERSE Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fish hook? Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? The Book of Job

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS

© University of Toronto Press 1967 Reprinted in 2018 ISBN 978-1-4875-7884-8 (paper)

PRINTED AND BOUND IN ENGLAND BY HAZELL WATSON AND VINEY LTD AYLESBURY, BUCKS

To Mary Jarvie Morton m grateful memory

Preface

In 1919, when I was in medical practice at Leeds, Professor Rhys Roberts of the University of Leeds lectured on the famous epigram of Simonides in honour of the Spartans who fought and died at Thermopylae. He so renewed my interest in Greek that I translated many epigrams into English, both rhymed and free; and this exercise led me to study the rhythm of our own verse. Weary of "the war of the prosodists," I inquired into the basis of the rhythm of speech, and then of the other rhythms of man's body and mind, of animals and plants, and finally of the lifeless world. I then returned to the study of the rhythm of speech. Our prosodists would have us believe that metrical verse is more formal than it really is, and they have propounded rhythms and metres which not even their brother prosodists accept. Within wide limits every lover of verse is entitled to choose his own rhythm. The war of the prosodists has arisen simply because each of us lives in his own world of subjective rhythm. The present work sets forth what I believe to be the physio-psychological basis of verse, and so the principle which justifies liberty and frees us from the bonds of our own devising. What Mr. Burnett James has said of music applies equally to verse: In a sense, every act of interpretation is a taking of liberties. It is a commonplace notion to suppose that the best interpreter is he who sticks closest to what appears on paper. Interpretation implies an act of creative imagination. The score, even the most detailed one, is only a guide, a sort of graph of personality. To bring it into life, some imaginative tampering is required, else you get a mathematical equation without inner meaning and purpose. Musical notation itself is so inadequate that if one were to rely entirely upon it, no spiritual emotion or experience, would, or could, emerge from it. Music, in fact, would remain what it is widely held to be -an elegant decoration, and an amiable entertainment. There is tension in the poet and also between all the elements of verse, and the progressive and ultimate appeal must harmonize all these, if it is to elicit the perfect subject response.

vii

viii

PREFACE

Verse on the printed page is an articulated skeleton which meaning clothes with living flesh and blood; but the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual appeal and response are the very soul of the poetry or harmony of verse. This little work is strictly personal: it aims only at expounding what, rightly or wrongly, I regard as the essential basis of the rhythm of spoken verse, and it sets each example as I myself at the moment respond to its poetry. It is unavoidably dogmatic. Every reader and speaker of verse must determine his own rhythm. The poems and poetic extracts have been taken from a wide variety of sources, and no attempt has been made to establish definitive texts. Where possible, however, they have been checked for accuracy with texts in Oxford or other authorized editions. Spelling and capitalization, with few exceptions, have been modernized. In some passages minor changes have been made in punctuation where it did not accord with present-day usage. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work has been published with the help of a grant from the Humanities Research Council of Canada, using funds provided by the Canada Council. I am indebted to my friend Mr. Eric S. Snelling for years of encouragement and criticism, and to Professor H. Pearson Gundy of Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, for criticizing the whole work, making valuable suggestions, passing it for the Press, and reading the proofs. My thanks are also due to Messrs. Cassell & Co., Ltd., of London, England, for permission to quote from Living Forwards by Burnett James, and to Messrs. A. D. Peters & Co., also of London, England, for permission to quote from Common Sense on Poetry by L.A. G. Strong. I am truly grateful to the University of Toronto Press for their patience and skill in overcoming the many difficulties, and to my niece, Miss Elizabeth H. Morton, for introducing the embryonic work to the Press, and for untiring help throughout. W.C.M.

Contents

PREFACE

VU

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Vlll

3

PROLOGUE 1.

The Origin, Rhythm, and Autometre of Speech

5

2.

Basic, Minor, and Major Metre

12

3.

Metrical Series

31

4. Metrical Linking and Pause

43

5. Metrical Syllables

52

6. Accent and Tempo

56

7. Phonetic Melody

81

8. Tone and Pitch

95

9. Number, Position, and Grouping 10.

Norms and Progression

11. Diction and Meaning

101

145 169

12.

Tension and Harmony

180

13.

The Poet's Dream

200

14. Appeal and Response

207

EPILOGUE

231

NOTATION OF ACCENT IN WRITING

232

INDEX

to poems cited

233 IX

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Prologue

: We are the: music-=makers, :A And : we are the : dreamers of : dreams, :A Yet : we are the : movers and : shakers :,. Of the : world for : ever, it : seems. :A

*' '*' '*' "*

'*' '*' '*' '*'

'* '* '*' '*

With : wonderful : deathless : ditties :,. We : build up the : world's • great : cities, And : out of a : fabulous : story :A We : fashion an : empire's : glory: :A

'*" '*' '*' '*'

*' *' "* • *' '*" *' '*" *'

'* "* '* '*'

"* '*'

:A

One : man with a : dream, at : pleasure, :,. Shall go : forth and : conquer a : crown; ... And : three with a : new • song's : measure :,. Can : trample an : empire : down. :A

'*' '*

"* • *' '*" *

A. W. E.

3

O'SHAUGHNESSY,

Ode

1 The Origin, Rhythm, and Autometre of Speech

I. THE ORIGIN OF SPEECH

Of all man's discoveries, actual or to come, none can ever be more momentous than speech, which enables him to co-operate in fulfilling the needs and aspirations of body, mind, and spirit. The marvels of science, the masterpieces of literature and art, and the deep things of philosophy and religion are all fostered and perpetuated only because man has taught himself speech. Ages before man appeared upon the earth, the lifeless called and echo answered. Drops of water tinkled, ripples lap-lapped, cataracts roared, and ocean-rollers thundered. Living creatures, for enjoyment as well as for safety, evolved organs by which they might learn what was happening at a distance. One set so picks up vibrations of the ether that light and shade and colour can be seen plotted out on a screen, or built up into three dimensions. Another set so picks up vibrations of the air that sounds can be heard alone, or in melody, or in harmony. Having become fitted for hearing, living creatures have also, through pain or for pleasure, become fitted for making themselves and others hear. The first ravening wolf howled; the first enraged lion roared; the first pig squealed in pain because he had to; and grunted to tell himself what a good time he was having. Nor were the creatures slow to learn how such sounds affected friend and foe. They evolved calls, every one after his kind. Some remained content with grunt or squeal or roar; others adopted hee-haw, tu-whit tu-whoo, and the like; while yet others, for delight of movement, for conquest and for defence, took to complex song and dance. The pig, self-centred, remains satisfied with grunt and squeal, never mimicking others. Not that he is worse than most. The horse will neigh, ass hee-haw, and owl tu-whit tu-whoo, and none so curious as to imitate his neighbour or other sound of the world about him, none save some

s

6

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

of the birds and man. With more or less likeness man reproduces the speech of lifeless and living. Let rain, thunder, ripple, or bough call, and man will pitter-patter, boom, lap-lap, or creak. Let beetle or bee call, and man will buzz or hum. Mother Goose with sure touch appeals to her children with Bow-wow, says the dog; Mew-mew, says the cat; Grunt-grunt, goes the hog; Squeak-squeak, goes the rat. And Ariel, leading his sprites in song and dance, bids them Bow-wow and Cock-a-diddle-dow! Man is like those birds which echo sounds from mimicry, but he goes beyond them in echoing to draw attention, and to name what has made the sound. These mimicking words lead to other words-names of things which do not call; words that tell of being and doing, of what a thing is like, and where, when, and how a thing is done; words, too, that just link other words together. All these become woven into complex patterns for wonder of meaning and beauty of sound. In that day come the lions of speech, the orator and the poet, and on their trail those jackals, the grammarian and the prosodist. II. THE ELEMENTS OF VERSE

Verse is a complex of the following elements:

a) Phonetic, tone, pitch, accent, and time Number, position and grouping Norm, modulation, and progression Tension, meaning, and diction Harmony b) Rhythm and metre The Greek term ev0µor; rhythm, includes many ratios of time and space, motion, measure, proportion, symmetry, arrangement, and order. We may sum up the content of rhythm as rat£o, first perceived, then expected and found, and in the end regarded as fitting or fit. This double sense of simple fitting together and perfect fitness forms the root of deµovia, harmony, which is the acme of rhythm. English has no word to include all the ratios of ev0µoc; unless we adopt harmony in both its primary and its ultimate sense. For the present work the rhythm of speech may be defined as follows:

ORIGIN, RHYTHM, AND AUTOMETRE OF SPEECH

7

The rhythm of speech is the harmony of all its elements, the rhythm of each element being the harmony of all its own elements in the onward flow of the words. Metre is time-accentual rhythm. It is the measurement of time based upon the periodicity of accent, and classified according to the division or multiplication of the intervals between the accents. A fine poem well spoken rivals in its own way Ariel's music in The Tempest (III, iii, 18): ALONZO:

What harmony is this? ... Marvellous sweet music!

GONZALO:

In prose, when the going is rough, metre gives way to the natural rhythm of the words, but in strict verse there is keen rivalry, and perfection is to be attained, not by resolving this tension but by harmonizing it. When we focus metre, we mould our syllables and words into something like harmony with it; but in speech, as in music and song, the ultimate harmony does not depend upon meticulous synchrony. In art, forgery is not a crime unless it fails to deceive. We may glance over verse, focussing the meaning and taking the rhythm for granted, or we may read to our inward ear, or whisper to ourselves, or recite quietly to friends at the fireside, or declaim to a crowded audience in a great hall; yet, whatever our rhythmic constitution and our mood at the moment, and whatever the conditions under which we speak, the autometre, however modulated, survives throughout. The basic unit of speech is the vowel or syllable, and when either is repeated we hear the autometric serial base of all speech. The vowel or syllable may be of any time-length, but since words are mostly spoken in unbroken ribbons, we may regard the basic series as continuous, and, choosing the inevitably accented vowel 6, or the syllable tan, or just counting, we may notate the bars and speak the metrical senes as :6 ..... :6 ..... :6 ..... :6 ..... :6 ..... :

:tan ... :tan ... :tan ... 'tan ... 'tan ... : : one ... : two ... : three . : four .. : five .. :

'*····· '*····· '*····· '*····· '*·····:

or more simply as

: 6ne : two : three : four : five :

* * * * *

Each syllable is a unit of phonetic and tone and pitch as well as accent and time-length, but phonetic and tone and pitch become so modified

8

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

that they cannot mark the time, whereas accent is the conductor's baton controlling the time throughout. Let us then begin by confining ourselves to time-accentual metre along with tempo. The brain measures the time and the larynx marks it with the inevitable accent. Since the spoken series is continuous, we have also measured the time-length of each syllable; and in strict metrical verse we may seem to measure also the time-relations of them all. Actually, however, we measure the time-intervals in silence while we mould and even recast the syllables as we speak them. Indeed, it is often a question what our metrical syllables really are. The brain conducts in silence and at the same time stimulates the nerves and muscles to play the vocal music which we call spoken metrical verse. Metre is purely subjective, a thing of the mind, a false creation, more felt than heard. This is why prosodists have so disagreed in the metre which they hear in the very same verse. For strict blank verse, for instance, one has heard rising rhythm only; another has heard iambic metre; another, iambic metre with a pause within duple-time bars; a fourth has suggested 5-basic metre with a sixth silent basic bar; while one of our poets, finding iambic too shocking, has taken refuge in duple time with distributive accent. It must be that each one of us lives in his own world of subjective rhythm in which he hears, or thinks he hears, the serial metre which vibrates his own particular drum.

III. THE BASIC AUTOMETRE OF ALL SPEECH

Man could not have communicated with his fellows without muscular movement, and, though gesture and lip-movement are useful, in range and flexibility they are not to be compared with the sounds produced by the organs of speech. Simplest of such movements are the vowels; and when a vowel or syllable is automatically repeated, we find the basis of all speech, a series whose regularity is not deliberate but autometric, just as natural as, but in no way dependent upon, the metres of breathing, walking, and the heart-beat. Man is thus an autometrist by birth, and only by art does he speak and versify. In his everyday speech he ignores his autometre, but in his verse he fosters it. Man's body accomplishes enormous tasks in a lifetime. His heart pumps a flood; his lungs inhale a breeze; his legs pace out the equator; his lips utter a library. Such works cannot be done except by repetition, and efficiency with least effort is attained by mass-productive auto-

9

ORIGIN, RHYTHM, AND AUTOMETRE OF SPEECH

metre of the brain and nerves and muscles, modulated in accordance with the ever-changing conditions of body and mind. Speech, song, music, and dance have each their own autometre, and, since this can be varied, they can often be synchronized. But to suppose that metre of speech depends upon metre of the heart, or of breathing, or of walking, or of music, or upon any other metre, is both unscientific and needless. IV, NOTATION OF RHYTHM

Basic Rhythm represents the autometre of all speech. It marks out bars, intervals of time which on the printed page appear to be regular, but which in spoken verse may vary greatly. These are notated both in the text and independently by the equal spacing of : : ', in which each bar begins with its own : and ends before the next :, In the independent notation we need not always retain the ', because the basic syllables imply it. Thus ' Nightly:: : sings:: the : staring:: : owl::

'*· '* ·'*· '*

becomes

*·

*

*

in which the natural rhythm of the words, the word rhythm, is notated by::. The bars are ushered in by basic syllables, which are notated independently by an asterisk *; all other syllables are sub-basic, and are notated independently by the dot • in front of or after the * of the basic syllable, In the text the sub-basic syllables are not notated, but their position can be indicated by using :,, the sign for the word rhythm, as above. Sometimes a bar has no basic syllable (an absent basic syllable), and sometimes it has no syllable at all (a silent bar). An absent basic syllable is notated in the text by :A, and independently by-, as in

•*, *·, •*··

: Merry:: : go:: the : bells::,

*· * '*

:A

and : merry:: : do they:: : ring::

·*· *·

*

:A

Rhythm is notated independently by closely attaching the sub-basic syllables to the basic as shown in the above examples; word rhythm is indicated by :, placed after the word or phrase; and metre by spacing the basic and sub-basic syllables to suggest units of time. Basic and

IO

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

sub-basic syllables together form group rhythm, which may be falling, rising, or wave rhythm. If a basic syllable is followed by one or more sub-basics, we have a group in / ailing rhythm, and there may be a series of falling groups. Thus we might have : Nightly I : sings the I : staring I : owlet

*· *· *· *·

in which we can dispense with the I because the falling rhythm is indicated by the recurrent=, as in the serial close of King Lear's lament (V, iii, 310): : Never, : never, : never, : never, : never If, on the other hand, a basic syllable is preceded by one or more sub-basics, we have a group in rising rhythm, and there may be a series of such rising groups.

Then: nightjly: sings I the stalring: owl

·* ·* ·* ·*

and in Satan's hazardous ascent to heaven in Paradise Lost (II, 950) the rising rhythm coincides with the word rhythm. And : swims:= or : sinks:=, or : wades\ or : creeps:=, or : flies:= When a basic syllable is both preceded and followed by one or more sub-basics, we have a group in wave rhythm, and there may be a series of such wave groups. Then : nightly:: : sings:: the : staring:: : owl:=

*

*

Re=member:: the: thrilling:: ro=mances:=

·*· ·*· ·*·

Falling, nsmg, and wave rhythm together constitute the minor rhythm of verse. Major rhythm compounds (builds up) basic rhythm into lines, couplets, quatrains, and the like, or resolves (breaks down) these into the ultimate word rhythm. Major rhythm is notated both in the text and independently by i for 2-basic rhythm and, where it occurs, by ii for 4-basic rhythm.

ORIGIN, RHYTHM, AND AUTOMETRE OF SPEECH

ii Noble:= the : Saxon:: who i hurled:: at his : ido[: a ii valorous:= : weapon:: in i olden:: : England::

ii•• ·•· .;. ··•· •ii••· •· .;.. •· The ii falling : out of i faithful : friends reiinewing : is of i love. :A

II

2 Basic, Minor, and Major Metre

All speech, whether prose or verse, takes time in the speaking. Each syllable and word has its own time-length (duration) and its own tempo (rate). Metre is rhythm measured by accent into units of time, and, while prose may have autometre, true metre is the element which most differentiates verse from prose. It is natural, therefore, to begin our study of the harmony of verse with a thorough study of metre. Moreover, in music the conductor's baton governs the time and tempo; in verse accent is the speaker's baton. The study of metre thus leads naturally to the study of accent and then of tempo. I. BASIC METRE

Words differ in the number of their syllables, and in prose they are grouped into phrases and sentences without regard to the primary autometre, the basic rhythm of all speech, unless they so jostle each other that they and the rhythm must be altered. In strict verse they must be so harmonized with the autometre that the basic metre, however modulated, must still suggest itself. In quick speech the syllables tend to be not merely moulded but actually recast: thus rhythm-ic-al may become rhyth-mic-cal. Coupling the words and phrases as they come, prose may be autometric in snippets, as in Douglas Jerrold's : Don't: you: think it, : Mr. : Cau=dle. I : No, : si~; I I : won't : have a : cab. I : Where do you : think the : money's to : come from?

* *

*

·•

•·* ··*•·

*

* I * * I ·*

Many snippets of speech are neutral in rhythm, being either prose 12

BASIC, MINOR, AND MAJOR METRE

13

which might have been verse or else verse which might have been prose. A modern novel has among innumerable examples: She : climbed a : chair to : reach the : hanging : lamp. And Hazlitt has It is hard if I cannot start some game on these lone heaths. I : laugh, I : run, I : leap, I : sing for : joy. Shakespeare has in prose : Did my : father : strike my : gentle=man for : chiding : of his : fool?

*

*

*

In Holy Scripture we find

*

: How art thou : fallen from : heaven, 0 : Lucifer, : son of the : morning!

* .... ·•· .... * ....

and Bunyan has embedded in his prose a rhymed couplet: CHRISTIAN: Whither are you going? They said, Back!: Back! and: we would: have you: do so: too, If : either : life or : peace is : prized by : you.

During divine service we hear The : scripture 1moveth : us in : sundry : places

* and, though Mother Goose for her young charges stresses time accentual metre, she has many lines which might well have occurred in prose, such as While : you're sitting : here, I'll : lay you a : crown He's : under a : haystack : fast a=sleep.

'* "* ·•· '*

·•· ·•· * '*

In all these the autometre does not petrify the expression, nor must

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

the expression bury the autometre: at all times expression and metre must harmonize. Regular autometre may be effective in prose, but it must never outstay its welcome.

The Notation of Basic Metre The poet sets his poem on the printed page and leaves us to make what we can of it. He does not even exert himself to state the number of basic syllables in each line, as is done in some hymn books. Such verse as Matthew Prior's Song(i) gives no difficulty. The: merchant, : to se=cure his: treasure, Con=veys it: in a: borrow'd: name; Eu=phelia: serves to: grace my : measure; But : Chloe : is my : real : flame.

'*' * ·* '*' ·*· * '*' * "*'" * '* '*' '*' * '*' * And Robert Burns's ballad Ye Banks and Braes (i) (early version) is easy verse.

Ye : flowery: banks o' : bonnie: Doon, How : can ye : blume sae : fair! :A How : can ye : chant, ye : little : birds, And: I sae: fu' o': care! :A

'*" * ·*· * '*' * '* '*' * '*' * '* '* ·* But much verse gives rise to fierce disagreement. Thus in this stanza

of John Keats's poem La Belle Dame sans Merci (i)

0 : what can : ail thee, : knight-at-=arms, A=lone and : palely : loiter=ing? The : sedge is : withered : from the : lake, And no birds sing! what does the poet mean us to hear in the last line: And : no • birds : sing! or

:A :A

'*And•: no * : birds : sing!

'*

*

*

:A

BASIC, MINOR, AND MAJOR METRE

Transference There is almost constant tension between metre and natural speech rhythm, and often the number of basic syllables in the lines varies because speech rhythm has transferred the last basic from the end of one line to the beginning of the next, as in There : was a : little : man, : and he : had a : little : gun, : And] his : bullets :A were : made :A of : lead, : lead, : lead;

*

*

·•·

:A

*

* *

in which Mother Goose has transferred And from the end of the first line to the beginning of the second. Such transference is indicated by the sign ]. Such lending of basic and sub-basic syllables is so common that except in special cases the sign ] may well be omitted. Thus in William Allingham's poem The Fairies (5) we have the simple : Wee : folk, : good : folk, : Trooping : all to=gether; :A : Green : jacket, : red : cap, And] : white: owl's: feather!

•·* ·•*

:A

* * * * ·•· •· * * * •·

and we also have (45) the more complex

If] : any : man so : dar=ing As] : dig them: up in : spite, : He shall] : find their : sharpest : thorns : In] his : bed : at : night. :A

..·=•·

* ·•·• * * * ·'* ·•· ** * ·'* * .,

In the following example from Sir Walter Scott's Pibroch of Donui Dhu (25) the first and third lines borrow from the speech rhythm for the sake of the rhyme.

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

: Come as the: winds come, [when : Forests are : rended; : Come as the: waves come, [when : Navies are: stranded:

* ··*·

*" ·*· * ··•· •· ·*·

And in Lord Tennyson's poem The Battle of Brunanburh (xv) the poem has deliberately borrowed in order to emphasize the strict musical time of the lines. : Saxon and : Angle [from : Over the : broad billow : Broke into: Britain [with : Haughty war-'workers [who : Harried the: Welshman, [when : Earls that were : lured [by the : Hunger of : glory [gat : Hold of the : land.

•· •· •·* •· •·*

"*' "*"" ··*· ·*· ·*· "* ·*· ··* *

II. MINOR METRE

Minor metre is the measured time of the three rhythmic groups of syllables, falling, rising, and wave. Some maintain that in English verse we have no minor metre, but we have only to double, treble, or quadruple the autometre to get½-,½-, or ¼-basic metre. In spoken verse minor metre either resolves or syncopates the basic metre. Resolution The basic bar is often resolved, broken down, into ½- and ¼-basic metre. When a vowel or monosyllable is repeated within the bar, we get

17

BASIC, MINOR, AND MAJOR METRE

½-basic metre, as in the ballad of the raided border country which has the refrain Fy, : lads, shout : a • a : a • a : a!

"*

·* • * • *

Here the rage of the woman who has lost her all explodes in the automatic prose of her yell, the quick basic metre of which the ballad sets in ½-basic (notated in the text by• and independently by the small asterisk•). So too in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Pyramus, expiring/e/o de se, bids himself : Die, • die, : die, • die, : die.

•

*

•

*

*

¼-basic metre is most simply notated as ½-basic metre with ¼-basic rhythm. Thus in Mother Goose's couplet we might have There : was a • little : man, • and he : had a • little : gun, • And his : bullets were : made of : lead, • lead, : lead. •A

·*·

•A

*

"*

*

·* "*

•

•A

* *

¼-basic metre is notated by a vertical tick high up, ' as in ' Re='mem'ber 'the : 'thrill'ing ' ro='man'ces 'We: 'read' on' the: 'bank• in' the: 'glen.

t* I I* I I* I '*. '*' '*

or, more simply, ' Re=mem'ber 'the : thrill'ing 'ro=man'ces ' We : read ' on ' the : bank ' in ' the : glen. With the bar : 21 : we get ' A : man ' of : words ' and : not ' of : deeds ' Is : like • a : gar'den : full 'of: weeds.

'* '* '* '*

'* '* '* '*

Mother Goose has a quatrain in which we may alternate¼- and ¼-basic metre:

18

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

: Ma'ry, : Ma'ry, : quite 'con:tra'ry, : How• does your: gar•den: grow? :A With : sil'ver : bells ' and : coc'kle ' : shells, 'And : colum,bines : all• in a : row. :A

'* * * * * • '* • * * • * • * * *' '* * ¼-basic is not uncommon. Thus in Lord Macaulay's The Last Buccaneer (i, 3, 4) we may have either The: crew with: eyes of: flame : brought the: ship with:out a : name :A A=long=side the : last : buccan:eer. :A :A :A

'*

* *

*

or

'* '* '* '*

The i crew with: eyes of i flame: brought the i ship with:out a i name :A Ailong=side the i last : buccanleer. :A iA :A

But we might set it as The : crew with • eyes of : flame • brought the : ship with•out a • name A=long•side the : last• buccan=eer. •A :A •A •A

·•

• '* ·• '* • '* • '* in which the metre may be expressed in numbers as I : 2121 : 321 : 2121 : 3 - I : 321 : 321 : 3 - : - :

or, more simply, as I

2121

l

321

321 321

2121

3 - -

3 -

!-basic metre sometimes occurs in snippets, as in When the : blue ' wave ' rolls : nightly on deep Galilee

··* ' ' *' ·* "*

BASIC, MINOR, AND MAJOR METRE

19

and

As a : skate's ' heel ' sweeps : smooth on a : bow-bend

··*' '* ··* *

in which we have: 222 :. And in Dryden's A Song for St. Cecilia's Day (iii) we have : I I I I 11 =. The : trumpet's loud : clangour Ex=cites us to : arms With : shrill notes of : anger And : mortal a=larms. The : double ' double ' double : beat Of the : thundering : drum Cries ":Hark! the foes: come; Charge, : charge, 'tis too : late to re=treat."

·*· ·*· ·*· "* "* ""*" ·*· "* ·*·····* ··*·· * "* ··* "* ··* ··*

In Milton's Paradise Lost (ii, 621) we have the ½-basic ribbon • Rocks, : caves, • lakes, : fens, • bogs, : dens

•

•

*

•

*

*

linked to the l-basic ribbon : dens ' and : shades ' of : death ' '

* '* '*"

which gives us

• Rocks, : caves, • lakes, : fens, • bogs, : dens ' and : shades ' of : death ' '

•

*

•

*

•

* '* '*"

!-basic metre may occasionally be found if we look for it, and even then we may prefer l- or ¼-basic. Thus we may have either The: thunder'ing: drum

: III :

20

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

or The : thun•dering : drum

: 21 I :

The : thunder•ing : drum

: I 12 :

The : thundering : drum

: 212:

or or or even the

¼- basic The : thun•dering ... : drum : 312

:

for the metre may vary according to the context. Again, in the anonymous poem Agincourt (iii), : Agincourt ! : Agincourt ! : Know ye not : Agincourt? : Where our fifth : Harry taught : Frenchmen to : know men; : And, when the : day was : done, : Thousands • there : fell to one : Good • English : Bowman!

*.. *"" *.. *··.. .. * * "*" *" * • ··*·· *" •· *·· *· * : Agincourt ! : Agincourt !

: Know ye not : Agincourt? : Dear was the : victory bought By : fifty : yeomen. : Ask any : English wench, : They were worth : all the French, : Rare • English : Bowmen.

**"".. * ·*· **.. *

•·

*·· *·· ··*.. ..**·.. *" *·

(:

212 : 212 :)

21

BASIC, MINOR, AND MAJOR METRE

the rhythm is so fluid that it is hopeless to expect anyone to agree with a full metrical setting, since ¼-, ¼-, and ½-basic metres play musical chairs with such gusto that we hardly know where we are. Yet the quest will at least have opened our eyes and ears, and when in the end we speak the verse, we may safely throw all minor metre to the winds of heaven, and, like a sea-bird, trust ourselves to the elements as they bear us along.

Syncopation Syncopation in its simplest form breaks a series of basic bars by interpolating a half-bar (notated in the text by =· and independently by spacing), and it is sometimes convenient to extend the term to a half-basic syllable at the beginning of the line. It is common in prose, as, for example, in St Paul's Epistle to the Romans (13: 7). : Render to : all their : due; : tribute to =· whom : tribute is : due; : custom to=· whom: custom; : fear to =· whom : fear; :A : honour to =· whom : honour.

*· *· *· * *·

·* ·*

·*

·* ·*

·*

*· *·

·*

*

*·

or John Ruskin's ,. How : often did the ,. little : flowers of the =· lime-'tree : fall through the : air up:on them=· like : rain.

*

*· '"*" *· "*

or W. S. Landor's

*

*

"*

*

*

: Pleasant is : yonder,. bean-=field ,. seen : over the : high pa=pyrus where it : waves and : bends; I =· deep : laden with the =· sweet : heaviness of its : odour=· is the : listless : air which : palpitates : dizzily a=bove it : I =· but : death is: lurking for the : slumberer be=neath its: blossoms.

*' '*' * * * *' "* *" ··*· * * '*' "*"' ·*

* *' '* '*' "**" ·*·I '*' '*' '*" * '*' *

Where there are many syllables within the bar, and especially where they vary greatly from bar to bar, syncopation is extremely complex. =·Each : word or : phrase, I ,. whether : metrical with=in it=self

22

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

or,. un=metred, J ,. is : fittingly: strung on the : thread of the : prose : context as : that de=velops. Even here, however, if the delivery is slow, the basic metre tends to assert itself. The following example from Mother Goose chimes best in ½-basic metre. Gay go up, and gay go down To ring the bells of London Town. : Halfpence ' and : farthings ' Say the : bells of ' St : Martin's, ' : Oranges ' and : lemons ' Say the : bells of ' St : Clement's, ' Two : sticks ' and an : apple ' Say the : bells of ' White=chapel. '

* "* ·* "* "* ·* "* • * *" * *" * "* "* *" *"" * *" * '* "* *" * * * "*" * "* '* *' This is the setting for Mother Goose's charges, not for those sober grown-ups who prefer

*" "*" "'* "'*' *" "*" "'* "*" "*" "* "'*" "* The syncopation of the introductory couplet is best left latent. Other examples of syncopation are the following: Browning, Numpholeptos ( 1) =· Still you : stand, =· still you : listen, :• still you : smile! : Still : melts your • moonbeam : through me, : white a : while,

*

*

"* *

Browning, Pauline (334)

* "*' *" * '*

*

'*

: Yet, I : say, never : morn broke : clear as : those On the : dim, : clustered : isles in the : blue : sea, The =· deep : groves and ,. white : temples and ,. wet : caves.

*

··* "*

*

"* *'

"'* * *'

"* ··* "*

"* *

*

23

BASIC, MINOR, AND MAJOR METRE

Shakespeare, Macbeth (V, v, 19) To=morrow, =· and to=morrow, =· and to=morrow, : Creeps in this: petty: pace from: day to : day, To the: last: syllable: of re=corded: time;

·•·*

"*

*

"*' *"

'*'

* *

*

Milton, Samson Agonistes (124)

'*' '* '*'

'*

*

Or: do my: eyes mis=repre=sent? Can: this be: he? ,. That he=roic, =· that re=nowned : lrre=sistible : Samson?

'* '* '* '*' *

*

Shakespeare, Hamlet (I, v, 74).

'* '*' *'

'*

'*

Thus: was I, : sleeping, : by a: brother's: hand Of: life, of: crown, of: queen, at: once des=patch'd; Cut : off : even in the : blossoms : of my : sin, ,. Un=housel'd, ,. disap=pointed, ,. unan=el'd; No : reckoning : made, but : sent to : my ac=count With l all my : imperlfections : on my l head : =· 0, : horrible! ,. 0, : horrible! ,. most : horrible I If: thou hast : nature : in thee, : bear it : not;

'*' '* '* •i*• '*" •i* •i*" '*

*' * '* '* *' "*' .. )*. * '* '* •i*• •i*" '*' *'

'*' * '* '* * '* ••i* '* '* * •i* •i* *' *

Summing up, we may conclude that minor metre is a thing of individual taste. Either we hear it or we don't. If we hear it, either it comes naturally out of the words, or we mould the words towards the metre, or else we merely imagine we hear it. May it not be the complex result of all three? We can leave to the scientist the problem of the

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

precise syllables and their actual time-length in the context. Enough for us if we hear minor metre wherever it enhances the rhythm and can enrich us. In music we do not all care for the same composer or for the same work, and some of us do not care for music at all. Some smoke cigars, others a pipe, others again dislike tobacco in any form. One man enjoys verse by sight, another declaiming it to himself, and a third inflicting it on his neighbour. Chacun a son gout. III. MAJOR METRE

Major metre compounds words to build up lines, and it also resolves them, breaking them down again. In prose the words are grouped into phrases, clauses, sentences, and paragraphs; in verse there is similar grouping, but the basic syllables are also compounded into lines, couplets, and stanzas, and the lines may be resolved into smaller groups. Thus in : Tu-=whit!

*

I : Tu-=whoo!

* I*

*

the owl may reasonably claim two word groups, as in : We'll have a: wedding I at: our good: house

* ··*· I ·*· ·* In the following example from Lord Tennyson's The Voyage of Mae/dune (III) rhyme compounds the basic metre into 6-basic lines which the natural rhythm of the words breaks up into the symmetrical grouping 222,33,33,222. And the : poplar and : cypress I un =shaken by : storm I flourish'd: up beyond: sight, And the : pine shot a : loft from the : crag I to an: unbe=lievable: height, And : high in the : heaven a=bove it I there : flicker' d a : songless : lark, And the : cock couldn't : crow, I and the : bull couldn't : low, and the : dog couldn't : bark.

.. *. ..* ·* ··*

·*· ··* .. *. ··*

I ·*· .. * ·*· I··*

·* I··* I ·*· .. *

I··* .* .. ·*· I··*

..* * * ..*

I

BASIC, MINOR, AND MAJOR METRE

25

Setting verse into lines cannot always be easy for the poet. Thus Swinburne's Threnody for Tennyson has the stanza (iii) : Fairer : far Than the: morning: star, And : sweet for : us as the : songs that : rang : Loud though : heaven From the : choral : Seven When : all the : sons of the : morning : sang, : Shines the : song That we : loved so : longSince : first such : love in • us : flamed and : sprang.

·• ·•

·•

•· ·•

··•·

··•·*

* *

·•

··• ·•· •· ··•· ·•

·• ··•* ·• ·• ·• *

*

·•

which is 224,224,224, but could also be set as 44444 basic, and even as 888-basic. On the printed page the short lines emphasize the resolution by rhyme, while the longer lines emphasize the compounding by the speech rhythm. Indeed, the modern philokaleidoscopist could entertain himself setting Tennyson's poem above into many patterns, such as, And the : poplar and : cypress un=shaken by: storm flourish'd: up beyond: sight, And the : pine shot a=loft from the : crag to an : unbe=lievable : height,

·•· ·• ·•· ··• ··• ··• ··* ··• ··• ·•··

··•·

*

26

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

And: high in the: heaven a:bove it there : flicker'd a : songless : lark, And the : cock couldn't : crow, and the : bull couldn't : low, and the : dog couldn't : bark.

·•

·•·

··*· ··*

·•· * ··• ··• ··• ··• ··• ·*·

or again, why not as follows?

And: high

in the : heaven

a:bove it

there : flicker'd

a: songless

: lark

*

The compounding of formal verse is determined by the number of basic syllables and silent bars in each line of the poem. In Herrick's To Daffodils the tension between the rhyme and the meaning has harmonized so that the rhyme dominates. Fair: daffo:dils, we: weep to: see You: haste a:way so: soon: :A As : yet the : early-'rising : sun Has: not at'tain'd his: noon. :A

·• ·• ·*· ·•

·• ·* •· ·•

·• *

BASIC, MINOR, AND MAJOR METRE

Stay, : stay, Un=til the : hasting : day Has: run : But to the : even-=song; And, : having: pray'd to=gether, : we Will : go with : you a=long. :A

·* ·*·

·•

*

·•*

·* ·*· ·* .. *.

* ·*·

·•

*

*

In the next example, Poe's To Helen, alliteration, accent, phrasing, and parallel meaning set the last two lines of the second stanza in major (2-basic) metre of the even basic syllables and so relieve the regular accenting of the first three lines of the stanza: : Helen, thy : beauty : is to : me Like : those Ni=cean: barks of: yore, That : gently, : o'er a : perfumed : sea, The : weary, : way-worn : wanderer : bore To : his own : native : shore. :A

*· ·*· ·* ·*· ·*· * ·*· *· ·*·

•·

·* ·* * *·· * *

* *

·•·

On : desperate : seas long : wont to : roam, Thy: hyacinth: hair, thy: classic: face, Thy : Naiad : airs have : brought me : home : To the l glory : that was l Greece, : And the l grandeur : that was l Rome. :A

·•

·*··· * ·* ·*·· * ·*· * ·*· * ·*· * •l* * ** •l*• •l*• * •l*

28

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

: Lo! in yon : brilliant : window-'niche How : statue-:like I : see thee : stand, The: agate: lamp with:in thy: hand! Ah, : Psyche, : from the : regions : which Are : Holy : Land 1 :A :A * ·*· ·*· ·*· ·*·

··*· * * * *

*· ·*· ·* ·*·

* * ·* *

whereas in George Darley's Serenade of a Loyal Martyr (i) Sweet: in her i green: cell the i flower of: beauty i slum:bers, i Lull'd: by the i faint: breezes i sighing: through her i hair; :A i Sleeps: she and i hears: not the i melan:choly i num:bers i Breathed : to my i sad : lute i amid the i lonely i air. :A l

i* i* i* i*

* * * *

•i* •i* •i* •i*

* *· * *

•i*• i*• •i*• •i*

·*· * *· ·*·

i* •i*

*

i* i*

*

major (2-basic) metre of the odd syllables is harmonious in spite of the more complicated accenting; for major metre can assert itself by increased metrical value apart from and even by actual increase of accent. Thus in Shelley's Stanzas-April, I8I4 (xiii) we may have The i leaves of : wasted i autumn : woods shall i fl.6at a:round thine i head: :A

but we need only insert stricken to get The : leaves of i wasted : autumn i woods shall : fl.oat air6und thy : stricken i head: :A

Again, instead of focusing basic metre throughout we may focus major (2-basic), and leave the rest to rhythm except when basic metre asserts itself, as in Thomas Campbell's The Battle of the Baltic (ii).

BASIC, MINOR, AND MAJOR METRE

Like lelviathans alfloat Lay their l bulwarks on the l brine, While the l sign of battle l flew On the l lofty British l line: It was l ten of April l morn by the l chime: l,As they l drifted on their l path, There was l silence deep as l death, And the l boldest held his l breath For a l time. ;,_

..*.. ·* ··*· ··* ··*··· * ··*· ··* ··* ...* ··* ··*· ..* ··*· ..* ··*· ..* ..* Another example is Sir Walter Scott's Jock of Hazeldean (i). 'Why l weep ye by the l tide, ladie? Why l weep ye by the l tide? I'll l wed ye to my l youngest son, And l ye sall be his l bride : And l ye sall be his l bride, ladie, Sae l comely to be l seen'But l aye she : loot the l tears down : fa' For l Jock of : Hazell dean. :,_

'*' '* ·* '* '* ·*· '* "*

·•

·•

..*.. ..* ..*.. '"* '"'*" ··* '* '*'

·•

It is often, however, mostly a matter of focusing and mentally accenting major metre even when the basic metre assert(itself, as in W. J. Mickle's The Sailor's Wife (i).

30

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Andi are ye sure the i news is true? And i are ye sure he's i weel ? Is ll this, a time to i think o' wark? Ye i jades, lay by your i wheel; Is i this the time to i spin a thread, When i Colin's at the i door? Reach i down my cloak, I'll i to the quay, And i see him come aishore. For there's i nae luck aibout the house, There's i nae luck at i a'; There's i little pleasure i in the house When i our gudeman's aiwa'. •i*• •i*• •i* •i* •i* •i*• •i* •i*•

* * ·* ·* ·*

••i* •i* •i*• •i*

* * *· ·*

* ·* *

•i* •i* •i* •i* •i* •i* •i* •i* •i* •i* i* •i*

·* ·* ·* ·*

·* ·*

3 Metrical Series

When a metrical group recurs throughout a line, we have serial metre. Here, as everywhere, when we know the metre of all the syllables, we need not retain the rather cumbersome metrical notation. It is enough to notate the basic metre and the sub-basic rhythm. All metrical verse is a harmony of the tension between the natural rhythm of the words, the falling bar-metre, and the rising countermetre. This is well seen in the following examples from Shakespeare. Julius Caesar {I, ii, 96), In : awe of : such a : thing as : I my=self has a metrical series rising in phonetic, accent, time, and meaning, and the rises are also firmly based upon the value of the basic syllables in the autometre from which all speech is evolved. Moreover, the natural speech rhythm agrees with the rising series, and this dominates the falling series. On the other hand, in Hamlet (II, ii, 55), The : head and : source of : all your : son's dis=temper. the falling series is complete, but it is dominated by the speech rhythm and the rising metre, while in Hamlet (I, v, 106), 0, : villain, : villain, : smiling, : damned : villain! the complete rising series gives way at once to the speech rhythm and the falling metre. And in King Lear {V, iii, 310), : Never, : never, : never, : never, : never!

*'

31

*·

32

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

from beginning to end the natural speech rhythm and the falling metre dominate the rising series. In the above examples the natural speech rhythm mostly agrees with the dominating metrical series. More often the speech rhythm goes its own way, dominating all else, as in The Tempest (II, i, 221), This is:: a : strange:: re=pose::, to : be:: a=sleep:: With : eyes:: wide : open::; : standing, : speaking, : moving, And: yet:: so: fast:= a=sleep::.

"* "* "* "* "* ·* ·*· *· *" *" and in King Lear (V, iii, 308) : Why:: should a : dog\ a : horse\ a : rat\ have : life\ And: thou:= no : breath:= at: aII::? Thou'It::: come:= no : more'.:,:,. : Never, : never, : never, : never, : never!

* ··* "* *· *" *·

·* ·* ·*

the rapid rising rhythm of the complaint enhances the pathos of the slow falling lament. A good example of dominating falling rhythm is Thomas Campion's Laura. : Rose-cheeked : Laura, : come; : Sing thou : smoothly : with thy : beauty's : Silent : music, : either : other : Sweetly : gracing.

*" *· * *" *" * "*" *" *' *· *' *· *·

: Lovely : forms do : flow : From con=cent di=vinely: framed; : Heaven is : music, : and thy : beauty's : Birth is : heavenly.

*· * ·* * '* ·*· *' *· '*" * '*' * '*"

METRICAL SERIES

33

: These dull: notes we : sing : Discords : need for : help to : grace them; : Only : beauty : purely : loving : Knows no : discord;

·• ·• •·* * ·• ·•· •· •· •· •· * ·•· : But still : moves de=light, : Like clear: springs re=newed by: flowing, : Ever : perfect, : ever : in them: Selves e=temal.

·• ·• ·• ·• ·•· •· •· •· •·

* *

* ·•·

In blank verse the basic syllables may be as many as six, or as few as four, three, two, or even one. Thus we may set the following line from Hamlet (I, v, 80) in six, 0,: horri=ble! 0,: horri=ble! most: horri=ble!

·•·

though this might be more typically set in major (2-basic) as

•..

0, i horrible! 0, i horrible! most i horrible!

·•··

·•··

~

which is essentially a 5-basic line wtth basic expressive pauses. The following lines from Shakespeare are curtailed. Macbeth (I, ii, 83) Were: such things: here as : we do: speak a=bout? Or : have we : eaten : on the : insane : root That : takes the : reason : prison=er?

·•·

*

·•

·•

·•

·•·

•·

*

·•

~- •· * ·•· *

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

34

Hamlet (I, v, 71) : And a most: instant: tetter bark'd a:bout, Most : lazar-:like, with : vile and : loathsome : crust, : All my : smooth : body.

* ··*· *· * ·* ·*· * ·* ·*· * * ·* *·

(V, ii, 344)

: Mine and my : father's : death come : not upon : thee, Nor: thine on: me!

*

·* .. ,jc

(II, ii, 601) Yet: I, A : dull and : muddy-'mettled : rascal, : peak,

·•

·*

*

Such occasional lines do not upset the rising metre: their own rising metre is determined by the serial rising metre of the preceding 5-basic lines. As a rule, a short ending for one speaker is compensated for on the printed page by a short beginning for the next speaker, but this compounding does not always assert itself when the passage is spoken. And, after all, such breaks are not remarkable in a drama which so often and so naturally drops into prose. And exclamations are even more natural, as in

Hamlet (I, v, 23) GHOST:

If : thou didst : ever : thy dear : father : love-

HAMLET: 0 : God! GHOST: A:venge his HAMLET: :

: foul and: most un:natural: murder.

Murder!

·* ·*· * ·*· * ·* ·* '* '* .*.. *' *'

35

METRICAL SERIES

(II, ii, 607) Who: calls me : villain? : breaks my: pate a=cross? Plucks : off my : beard, and : blows it : in my : face? : Tweaks me by the : nose? : gives me the : lie i' the : throat, As: deep as: to the : lungs? Who : does me: this? =Ha! Swounds, : I should : take it, : for it : cannot : be But: I am: pigeon-=liver'd ...

·*· ·* *· ·* * ·* ·*·

*· * '* ·* ·*· * ..* *· ·* ·* ·* ·*·

·* ·* ..* *

·*· * ·*· * *· *·

Here the third line has been condemned as involving too great a departure from the type! Again, the serial rising line from Milton's Paradise Lost (VI, 866) Burnt : after : them to : the bot=tomless : pit

*

·*

*

is apt to stick in one's throat. Why not have either Burnt : after : them : to the : bottomless : pit

*

*

.*.. *

or the better : Burnt : after : them to the : bottomless : pit

* .. *.. * *· in which the eternal wrath, at first heavy and slow, speeds up, bursts *

into fragments and HITS? The sub-basic syllables may vary greatly in number. We might coin the couplet Awe-=struck, she : listened : to the : tolling : bell, One, : two : : three : : four, : five.

·* *

*

*

·*· * *

*

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

and Milton in Paradise Lost (I, 622) and (VI, 751) has

0 : myriads : of im :mortal : Spirits, 0 : Powers. : Flashing thick: flames, : wheel within: wheel, un=drawn,

* ··•

Where time, accent, number, position and grouping are freely modulated, we may get a harmony which so defies analysis that even the authorities interpret it in ways so different that we are free to choose the way that we prefer, or even to find one for ourselves. Some insist that in every line, however modulated, we must be conscious of the subjective metrical norm. It is true that on the printed page the lines are differentiated so that we may determine what the basic metre and sub-basic rhythm of each is meant to be; but when once we know that much, we are free to speak the words in their natural rhythm, as in Paradise Lost (I, 50): Nine : times the : space that : measures : day and : night I To : mortal : men, he, : with his : horrid : crew I Lay : vanquished, : rolling : in the : fiery : gulf, I Con:founded: though im=mortal. : But his : doom I Re :served him : to more : wrath.

·* ·• ·*· * ·• ·*· * ·* ·*· .**.. ·*· *· ·•· ** ·*· * * ·• ·•· * ·* This begins and ends with the 5-basic type, and it progresses throughout with the typical rising rhythm. A sensitive ear can hardly fail to detect a blank-verse line in spoken prose. Would it have any difficulty in deciding that such a passage as the above is in blank-verse rising rhythm, though how to set it in 5-basic lines might at first be doubtful? And we may have internal silent bars, as in King Lear (I, ii, 16): Le:gitimate : Edgar, : I must: have your: land; :A Our: father's: love is: to the: bastard: Edmond As: to the le=gitimate. :A: Fine: word, "le:gitimate!" :A : Well, my le:gitimate, : if this : letter : speed, And: my in:vention: thrive, : Edmond the: base Shall: top the le=gitimate:- :A Ii grow, :A Ii prosper; :A i Now, : gods, i stand up :A for i bastards! :A

METRICAL SERIES

·• ·• ·• ·•· •· * ··•·· * * ·•·· ··•·· * ·•· * ·•· ·• •· * •l* ··•·· ·•· •l•• l*• l* *

·•·· ·•· ·• ·•* ·•

37

•· *

or rather, more like the freer verse of today,

Le:gitimate: Edgar, : I must: have your: land; :A Our: father's: love is: to the : bastard: Edmond as: to the le:gitimate. :A : Fine : word, "le=gitimate !" :A : Well, my le:gitimate, : if this: letter: speed and: my in=vention : thrive, : Edmond the : base shall: top the le=gitimate:- :A I l grow, :A I l prosper, :A i Now, : gods, l stand up :A for l bastards! :A

·•·· •· ·• ·• ·•· * ·•* ·•· •· ·• ··•·· * ·•·· * ··•·· ·•· * ·• ·•· * * * ··•·· •· ·• •l* "* .:

..

l* *

•l••

i••

Setting in this free style often recalls the type by secondary 5-basic ribbons, as in the following examples from Paradise Lost (I, 237-8): such : resting : found the : sole I Of : unblest : feet.

·•·

*

·• I ·•·

*

(I, 311-12)

so : thick be : strown I Ab=ject and : lost lay : these,

(I, 492-3)

(I, 665-6)

·* ·•

I ·•

·•

·*

to : him no: temple: stood I Or: altar: smoak'd:

·•· * I ·*· * the sudden blaze I Far: round il=lumin'd: hell: ·•· * I·• ·*· * ·•

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Let : none ad =mire I That : riches : grow in : hell; that : soil may : best I De=serve the : precious : bane.

(I, 242-5)

·* ·*· I ·*· * ·* ·* ·* I ·* I ·*· * "Is : this the : region, : this the : soil, the : clime," Said: then the: lost Arch:angel, " : this the : seat I That : we must : change for : Heav'n, this : mournful : gloom I For : that cel=estial : light?"

'* '* * '*'

'*' * '* '* '* '*' '* ·* "* '*' * '* "*" *

And in Shakespeare's The Tempest (III, i, 23) and (III, iii, 49) we have two rhymed examples:

If : you'll sit : down, I I'll : bear your : logs the : while; Pray, : give me : that; I I'll : carry it : to the : pile.

·* '* '* '* ·* and

'*' * ·*· * '*

: I will stand: to and: feed, I Al:though my: last; no : matter, : since I : feel I The : best is : past.

*

·*·

··* ·* '* ·* * "* '* ·*

A different effect is found in the following 5-basic passage from Milton's Comus (249): How: sweetly: did they: float up=on the: wings Of: silence, : through the: empty-'vaulted: night At : every : fall : smoothing the : raven : down Of: darkness : till it : smil'd.

'*' '*' '*' '*"

* * '* '* * '*' *' * * *' '*· * * '*

METRICAL SERIES

39

which may be spoken as a rhythmic interlude of 6462-basic. How: sweetly: did they: float up=on the : wings of: silence, : Through the: empty-=vaulted: night At : every : fall : smoothing the : raven : down of : darkness : Till it : smil'd.

*

*·

·*

*

* ·*

*

It has been stated that here there are three birds-silence, a raven, and darkness. Quite an aviary! Too frequent self-contained lines may be monotonous, as in Matthew Arnold's Sohrab and Rustum (541): Un=known thou: art; yet: thy fierce: vaunt is: vain. Thou : dost not : slay me, : proud and : boastful : man! No!; Rustum : slays me, : and this : filial : heart. For: were I : match'd with: ten such: men as: thee, And: I were: that which: till to=day I : was, They should be : lying : here, I : standing : there.

·* ·*· ·*· ·*· ·*· *

·* *· *· * * .. *.

·* * * ·* ·* *

·* ·*· ·*·· ·* ·* ·*·

·* * * ·* ·* *

Such verse may suggest terminal rhyme, as we should have in Tennyson's Tithonus (i) The: woods de=cay, the : woods de=cay and: fall, The : vapours : weep their : burthen : to the : ground, Man: comes and: tills the: field and: lies be=neath, And : after : many a : summer : dies the : swan.

·* ·* ·* ·*· * ·*· * ·* ·* ·* ·* ·* '* '*' *' ·*· * '* ·*

·*

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

if for swan we had hound. With these lines we may compare an unrhymed quatrain made up of couplets from two stanzas of Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (xxv and xxix): : Oft did the : harvest : to their : sickle : yield, Their : furrow : oft the : stubborn : glebe has : broke; ... : Let not : Ambition : mock their : useful : toil, Their: homely: joys, and: desti=ny ob=scure;

* "*' * '*" * ·*· * ·*· * ·* *· ·*· * ·*· * ·*· * ·*· * '* Serial grouping is by no means rare, and Shelley's Stanzas (xxiii) give us a good example. : Thy re!membrance, : and reipentance, : and deep i mu.sings : are not i free : From the i mu.sic : of two i voices : and the i light of : one • sweet i smfle. :A

··>le· .. ,fc ... ~,fc. •>le •·>le· .f,fc. ..,fc ·• t,fc which may be notated in major (2-basic) metre as

••i*• ••i*• ••i*• .. 1*. ••i*• ••i* ·* And again in Browning's A Toccata of Galuppi's (i) 0 Gailuppi, Baldasisaro, this is i very sad to i find! I can i hardly misconiceive you; it would i prove me deaf and i blind;

"*' .. *. "*' "* "*' .. *. "*' .. * This metre has given trouble, though it is difficult to see why such lines as these from George Meredith's Love in the Valley (13) should have done so. Shy as the i squirrel that i leaps among the i pine-tops, Wayward as the i swallow overihead at set of i sun, She whom I i love is i hard to catch and i conquer, Hard, but O the i glory of the i winning were she i won !

41

METRICAL SERIES

l* l*• l* l*

* * * '*

•l•• •l•• •l* .1 ••

•· *

•l* l* •l* .1 ••

·•

'*

'*

•·

•l* •l* •l*

* *

l*

The next example from Browning's Herve Riel (vii) is really interesting: : See the : noble : fellow's : face : As the : big ship, : with a : bound, : Clears the : entry : like a : hound, : Keeps the : passage, : as its : inch of : way were the : wide : sea's pro:found! : See, : safe thro' : shoal and : rock, : How they : follow : in a : flock, : Not a: ship that: misbe=haves, : not a: keel that: grates the : ground,

·•· ·•· * ·•· ·•· * ·•· * ·•

•·

* *

* *

*

** ·•'* ·• ·•* ·•

*

* ·•

·• ·• ·• *

*

·•

If there is transference here, its camouflage is perfect, because every line begins with a borrowed syllable and the speech rhythm dominates the metre throughout. This is more obvious if we set the lines in major (8-basic) metre. : See the l noble : fellow's l face : As the l big ship, : with a l bound, : Clears the l entry : like a l hound, l Keeps the l passage, : as its l inch of : way were the l wide : sea's pr6lfound ! * * * *

.[

..

•l•• •l*• •l*•

*' * * *

l* •l* •l* •l*

·*

••l*

*

•l*

42

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

: See, l safe thro' : shoal and i rock, : How they i follo~ : in a i flock, : Not a i ship that : misbeihaves, : not a i keel that : grates the l ground, :A * * *

!* .j•• .j.

•i* .j.

'* * '*

•i*

*

•i*

'*

•i*

Metrically the seventh line must harmonize with the fourth, and this can only take place if each line returns its borrowed initial syllable. One authority has stated that the fourth line is amorphous and cannot be scanned. Was he aiming at a norm in .... ? The next example, from Browning's Epilogue (i), is treacherous. : At the l midnight : in the l silence : of the l sleeptime, : When you i set your : fancies i free, : Will they l pass to : where-by i death, fools : think, im!prisoned. Low he i lies who : once so i loved you, : whom you l loved so, - : Pity l me? :A * * *' * *'

•i*• •l* !* •l* !*

* ·*· '* '*

•l*• l* •i* ,!*•

'* *

•i*• .j*.

in which the first line becomes in major (2-basic) metre .. :*. ..j*. ..:*. To continue this serial rhythm of the first line throughout the stanza has been justly condemned as rocking-horsy; but the suggested substitute, serial falling rhythm in *' is merely the dominant serial rhythm which is itself dominated by the natural speech rhythm as set above. The third line was condemned because of its junction and severance of sense, but the suggested rhythm with its own junction and severance of sense is no less harsh.

4 Metrical Linking and Pause

When we speak in prose, we pause in order to express our meaning or to give the hearer time to take the meaning in, or merely to breathe. Such pauses we may call natural or free. In speaking verse we may pause either to link up the metrical structure of a line or stanza or, as in prose, for expression. In verse then, a linking pause is either metrical or free, and even when it is free it may be autometric. The time-length of any syllable, word, bar-group, counter-group or line depends on the context and the mood of the moment, on the rhythmic constitution and experience of the speaker, on the meaning and appeal of the words, and on the audience and auditorium. Pause varies accordingly, for the basic structure is only a score which we need not follow strictly. If natural speech-pauses are metred, we may get a secondary basic structure which varies from line to line or from stanza to stanza, harmonizing the basic structure with a more natural expression. In this way much strictly metrical verse comes to resemble the freer verse which is so popular today. Metrical linking at the end of or within the line may so vary the structure that we cannot be sure what the poet intended or what we prefer. Puck must have devised this for the express purpose of pitting the experts against each other. No one is likely to stumble over Mother Goose's l Merry : go the l bells, :A and i merry : do they i ring. :A l*• * •l* •l*• *· l* and similar metre is in harmony with the walking in Tennyson's In the Valley of Cauteretz (i): l All a:Iong the l valley, :A i stream that : flashest i white, :A l Deepen:ing thy l voice: with the l deepening: of the l night, l* l*

·* ·*

•l*• .;*

*

43

l* •l*•·

·*·

i*

* •i*

:A

44

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

: All a=long the l valley, :A l where thy : waters l flow, :A I i walk'd with: one I l loved : two and l thirty: years algo. :A l All a=long the l valley, :A i while I : walk'd toiday, :A The i two and : thirty i years : were a i mist that : rolls alway; :A For i all a=long the i valley, :A i down thy : rocky i bed, :A Thy i living : voice to i me was : as the i voice : of the i dead, · And i all a=long the i valley, :A by l rock and : cave and i tree, :A The i voice : of the i dead was : as a i living : voice to i me. :A A

i* •i* i*

'* '* '*

•i•• •i• .1 ••

•i* •i* •l•• •i* •i*

·•· '* * '* *

!* •i•• •i* •i•• •i*

* *

*

l* .1 •• !* •i* i* •i•• ,!*

'* .[•.

·•· * '* '*

i* •l* •i* •i*

* '*

i* •i* ,!*

*

•l*

·•·

Yet for this poem an authority has suggested a strong central pause in every line, even after with and two. Another interesting example is Charles Lamb's The Old Familiar Faces: I : have had l playmates, :A l I have : had comipanions, :A In my i days of i child=hood, i in my: joyful i school-=days, All, : all are i gone, :A the i old fa=miliar i faces. :A *' '*

i•• •i* •i*

'*

*

•i••

i* * !•• * I : have been i laughing, :A i I have been cairousing, :A Drinking : late, i sitting : late, i with my : bosom i cronies; All, : all are l gone, :A the l old fa=miliar i faces. :A *'

i*• !*• •i*

·•· ....

!*

"*

•i*•

* i* ·*· l*• * ,!* '*"' !*• * I : loved a l love : once, i fairest : among i women; :A Closed : are her i doors on : me, i I : must not i see herAll, : all are i gone, :A the l old fa:miliar i faces. :A * * *

•i* •i* •i*

*

'*

*' *' '*""

:A

i*• !*• i*•

:A

45

METRICAL LINKING AND PAUSE

I : have a i friend, :A a i kinder: friend has i no : man; Like an : inigrate, :A I i left my : friend ab!rupt=ly; Left : him, to i muse : on the i old fa=miliar i faces. :A •i* !* •i*

* ·* *

•i*• •i* •i*

*

•i* * •i* ·* .* .. !*•

* *

i Ghost-=like, I i paced: round the i haunts: of my i child-=hood. i Earth : seemed a i desert : I was i bound :A to i traverse, :A i Seeking :A to i find :A the i old fa:miliar i faces. :A

*

*

•i* •i*• •i*

*

•i* •i* •i*

*

*

·*··

•i* •i*•

*

!*•

i Friend : of my i bosom, :A thou i more : than a i brother :A i Why : wert not i thou : born i in my : father's i dwelling? :A i So : might we i talk : of the i old fa:miliar i faces- :A !* !* !*

* *· *·

•i*• !* !*

•i*• * ·*· '*· ·*·· !*•

•i* !* •i*

* *

How i some : they have i died, :A and l some : they have ! left : me, And i some are : taken i from : me; i all : are de!parted; :A i All, : all are i gone, :A the i old fa:miliar i faces. :A •i* •i* * * •i*• !* * * .* .. i*• •i* * One authority has suggested for the whole poem a 5-foot trochaic metre with dactylic substitution, and has wondered whether the second line of the first stanza is 6-foot trochaic or 5-foot with double anacrusis. This suggests either * ·*·

: In my : days of : childhood, : in my : joyful : school-days

*

*

or

In my : days of : childhood, : in my : joyful : school-days ·*·

.. *

*

·*·

*·

Why not as above? : In my: days of: child=hood, : in my: joyful: school-=days *

*

·*

*

*

·*·

*

*

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Here, as in all verse, structural setting and notation are only a score which must be modulated by expression. As a rule, the basic metre and the natural speech rhythm are all that is essential. Serial metre is a luxury we need not indulge in and may well fear when even the authorities have so often floundered. The next example, from Shelley's Prometheus Unbound (I, Sixth Spirit), has been found to tax the rhythmic sense severely.

Ah, i sister! Desollation is a i delicate i thing: It i walks not on the i earth, it i floats not on the i air, But i treads with silent i footstep, and i fans with silent i wing, The i tender hopes which i in their hearts the i best and gentlest i bear; : Who, i soothed to false reipose by the i fanning plumes aibove : And the i music-stirring i motion of its i soft and busy i feet, : Dream i visions of aierial joy, and i call the monster, i Love, And i wake, and find the i shadow Pain, as i he whom now we i greet.

* •i* •i*• * * *

i* •i*• i*• •i*

·*· * '* *· * ·*

!* •i* •i* i*• •i*.. •i*•

* '* * * * *

•i* •i* •i*• •i* •i* •i*

* * ·*· ·*· * ·*· ·*· ·*

* •i* i* i* •i* !* '* •i*

Here the lines are determined by the natural speech rhythm; each begins with a borrowed syllable, either basic or sub-basic. Such transference is more pleasing to the eye than a purely metrical setting, in which case we should have =Ah,

Sister, Desollation is a i delicate i thing; it Walks not on the i earth, it i floats not on the i air, but Treads with silent i footstep, and i fans with silent i wing the Tender hopes which i in their hearts the i best and gentlest i bear, who Soothed to false reipose by the i fanning plumes aibove and the Music-stirring i motion of its i soft and busy i feet, dream Visions of aierial joy, and i call the monster, i Love, and Wake, and find the i shadow Pain, as i he whom now we i greet.

47

METRICAL LINKING AND PAUSE

i*• i*•

*· * ·*·

i* i*• i* i*• i*• i*

* ·* *· * ·*

i*• •i*

*

i* •i* •i* i*• •i*•· •l*•

* "*

* * ·*·

•i*• •i*• •i* •i* •i*• •i* •i* •l*

* *

* *

*

i* •i* i* i* •i* i* i* •l*

·*·

* ·*· ·*· ·*

•: •: •:

* * *

•:

•:

One authority finds in this passage an extremely subtle refinement of rhythmic expression in the prolongation of syllables in order to space out the norm of the line. He appears to set the first line as Ah, : sister, : Deso=la=tion : is a : delicate : thing

*·

·*·

*

*

·*··

*

*

but good old Mother Goose has l Four and : twenty i tai=lors i went to : kiII a i snail; :A The l best : man almong : them i durst not l touch her i tail :A

* *

and again,

i* l*•

·*

*

•l* •i*

i Tiggy-=tiggy l touch=wood, i my : black i hen, :A i She : lays i eggs :A for l gen=tleimen, :A l Some=times i nine :A and i some=times l ten, :A l Tiggy-=tiggy i touch=wood, l my: black l hen :A *· * * *·

l* i* l* l*

*

i* •i* •i*

*

i*

* * * *

i* l* i* l*

in which eggs and nine are carried on as far as for and and. The reverse symmetry of pauses is heard in the following stanza from Browning's Magical Nature (ii). l You, for=sooth, a i flower? :Al Nay, my: love, a ijewel- :A i Jewel: at no i mercy: of al moment: in your i prime! :A l* i*•

·* *

•i*• •i*•

*

i* •l*•

·* *

•l*• •l*

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

l Time may: fray the l flower-=face : l kind be : time or l cruel, :A l Jewel,: from each l facet, :Al flash your: laugh at l time! :A

·*

*

•i*• •i*•

·* ·*

*

•i*• •i*

The following stanzas are taken from Tennyson's In Memoriam (LXVII), a poem in regular 4-basic metre, and, by way of contrast with the next example, I have changed two words and have dropped two bars from each fourth line. When on my bed the moonlight beams, I know that in thy place of rest By : that broad : water : of the : west, A : glory : gleams. :A :A

* Thy marble bright in dark appears, As slowly steals a silver flame A=long the : letters : of thy: name, And : o'er thy : years. :A :A

* The mystic glory swims away; From off my bed the moonlight dies; And : closing : eaves of : wearied : eyes I : sleep till : gray. :A :A

* Here the natural speech rhythm can hardly deviate from 4442. In John Keats's La Belle Dame sans Merci we may prefer to retain the metrical 4-basic structure throughout the poem while reading, but while speaking we may feel that the natural speech rhythm should be freed. So much depends upon our mood of the moment. The cinematic succession of emotions-the knight-errant's surprise, amazement, and scorn in the first, second, and third stanzas, and the stupefaction, enchantment, love, trance, dream, horror, and dazed awakening of the

METRICAL LINKING AND PAUSE

49 knight-at-arms-all these vary the rate and rhythm of the natural basic structure not only from stanza to stanza but also from line to line and even within the lines. One authority holds that all the fourth lines take the full time of all the other three; another declares that each fourth line ends with two silent feet. The one favours an awed and baleful silence; the other a feeling of weird tragedy. But it is by no means easy to speak the whole poem in either of these ways. Must we keep strict time throughout? Awed and baleful silence or weird tragedy in the knighterrant's three opening stanzas lessens the shock of the knight-at-arms's tale. The knight-at-arms is speechless until he is roused by the knighterrant's scorn in I see a lily on thy brow With anguish moist and fever dew, And : on thy : cheek a : fading : rose Fast : withereth : too- :A :A

'* '* '*" *

*

Then he rouses himself into breathless broken speech. I met a Lady ... in the meads .. . Full beautiful, ... a faery's child .. . Her : hair was : long, her : foot was : light :• And her : eyes :• were : wild- : A

'* *

*

:

A

·•

*

This was due to the shock of his whole encounter with the lady, and not to the memory of their first meeting, at which he had been favourably impressed, for he gathered flowers to garland her, a proceeding which he is now steady enough to relate in more steady rhythm. I made a garland for her head, And bracelets too, and fragrant zone: She: look'd at: me as: she did: love And : made : sweet : moan- :A

·*

*

'*

*

50

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Later he tells how She took me to her elfin grot And there she wept and sigh'd full sore, And : there I : shut her : wild • wild : eyes With : kisses :, : four. :,

·* ·* ·* • * * '*'

in which four does not merely enumerate the kisses, but is an afterthought, and also balances the basic rhyme with sore. I have been challenged about this on the ground that there is no comma after kisses, but I think the following poem justifies me in so speaking to myself. Ophelia's song in Hamlet (IV, v, 23) has for me the rhythm not of With : true-love : showers :, :,

·*·

*·

but of With l true-love :, l showers :,

Let us hear her sing. : How should : I your : true-love : know : From an'other : one? :, : By his : cockle : hat and : staff : And his : sandal : shoon. :, : He is: dead and: gone, : lady, : He is : dead and : gone; '• : At his : head a : grass-green : turf, : At his : heels a : stone. :,

* * * * * * * *

·* ·*· ·*· ·*· ·* '* '* ·*

'*· * * * ·* * ·* *· ·* ·* • * ·*

METRICAL LINKING AND PAUSE

: White his: shroud as the: mountain: snow,: Larded : with sweet : flowers; :A : Which be =wept to the grave did : go With l true-love l showers.

* ·* ··*· * *" * ·*· * "* ..* ·*

·'*·

l*•

C hacun a son gout. In Shakespeare's Sonnet XVIII the closed lines intensify the rhyme and moderate the tempo. Shall: I com=pare thee: to a: summer's : day? : Thou art more : lovely: and more: temper=ate: Rough : winds do : shake the : darling : buds of : May, And: summer's: lease hath: all too: short a: date: Some =time too : hot the : eye of : heaven : shines, And: often: is his: gold com=plexion: dimm'd: And: every: fair from: fair some=time de=clines, By: chance, or: Nature's: changing: course un=trimm'd; But : thy e'ternal : summer : shall not : fade, Nor: lose pos=session: of that: fair thou: ow'st; : Nor shall death: brag thou : wander'st: in his : shade, When : in e=ternal: lines to: time thou: grow'st; So : long as : men can : breathe, or : eyes can : see, So : long • lives : this, and : this gives : life to : thee.

·*

·*· * ·*·

*' ·*· * '* ·* '* ·*· * "*' * ·* "* ·* ·* "* ·*· ·*· * '* ·*· '*' * ·* ·* ·* '*" *· * '* ·*· *· *" '* ·*· * ·* * .. * .* .. *

·*· * "* '* '* ·* • ·* * '* ·* "* '*

*

·* '* ·*

* ·* ·* * ·*· *

·* ·*·

·* ·*

5 Metrical Syllables

We reduce the effort of living speech by moulding and grinding down the syllables, words, and phrases. Our speech has in the course of time acquired I'm, you're, he's, we'll, they'd, fortnight, goodbye, and hosts of others. No syllable has absolute time-length, for it can be spoken either quickly or slowly, and its final vowel or consonant can be held or prolonged. But when two or more syllables come together, they can be moulded or even recast into something like a definite time-ratio or metre such as often occurs in prose but is more common in verse. The syllables are not strictly metrical, and the metre may change from bar to bar or from counter-group to counter-group, yet in good verse we are seldom worried by difference in the duration of the spoken syllables and the time pattern silently kept by the brain. Our mothers and nurses used to recast syllables into gibberish to puzzle and amuse us, as in the continuous Go ... te ... ti ... vi ... ma ... re ... to ... ts ...

*

*

*

*

*

*

: Goa=t ea=t i=vy: ma=rea: toa=ts

*

Much nursery verse is at first embryonic. The child soon learns the vowels and the easier consonants, but needs time to master the rest. The toddler who hummed in ¼-basic metre : Te ta la : mu di ta : le ba ti : do had gained no little skill in articulation and metre, and though her syllables were inchoate she was well on her way towards : She shall have : music wher=ever she : goes.

In the word bubble the initial b is prepared for by pull of the muscles which silently and firmly close the lips, and the b is at once released and the lips opened to allow for the immediate sounding of the vowel u. 52

53

METRICAL SYLLABLES

This vowel u is at once checked by the closure of the central sound b which is then released for the immediate sounding of the consonant l with its indeterminate vowel. We thus have in bubble the two syllables bub and ble. This becomes obvious if the first b is held for a little, bub . . . ble, and it cannot be avoided unless the two syllables are separated by release of the first b, bub ble. Care has to be taken with such traps as "a well-known ocean" and "a well-known notion," "monstrous eyes" and "monstrous size," "little able" and "little label." In such words as pad-die, let-ter, din-ner, bon-net, and pup-pet the splitting of the consonant by muscular check and release equalizes the syllables, whereas in pii-per, pe-ter, pi-per, po-ker, and poo-dle we have a long and a short syllable. Many words look curious in print no matter how we divide them, as dri-ven and driv-en, arri-ving and arriv-ing, remot-er, and remo-ter; and expression may vary the division, for there is a real difference between A: blin-ding: storm and A: blind'ing: storm A: gol-den: crest and A: gold'en: crest

·*

•

*

An authority discussing his setting

·*

'*

: Rhythm-ic-al : round-e-lays : wav-er-ing : downward asks why the reader recognizes the first nine syllables as exactly equal in time and the tenth as twice as long. How does he know that the reader does recognize this? We may indeed speak the line in ½-basic metre by moulding the syllables into something like : Rhyth-mic-cal : roun-del-lays : wa-ver-ring : dow-n-ward

* .. * .. * .. * ..

but has anyone ever made this authority's syllables equal? He has heard his metronome's subjective ½-basic metre, but has failed to recast the syllables by muscular check and release. The signal example of moulding according to the needs of the metre is Homer's hexameter verse. Thus his word for my may be meu, emeu, emeo, emeio, or emethen. This epic dialect gradually evolved through many generations during which it grew familiar by being constantly recited; and it proved a brilliant success, the like of which has never been attained in English verse. It is true that our poets have not hesitated to give us 'gin, 'gainst, remember'st, i' the lungs, sweet o' the year, and so on, but it can be overdone.

54

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

The following example from Tennyson's The Battle of Brunanburh (i, xiv, xv) calls for the remoulding of syllables, for by the setting of many of his lines the poet has indicated that he intends the rhythm to harmonize with the music and noise of the revelry. : Athelstan : King, : Lord among : Earls, : Bracelet-be=stower [and : Baron of : Barons, : He with his : brother, : Edmund : Atheling, : Gaining a : lifelong : Glory in : battle, : Slew with the : sword-edge : There by : Brunanburh, : Brake the : shield-•wall, : Hew'd the: linden-• wood, : Hack'd the : battle-• shield, : Sons of: Edward with: hammer'd: brands.

*·· * *· *· * *· *· *· * * * * * *

* ··* ·*· ·*· ··*· *·· ·*· ·*· ··*· ·*·· ·* • ·*· •• ·*· ·*· ·*· *

: Many a : carcase they : left to be : carrion, : Many a : livid one, : many a : sallow-skin: Left for the : white-tail'd : eagle to : tear it, [and : Left for the : horny-nibb'd : raven to : rend it, [and : Gave to the : garbaging : war-hawk to : gorge it, [and : That gray : beast, the : wolf of the : weald.

METRICAL SYLLABLES

*· *· * * * *

•

·*· .*.. ..* ..*.. ..*.. *

•

·* *· *· *· * ·*

•

··*.. .* .. ·*· ·*· ·*· ..*

55

: Saxon and : Angle [ from : Over the : broad billow : Broke into : Britain [ with : Haughty war-=workers [ who : Harried the: Welshman, [ when : Earls that were : lured [ by the : Hunger of: glory [ gat : Hold of the : land.

* ** * * * * *

*

*

* * * * * * The drums beat loud on the basic syllables, and louder on the first basic of each line, while the warriors almost drown them with stamp and shout and clap, with clash of weapon and clink of bowl, until the barrhythm grows louder and louder and faster and faster, a fitting drumbeat finale to the tumultuous song.

6 Accent and Tempo

The term accent is used by the authorities in more than one sense. In this work accent is the special value of the harmony of all the elements of spoken speech-of phonetic, and tone, and pitch, of time (duration, and tempo, and metre) and loudness, of number, and position, and grouping, and of tension, and meaning, and diction; and the terms strong and weak are at the same time retained to indicate the degree of this harmony. Time is a twin element of time-accentual metre, and if we over-focus it we may lose the harmony of the verse. Accent, weak or strong, is an inevitable element of the basic unit, and time is essential for its autometric recurrence. Either may be freely modulated, and freedom of either may be compensated for by strictness of the other. In the subjective autometre

'* '* '* '* the metronome of the brain measures the time and stimulates the nerves and muscles to place the inevitably accented time-unit. We can thus vary the length of the bars and signal them by basic syllables of very different accent, and we may even have a silent bar with no basic syllable. Metre can hold its own even where basic syllables have a weak accent, or when strong accents occur on sub-basic syllables. Moreover, where accent in the sense of loudness is subdued, we may give the syllable full metrical value by modulating tone and pitch. When we read in silence to the inward ear, or in a whisper or quiet voice to ourselves, the: accenting may be level, but in speaking aloud we modulate freely, here stressing and there subduing it. This may set up a major (2-basic) metre which persists even in the midst of much modulation of the loudness, as in these lines from Shelley's Stanzas

(23). 56

57

ACCENT AND TEMPO

Thy reimembrance, and reipentance, and deep i musings are not i free From the i music of two i voices and the i Hght of : one · sweet i smile .....

*

* -i••

•· i* •i• ·• • i*

-i••

* *

•l••

* :1.. *

:1 ••

Accent along with rhythm may form patterns which recur, and these may have two or three successive accents, monotony being avoided by tone and pitch. A frequent form of such accenting may be heard in Mother Goose's But : nfght • came : soon, • and the : pale • whfte : moon • Rolled : high • up : in : the : skies; :,. • And the : great • Brown : 6wl • flew a=way • in her : cowl, • With her : large • round : shin•ing : eyes. :,.

• • •

·•* ·•·•

• * • • ** •

*

• • •

•

·•·•

·•

*

• *

•

·•

and in her : Three • young : rats :,. with : black · felt : hats, .... : Three • young : ducks :,. with : whfte · straw : flats, .... : Three· young: dogs .... with: cur,ling: tails, :,. : Three · young : cats .... with : demi-•.-.=veils, :,. Went : out to : walk with : two , young : pfgs In : satin : vests and : sorrel : wigs; But: sudden=ly it: chanced to: rain, And: so they: all went: home a=gain.

* ** .* ,r. .,r..

.,r..

·•

•' • •

** ** ·• * * .,r.

·• ·•

• •

.,r. .,r.. .,r. .,r.

•

·•.,r..

•

** ** * .,r. *.,r.

which begins and ends with two advanced and very different rhythms, a contrast between the jaunty setting out and the sober walk home. A

58

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

similar pattern is sporadically heard in more serious verse, as in Elizabeth Barrett Browning's A Musical Instrument (iii): : High on the : shore sat the : great , god : Pan, While : turbidly : flow' d the : river; :A And: hack'd and: hew'd, as a: great. god: can, With his : hard · bleak : steel at the : patient : reed, Till there : was not a : sign of a : leaf in=deed, To : prove it : fresh from the : river. :A

....* "** ··*·•· ' * ·• ·• "*.... ' * "* .... ' ·•* ....... ·•* ·•·

*

Yet it has been said that three strong stresses must never come together in either prose or verse. Three strong stresses! Accent may be patterned to help out rhyming, as in Thomas Campbell's Hohenlinden (iii). By : torch and : trumpet : fast ar=rayed, Each : horseman : drew his : battle : blade, And : furious : every : charger : neighed To : join the: dreadful: revel=ry.

'* ·•· * ·•·.... * ·•·*· •· ·• ·•· *·

'* * *

*

Then : shook the : hills with : thunder : riven Then : rushed the : steed to : battle : driven, And : louder : than the : bolts of : heaven Far : flashed the : red ar=tfller=y.

·• ·• ·•· *·*· ·• ·• ·•· ·•· * ·• ·•· ·* ·• ·* •)jc

every stanza of which ends in a half-phonetic, half-rhythmic echo of rhyme which involves two basic syllables, the second of which has a

ACCENT AND TEMPO

59

subdued accent, as: rdpid=ly,: scenery L With this we may compare J.M. Neale's hymn At the Holy Communion translated from the Latin V eni Sancte Spiritus: : Fill Thy: faithful, : who con:fide : In Thy : power to : guard and : guide, : With Thy : sevenfold : Myster=y: : Here Thy : grace and : virtue : send; : Grant sal=vation: in the: end, : And in : Heav'n fe=lfci=ty.

*

* * * * *

·•· ·•· ·•·· ·• ·•· ·*·

·• ·• ·• *

* ·*

·•· * * ·•

·•

·*

in which other verses end with similar accenting, as: brillian=cy, and : erring=[}. Accent may fall on a terminal sub-basic syllable, as in Swinburne's Dedication to Edward Burne-Jones (xiii). Though the : many · lights : dwindle to : one • lfght, =• There is : help if the : heaven has : one; =• Though the : skies be dis:crowned of the : sun•lfght :. And the: earth dispos=sessed of the: sun, '• They have: rnoon•Hght and: sleep for re=payment, :. When, re=freshed as a : bride and set : free, :. With: stars and sea-=winds in her: raiment, =• : Night : sinks on the : sea. =•

• *· ·* • ··•· ··• ··*· ·* ··* ··* ··* ..* ··it: • ·* ··* ··• ·* ··• * *

··* • ··* ··*· ··• ··*· ··*

60

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

In the following lines from Tennyson's Kapiolani (iv), : Long as the : lava-•lfght : Glares from the: lava-•lake, : Dazing the : star-light

* ··•· •• * ··•· • *' '* the rhythm does not suggest anything exciting or martial as it does in these lines from Tennyson's The Battle of Brunanburh (i): : Brake the : shfeld-•wall, : Hew'd the : Hnden-•wood, : Hack'd the : battle-•shield

* '* •• * ·•· * ·•· ' or in such a line as this from Tennyson's Vastness (iv): : Death for the : right · cause, : death for the : wrong · cause, : trumpets of: victory, : groans of de=feat;

* ··• • * ··• •

*' .... * "*

or in Scott's Boat-Song from The Lady of the Lake (II, xix): : Ours is no : sapling, chance-=sown by the : fountain, : Blooming at : Beltane, in : winter to : fade; When the : whirlwind has : stripp'd every: leaf on the : mountain, The: more shall Clan-=Alpine ex=ult in her: shade. : Moor'd in the : rffted • rock, : Proof to the : tempest's • shock, : Firmer he : roots him, the : ruder it : blow; Men : teith and Bread : albane, , then, : Echo his : praise a•gain, "Roderigh Vich : Alpine • dhu, : ho! ie=roe !"

•· ··•· ·• ··•· ·•· ·•· ··•·*' ·• ··• ··•·'* ·• ··•· ·• ··•

ACCENT AND TEMPO

61

• ..··*·*. • ..·*·*. • '*' '* '* ·•• '*' * "*

* * *· '* *' *'

In this line from Tennyson's The Princess (VII, 307), "The : tw6-cell'd · heart : beating, with : 6ne · full : stroke,"

·* • * *· ·* • *

an authority has stated that the accents suggest heart-beats, three before and four after the pause in the third foot. A tricky heart, irregular in both time and force ! Accent may syncopate metre, as in Mother Goose's : In his : ear, : in his : n6se, : Thus: do you: see? :A : He : ate the : dor=mouse; : Sure, : it was : he. :A

* * * *

·* *' * *'

* ·* * "* * *

And in this anonymous 13th-century verse, slightly modernized, there is even serial accentual syncopation: : Summer : is i =cumen : in; : Loud : sing "Cuc-=k6o I" :A : Groweth : seed and : bloweth : mead, And : springeth the : wood : neu, : Sing "Cuc-=k6o !" :A

*

*' * *' '*' :,fc

* :,fc'*' * * * '*' * '* *

62

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

=Ewe : bleateth =after =lamb, : Cow after : calf doth : low, :A : Bullock : sterteth, : buck : verteth, : Merry : sing "Cuc- =k6o ! :A Cuc-=k6o ! :A Cuc-=k6o !" :A Ne: swik thou: never: now! '~

* *· *· * ..* ·* *· *· ~,*., *· * !,f, !,f, ·*·

In

*·

* *"

*

Cuc=ik6o ! :, Cuc-ik6o ! :A Cuc-ik6o ! :, we have serial accentual syncopation. English verse so strongly tends to rising rhythm with serial accent that it cannot adequately reproduce the accentual syncopation of Latin hexameters, such as this line from Virgil's Aeneid (I. 4): : Vi super=um sae=vae memo=rem Ju=n6nis ob: iram '2

11'2

2'2

11'2

2'21

I

'22

which is syncopated into =·Vi: superum: saevae: memorem =· Ju=n6nis ob: iram =•2:

1:12

'22

'112

=·2=21

I

'22

and again, in the following line from the Aeneid (I. 9), : Quid-ve dol=ens re=gin•a de=um • t6t: v6lvere : casus '2

I

1'2

2'2

I

1'2

2

'211

'22

which is syncopated into : Quid•ve d6l=ens re=gi•na de=um t6t: v6lvere : casus '2•1

1=2

2=2•1

1=2

2

=211

=22

with double syncopation in ¼-basic metre. Virgil may not have syncopated his lines, but why may not we if it enhances the rhythm for us? Are we so sure that we pronounce as he did? And in any case, why drone?

ACCENT AND TEMPO

In English we have more regular accenting, as in Charles Kingsley's Andromeda (172): : 6ver the: mountain a=loft ran a: rush and a: roll and a: roaring; : Downward the : breeze came in =dignant, and : leapt with a : howl to the : water, : Roaring in : cranny and : crag, till the : pillars and : clefts of the : basalt : Rang like a : god-swept : lyre, ...

*' *' *' *

'*' '*' ·*· "*:

'* "* "* "*' '*' '* "*·* "*' '* "*' "*' *'

and in Longfellow's Evangeline (i, 43) the bisection of the lines is even less like the Latin hexameter : : Stalworth and : stately in : form I was the : man of : seventy : winters; : Hearty and : hale was : he, I an : oak that is : covered with : snow-flakes; : White as the : snow were his : locks, I and his : cheeks as : brown as the : oak-leaves.

*'*· ·*·*· '* II "*·* "*''*" ·*·*' '* I "* "* "* '* "*" *

Lastly, two examples from Milton's Samson Agonistes. In the first passage (710) blinded Samson's friends have visited him where he sits in the open, and they catch sight of Delila, his Philistine wife, who has betrayed him, But : who is : this, what : thing of : sea or : land? : Female of : sex it : seems,That: so be=decked, or=nate, and : gay, Comes : this way : sailing : Like a : stately : sh£p

·* *· ·*·*· *

'·*** *' '*'

·* ·* '* '* ·* "* *

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Of : Tarsus, : bound for th' : isles Of: Javan: or Ga=dfre, With : all her : bravery : on, and : tackle : trim, : Sails : filled, and : streamers : waving, : Courted by : all the : winds that : hold them : play, An : amber : scent of : odor=ous per=fume Her: harbin=ger, a: damsel: train be=hind;

·•··•· * ·*··• ·•* ·•··** ·*·* ·•·•·

* *· ·* ·* •,jc• * ·*· * ·•· * ·• ·•· * ·•· * ·*

Throughout this single sentence accent is almost constant basic. In the next example Samson's friends hail him as their nation's God-sent deliverer. In its first section (1268), accent is intricately patterned. In the first two lines the main accent falls on every third basic syllable: : 0 how : comely it: is and: how re=viving : To the: spirits of: just: men: long op=pressed!

·*

* *

*

·•·*

·•·

In the third line the main accent falls on every second basic syllable: When: God: into the: hands of: their de=Hver-er

·*··

·* *· ·•

while in the fourth line it falls on every basic syllable: : Puts in=vfncible : might

*

•,jc••

*

In the fifth line, after one basic syllable we get a 5-basic line: To : quell I the l mighty : of the l earth, th' : opipressor,

·• I ·•·

*

·* ··•·

:A

This fifth line is in itself 5-basic, but in view of the succeeding 5-basic lines we may do as above and make it 6-basic, consisting of an intro-

ACCENT AND TEMPO

ductory basic To =quell followed by the 5-basic line the : mighty : of the : earth : th' op=pressor

·•·

*

•ite

•ite·

which introduces the 5-basic lines The : brute and : boist'rous : force of : violent : men l Hardy : and inldustrious : to suplport Tylrannic : power, but l raging : to purlsue The l righteous : and all l such as : honour l Truth.

·ite··

·•··

ite

* -lite•· •·* •lite•lite• •ite•** The succeeding lines are less complex:

ite •lite •lite lite

He: all their: ammun=ition And : feats of : war de =feats With: plain he=roic: magni=tude of: mind And eel =estial : vigour : armed; :A Their: armour=ies and: maga=zines con=temns, : Renders them : useless, : while With : winged : expe=dition : Swift as the: lightning: glance he: exe=cutes His: errand: on the : wicked, : who sur=pris'd, : Lose their de:fence dis=tracted: and a=maz'd.

·ite ·ite· ·ite ·ite ·ite ·ite· ··ite·· ite·

ite• •ite ite· ite

ite·· ite· ·ite· ite ··ite· ·ite·

* ·ite·

·•

*

·• ·•· * *

ite ·ite·

··• ·•·

* *

:A

•ite

·• ·•* ·• *

•ite ·ite

What an authority, after insisting on the value of short Anglo-Saxon words, has said of good prose may be said of the progression of sound and meaning in this Jubilate-it is accurate, appropriate, perspicuous, and persuasive.

66

THE HARMONY OF VERSE TEMPO

In this work tempo is used for the rate at which a line or stanza or poem is spoken, but also, in a special sense, the rate at which an idea is expressed in words by either compression or expansion of the lines. The conductor with his hands or his baton marks the time and modulates it into tempo. Accent, the special value of the harmony of all the elements of speech, is the speaker's baton. In Keats's La Belle Dame sans Merci (31) we may have either And : there I : shut her : wild, • wild : eyes With : kisses : four. :A :A

·* • * or And : there I : shut her : wild, wild : eyes With : kisses, :A : four. :A

"* • * in the first of which there is immediate vivid recollection, while the second is an afterthought. Again the Greek poet Euphorion has an epitaph on an empty grave which was the last rite paid to a friend lost at sea. This may be reasonably literally translated as : Not : rocky : Trachis, I not : this blue-=lettered : slab I : hides your : bleached : bones, I :A Which by: D61i=che's: shingle, I and: Dracanon's: crag I the I =carian : wave : pounds. I :A For : Poly=medes' : friendship : I, : empty : earth was : heaped a=mid : Dryopis' : parched : grass. :A

,r.. *· "*.,r.. ·*· * II··*·· * ·* * II * •. ,r.. * * * *· * * ·*· *" *· * *· * "* ·* *.. * *

in which the first two lines are in 333-basic metre. Because of the context and their own rhythm they suggest waves of the fatal sea, and both their rhythm and their appeal can be enhanced if we adopt 2-major (4-basic) metre with pauses and a major (2-basic) syncopation in

ACCENT AND TEMPO

i carian : wave i. The ultimate result is that the first wave ends by rising and breaking with a roar, while the second billow rises and rises and breaks in thunder:

* *·I*· * I·*· *

·* ·•· I * - * ·* I * *· - I·*· * * -··I *·· * * - - •·· * *

It is not always easy to determine the tempo of a line when it is to be spoken. In this stanza from Shakespeare's As You Like it (V, iii, 18) the first line will be considerably shortened:

It : was a : lover • and his : lass, With a : hey, and a : ho, and a : hey-noni : no, That : o'er the : green corn-=field did : pass, In the : spring•time, the : only • pretty : ring • time, When : birds do : sing • hey : ding a • ding : ding; Sweet : lovers : love the : Spring. :A

·•

·*· ..* "* ..*

·•

·*·

• •

·* "'* ·*

·•··* *

··•·· •·

•

·•

* *

·*

•

·•

:A

* ·* *

In Browning's Numpholeptos (i) syncopation and pause vary the tempo of the first three lines. :• Still you : stand, =· still you : listen, =· still you : smile! Still : melts your : moonbeam : through me, : white a=while, i Softening, :A i sweetening, :A till : sweet and : soft In=crease so: round this : heart of: mine, that: oft I : could be=lieve your: moonbeam-=smile has: past The : pallid : limit,

*

"* "*

•·· ·*· '*

*

·•· •· •·· * ·• ·* ·•·

·*· *

·•

*

:A

·*

·* "*

·* ·• * ·*

·•·

*·

In Henry Constable's Diaphenia the strong basic metre of the first

68

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

two lines of each stanza tempts one to set the whole poem in basis metre. Dia=phenia: like the : daffa•down: dilly, : White as the : sun, : fair as the : lily, : Heigh ho, : how I do : love thee! :A : I do : love thee : as my : lambs : Are be=loved: of their: dams; How : blest were : I if : thou wouldst : prove me!

··•·· * ·•· * ··• ··•·* •· * * ·• * * ·•· *

••·

··•· ·• ·• ·• ·• ·• ·•·

Dia=phenia : like the : spreading : roses, That: in thy: sweets all: sweets en=closes, : Fair sweet, : how I do : love thee I :A : I do : love thee : as each : flower : Loves the : sun's life=giving: power; For : dead, thy : breath to : life might : move me.

·•· ·• ·• ·• •· * ··•· * ·•· * ·•· ·•* '*'* ·•

•· ·•· ·•· ·•·*'

··•·· * '*

·•· ·•· ·• ·•*

··•·· *

Dia=phenia : like to : all things : blessed, When : all thy : praises : are ex=pressed, : Dear joy, : how I do : love thee! :A : As the : birds do : love the : spring, : Or the : bees their : careful : king; : Then in re=quite, sweet: virgin, love : me!

'* •· * * *

·•· ·•* ·• ··•

··•·* ·• ·•·

·•·

69

ACCENT AND TEMPO

But may it not also be as follows? Dia:phenia : like the: daffa•down: dilly, : White as the : sun, : fair as the : lily, i Heigh : ho, i how : I do i love : thee! iA : I do i love the : as my i lambs : Aie beiloved: of their i dams; :A How 1blest were : I if 1thou : wouldst i prove : me! lA

··•·· * 1* i*•

*' *

.[

..

.1.

* "* * * * ·*

•A

·•·• .... *' * i* •i* •i* •i*

*'

Dia:phenia : like the : spreading : roses, That : in thy : sweets all : sweets en=closes, i Fair : sweet, i how : I do 1love : thee. iA : I do 1love thee : as each i flower : Loves the i sun's life-:giving i power; :A For i dead, :A thy i breath to : life might i move : me. iA :A

.....

..

'* i* * *

.[

.1.

·1*

* '* * *

·•·

·•·

'* i* •i••

1*· •i*

Dia:phenia : like to : all things : blessed, When: all thy: praises: are ex=pressed, i Dear : joy, i how : I do i love : thee! iA : As the 1birds do : love the i spring, : Or the i bees their : careful i king; : Then in relquite, :A sweet i virgin, : love i me! :A iA :A

* * *

"*" '* i* .1. •i* .. j*

*

·•· * '*

·•·

'* * 1* ·1* i* •l*•

·•· ·*· *

•i*

*

btc

*

:-

70

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

In Sir Walter Scott's The Eve of St. John (xviii-xx) the ballad music is like the swallow chasing itself at its own wild will. "I : cannot : come; I : must not : come; I : dare not : come to : thee; :A On the: eve of St. : John I must: wander a=lone; In thy: bower I : may not: be. :A '*" "*' "* "*'

* * "* '*'

'*' '* "*' *

* '*

"Now, : out on: thee, faint-=hearted: knight! Thou : shouldst not : say me : nay; :A For the : eve is : sweet, and, when : lovers : meet, Is : worth the whole : summer's : day. :A '* '*' "* '*

'*' '* *· * '* "*' "*' *

* *

"And I'll l chain the : blood-ihound, : and the l warder : shall not i sound :A And i rushes : shall be l strew'd : on the i stair; :A lA So, : by the l black : rood-istone, : and by l holy : ASaint lJohn, : I i conjure : thee, my l love, : to be i there!" :A lA :A

'* *

"!* ,!*• •l* •l*•

'* *' * *

l* !* l* •l*

* * * *

•i*• •i* •i*• •l*

*'

*

Here the first two stanzas are in basic metre, and the freedom of ballad rhythm allows the third stanza to be either 4-basic with ½-basic resolution or 4-major with resolution into basic as set above. Yet the stanza has been condemned. Why may not the warder sound his : er? Must we label it redundant and extra-metrical? In Macaulay's The Last Buccaneer the first two lines have been said to be truncated, as if we had 4488-basic! Why?

ACCENT AND TEMPO

The : winds were : yelling, the : waves were : swelling, The : sky was : black and : drear, =• When the : crew with • eyes of : flame • brought the : ship with•out a : name =• · A=long,side the: last• buccan=eer. :

·•

·•

•

•

•

Whence : flies your • sloop full : sail •• be =fore so • fierce a: gale, =• When all : others drive : bare on the seas? :. • Say, : come ye • from the : shore • of the : holy• Salva=dor, Or the : gulf of the : rich Cari=bees? =•

•

....·•

·•

...•·

•

'*

·• ·• ··•

•

...·• .. ...·•· •

:A

·• ·•

From a : shore no • search hath : found, • from a : gulf no • line can : sound, •• Without : rudder or : needle we : steer; :. A=bove, be,low our: bark• dies the: sea-fowl• and the : shark, =• As we : fly by the: last buccan=eer. '•

.......

·•

•

·•

·* "*

·•

•

•

"* '"* "*' ·*·

·•

To=night there • shall be : heard • on the : rocks of• Cape de: Verde A loud: crash and a: louder: roar; =• And to=morrow • shall the : deep, • with a : heavy • moaning : sweep• The : corpses and : wreck to the : shore. :.

•

'* "*" '* ·*

• •

'* * '*' "*

·•

·•

•·

*

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

The: stately• ship of: Clyde se=curely • now may: ride,• In the : breath of the : citron : shades ; : And: Severn's• towering: mast se=curely • now flies : fast• Through the : sea of the • balmy : trades. :A •A

A

•A

'*' • ·* "* "*' '*' *" ..*

...

..

'*' ·•·*

·*

•

·•

•

*

From St. : Jago's •wealthy: port,• from Ha:vannah's • royal : fort,. The : seaman goes : forth without : fear ; : For : since that • stormy : night • not a : mortal : hath had : sight· Of the : flag of the : last buccan=eer. :A A

...

"*' •· * * ·*· ·*· '* '* ·•· * • '*' ··* "* "*

•·

•

* '*

In the first two lines of the first stanza the storm calls for slow basic

metre; the third line is quick with the excitement and speed of the overhaul; the fourth line slows down alongside. In the next two examples from Gerard Manley Hopkins, each reader must set his own time for each line, each phrase, and each linking of line to line. The first is Pied Beauty. : Glory : be to : God for : dappled : thingsFor: skies of: couple-=colour as a: brinded: cow; For: rose-moles: all in : stipple upon: trout that: swim; Fresh-:firecoal : chestnut- :falls; : finches' : wings; : Landscape : plotted and: pieced-fold, : fallow, and: plough; And : all : trades, their : gear and : tackle and : trim.

*· * '* ·* ·*· *' ·•·.... * ·•· *· * *' *' '* '* * '*

·*· "*' "* *' ·*· '*'

* * ·* * ·* ·*

ACCENT AND TEMPO

73

: All things• counter, o=riginal, : spare, : strange; What=ever is : fickle; : freckled(= who knows: ow?). With: swift, : slow; sweet,: sour; a: dazzle, =hm; He : fathers- =forth whose : beauty is : past : change; : Praise 1hfm. :,.

•· ·•· ·• ·•·

*

•· ·•·· * * ·*· * •· * * '* ·*· * * ·•· '* * )ljt

His Starlit Night is even more precarious. : Look at the : stars I : look, look : up at the : skies! 0 : look at : all the : fire-folk : sitting in the : air! The : bright : boroughs, the : circle=citadels : there! : Down in dim: woods the: diamond: delves! the elves'- =eyes! The : grey lawns : cold where : gold, where : quickgold : lies I : Wind-beat : white beams! airy : abeles : set on a : flare!Ah: well! it is: all a: purchase, : all is a: prize1

··• ·•* ·• '* *" * ··• ·*· * •· •· ·• ·•

* ·*·· ·*· ·*·· ·• ··*· ·*·

'* ··• *' ··• *·· * ··• ·•·* * * * ··•

...

: Buy then! : bid then!-: What?-Prayer, : patience,• alms, : vows Look, : look! a: May-mess, : like on: orchard: boughs! : Look! March-=bloom, like on: mealed-with-=yellow: sallows! : These are in=deed the: barn; with=indoors: house The : shocks. This : piece-bright : paling : shuts the : spouse • Christ : home, : Christ and his : mother and : all his : hallows.

•· •· * '*' • * ·* ·•· * ·•· * * ·* ··* '*' •·

* ··* '* '*'* * ·* "*' *· '* • * * "*' ·• ·•·

74

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

The tempo of lines sometimes changes by change in the number of their basic syllables, as in Thomas Moore's The Light of Other Days: : Oft, : in the : stilly : night, Ere : Slumber's : chain has : bound : me, : Fond : Memory : brings the : light Of: other: days a'round: me; The : smiles, the : tears, Of : boyhood's : years, The : words of : love then : spoken; :A The : eyes that : shone, Now: dimm'd and: gone, The : cheerful : hearts now : broken! :A : Thus, : in the : stilly : night, Ere : Slumber's : chain has : bound : me, : Sad : Memory : brings the : light Of : other : days a=round : me.

·•·** ·•· ·• ·•· ·•·* ·•·*

* ·•·•· ** *•·· * ·• ·• ·•·•·* ·• * ·• ·•·*

·•·• ·•·• * ·•· * ·•·•· ** •··* ·•* ·•* *

When: I re=member: all The: friends, so: link'd to=gether, I've : seen a=round me: fall, Like : leaves in : wintry : weather; I : feel like : one, Who : treads a=lone Some: banquet-=hall de=serted, :A Whose : lights are : fled, Whose : garlands : dead, And: all but: he de=parted! :A : Thus, : in the : stilly : night, Ere : Slumber's : chain has : bound : me, : Sad : Memory : brings the : light Of : other : days a=round : me.

ACCENT AND TEMPO

·• ·• ·• ·• ·•· ·• * ·•· * ·•·

·• ·•

·•· ·• ·•· ·•·

* '*

·•· ·•

·•·* ·* ·* ·•· ·* *

·•· ·•·

* •··* *

75

·* * ·*

* *·

* ·•* *

Change of tempo is well marked in Shelley's The Flight of Love from which the following stanzas are taken. When the l lamp is l shattered, The l light in the : dust lies l deadWhen the i cloud is i scattered The i rainbow's : glory is i shed. When the i lute is i broken, Sweet i tones are re=member'd i not; When the i lips have i spoken, Loved i accents are : soon forigot.

••i* •i* ••i* •i•• ••i* •i* ••i* •i••

•i•• ··* •l* •i•• *' •l* •i••

··•· i* •i•• ·* •i*

As i music and i splendour Surivive not the : lamp and the i lute, •i•• •i••

•i••

·•

••i*

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

The i heart's : echoes i render No i song when the : spirit is i mute:No i song but: sad i dirges, Like the i wind through a : ruined i cell, Or the i mourn :ful i surges That i ring the dead : seaman's i knell. •i* •i* •i*

*· .... ·*

i*• •i* i*•

••i* ••i*

··•· *

i* i*•

•i*

··•·

i*

When i hearts have : once i mingled Love i first leaves the : well-built i nest; The i weak one is i singled To enidure what it : once posisessed, 0 i Love! : who beiwailest The i frailty of : all things i here, Why i choose : you the i frailest For your i cradle, your : home, and your i bier? •i* •i* •i•• ••i* •i*

·* ··*· ··* *

i*• i* •i•• •i* •i*•

•i*•

·•·

i*

•i* .. j*.

* ·•

·•· ••i*

Shelley's poem From the Arabic: AN IMITATION is interesting: My : faint : spirit was : sitting in the : light Of thy : looks, my : love, :A It : panted for : thee like the : hind at : noon For the : brooks, my : love. Thy : barb, whose : hoofs out'speed the : tempest's : flight, : Bore thee : far from : me, :A My : heart, for : my • weak : feet were : weary : soon, Did com=panion : thee. :A

77

ACCENT AND TEMPO

·*· ·* *· ..* ·* ·*· ··* '* '* ·• ·• '* •· ·* *• ·* * ..'**. *

...

··*

·•· ·•·

'*

* *

Ah! : fleeter : far than : fleetest : storm or : steed, Or the : death they : bear, :A The : heart which : tender : thought : clothes like a : dove With the : wings of : care; :A In the l battle, in the 1darkness, in the 1need, :A Shall : mine : cling to : thee, :A Nor: claim one: smile for: all the : comfort, : love, It may : bring to : thee. :A

·•· * ··• ·• ·*· '* * '* "* .. :*. ••i*• '* ·• * '* '* ··• ·* Is that what the poet intended? ·*·

·*

* *

·•

··• .. 1.

·•·

*

The next poem, by Walter C. Smith, is, I believe, unique in that only the odd lines rhyme. The last line is a plaintive refrain, Glen•ara,dale, If we take the first stanza as our norm, it may be spoken either by a young man quickly and angrily without a basic pause or by an old man slowly and mournfully with a basic pause ending each even line. There : is no : fire of the : crackling : boughs On the : hearth of our : fathers, :A There : is no : lowing of : brown-eyed : cows On the : green : meadows, :A

••· *

-.

'*

·•

·•· ..*. ··*· ··* ·*· ·*· ..* *'

*

*

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Nor : do the : maidens : whisper : vows In the : still : gloaming, :A Glen'ara:dale. :A

'*

*"

*

There : is no : bleating of : sheep on the : hill Where the : mists : linger, :A There: is no : sound of the: low hand-:mill, : Ground by the : women, :A And the : smith's: hammer is: lying: still By the : brown : anvil, :A Glen'ara:dale. :A

·*· ·* "* *' "* '* '* "* "*' * *· '*' "* "* *' '*' *

"* '* *

'* '*' '* "*' * "* "* * ··*· '* ··* "* * '*' *' '*' *

'* '* '*

Ah!: we must: leave thee, and: go a:way : Far from Ben : Luibh, :A : Far from the : graves where we : hoped to : lay Our: bones with our: fathers', :A : Far from the : kirk where we : used to : pray : Lowly to'gether, :A Glen'ara:dale. :A

: We are not: going for: hunger of: wealth, For the : gold, and : silver, :A We are not : going to : seek for : health On the : flat : prairies, :A

79

ACCENT AND TEMPO

Nor : yet for the : lack of : fruitful : tilth On thy : green : pastures, :A Glen=ara=dale. :A

•·· ··* •· ·*· ·•· ·* *· •·· ··• ··* •· ·• ·•· ··• •· * ·•·

·• ·* *

Con=tent with the: croft and: hill were: we, As : all our : fathers, :A Con=tent with the : fish in the : lake to : be : Carefully : netted, :A And : garments : spun of the : wool from : thee, 0 : black-=faced: wether :A Of Glen=ara=dale. :A

·* ·*

·•

··• ··*

•·· ·•· * ·•· ··*·

·•· •· *·

·*

·*

··*

·*

··*

·*

*

No : father : here but would : give a : son For the : old : country, :A And his : mother the : sword would have : girded : on To : fight her : battles: :A : Many's the : battle that: has been: won By the : brave : tartans, :A Glen=ara=dale. :A

·*· ··*·

•·

··*

·•

··•·*·

*

·• ·*·

*· ·*· *·

*

··*

·*

··*·

*

·•·

*

80

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

But the : big-horn'd : stag and his : hinds, we : know, In the : high : corries, :A And the : salmon that : swirls in the : pool be:low Where the : stream : rushes :A Are : more than the : hearts of : men, and : so We : leave thy: green: valley, Glen:ara:dale. :A

* ··•· ··• ··•· ·• ··• ... '* '*

•· *' '*

··• ··•

·• ·•

'*

'*

*'

* ·•· A system of notation of accent which I have found useful in writing

may be found on page

232.

1 Phonetic Melody

In the primary autometric series phonetic, time, and accent are all constant, but in both prose and verse each of these goes its own way. Of the many vowels, consonants, and syllables which are possible to the human voice, each language chooses its own, and in each language there is much echo. This may be metrical, as in building up the lines or breaking them down, or in setting up basic or major metre within them, or in distinguishing stanza from stanza, but it may be merely sporadic and decorative. Some syllables, words and contexts are more melodious than others. Thus in this song from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (II, ii, 13), : Philo:mel, with : melo:dy, : Sing in: our sweet: lulla:by: : Lulla, : lulla, : lulla:by; : Lulla, : lulla, : lulla:by.

*' * ·•· * * ·• ·• ·• *' •· * ·• •· *· * '*

there is not only much echo of vowels and consonants, such as the symmetrical i

o

mel

i

mel

o

y

but also alliteration, rhyme, and refrain. Much of the beauty, meaning, and appeal of verse derives from the poetry of sound and echo. We can echo and suggest many sounds of the outer world, and many words have been coined for this express suggestion, such as boom, crash, patter, lap-lap, swish, yell, and roar. 81

82

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Sometimes a vowel or consonant is linked with words which are vividly suggestive. In this line from Tennyson's The Princess (VII, 208), And: murmuring: of in=numer=able: bees

·*·· *

·*·

*·

*

the hum suggested by the sound and meaning of murmuring is carried on by nearly every consonant until it is reinforced by bees, but in the following line from Tennyson's The Brook (97) : Twinkled: the in=numerable : ear and: tail

*·

*

·*··· *

·*

innumerable does not suggest a murmur or hum any more than the mice do, while the crowded in=numerab/e: suggests the myriad ear and tail. We must be sensitive to such suggestion, but we must not hunt it too fiercely, nor maltreat it when captured. Nor must we attribute too much of the beauty or other effect of a line to particular sounds apart from their context. Thus the prose sentence The : yellow : poodle : looted : in the : elm

·*· *' *' * ·* has the same rhythm, the same vowel sounds, and the same consonant / in the same positions, as in this line from Tennyson's The Gardiner's Daughter (94), The : mellow : ouzel : fluted : in the : elm

·*·

*' *·

*

·*

but in the latter, though the vowels and consonants and the anagram me! . . . elm play their part, much of the beauty of their sound is an auditory mirage conjured up by the wealth and beauty of mellow, ouzel, fluted, and indeed of elm, since, while the poodle loots at the base of the tree, the ouzel is broadcasting from its aerial. Many letters which fascinate are heard in the following lines from Tennyson's The Princess (vii, 204): : Sweet is : every : sound, : Sweeter thy: voice, but: every: sound is: sweet; : Myriads of : rivulets : hurrying : thro' the : lawn, The : moan of : doves in : immem =orial : elms, And: murmuring: of in=numer=able: bees.

PHONETIC MELODY

83

* '*" * '* '*' * "* ·*·· *·· * ·* "* "* "*'" * * "* "*" * In In Memoriam (ci) Tennyson, looking back, laments leaving his *' *·· "* "*'"

childhood's home which others will not love so deeply as he: Un:watch'd, the : garden : bough shall : sway, The : tender : blossom : flutter : down, Un:loved, that: beech will: gather: brown, This : maple : burn it=self a:way;

·*· * "* *" *" * "* ·*· * * "* "* Un:loved, the : sunflower, : shining: fair, '* ·*· "* ·*·

Ray : round with : flames her : disk of : seed, And : many a : rose-car:nation : feed With : summer : spice the : humming : air;

"*'" *" * "* "* "* "* "*" * * "*" * First autumn, and then flaming June! Sun-, sunflower, shining, fair, "* "* ·*· ·*·

ray, flames blaze forth light and heat; sunflower, many a rose-, many a rose-carnation charm by their profusion, colour, and scent; spice loads it with perfume; and summer holds all in a word. Is our sense of richness and profusion enhanced, as has been suggested, by the uh sound in unloved and the like (and also in grunt and Ugh!) and by the ds and gs? Is it not rather that words so rich in meaning and association, in memory and immediate appeal, endow their sounds with a beauty which is not their birthright? In other contexts the sound rose has many different values-Rose spilt the milk; they rose to go; the rose of a watering can; rows and rows of slums. How much depends on both the content and the context I In the apparently hypnotic

With : wrecks of for:gotten de:lirium

"* ""*" "*""

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

forgotten delirium is in itself no more beautiful than if a physician were to be told by his secretary, "I'm afraid I've forgotten Delirium," an article which he had mislaid and now asked her to fetch. On the other hand the value of pure sound is heard in the contrast between Youth and Age in the anonymous poem Crabbed Age and Youth in the Passionate Pilgrim.

: Crabbed : Age and : Youth : Cannot : live to 'gether

*' *'

* *

'* "*"

is a bald statement which contrasts age and youth by the word crabbed and not by any suggestion in the sound of the words Age and Youth, But in : Youth is : full of : pleasance, :A : Age is : full of : care; :A : Youth like : summer : mom, :A : Age like : winter : weather; :A : Youth like : summer : brave, :A "Age like : winter : bare. :A : Youth is : full of: sport, :A · Age's : breath is : short. :A : Youth is: nimble, : Age is: lame; :A : Youth is : hot and : bold, :A : Age is: weak and: cold. :A : Youth is : wild, and: Age is: tame :A

* '*'* ·•· '*

* * * * * * *' * * * *

·•· ·•· ·•· ·•·'*

* *' * * '* * '* '*' * '* '* '* '* '* '* '* '*

PHONETIC MELODY

85

we hear the full contrast, for the brisk Youth cannot be spoken to suggest misery, whereas a thin, high-pitched, and drawling Age is so bare that it heralds the outburst : Age, I : do ab=hor : thee, : Youth, I : do a:dore: thee; : 0 ! my : Love, my : Love is : young: :A : Age, I : do de=fy : thee, 0 ! : sweet : shepherd, : hie : thee, For me : thinks thou : stays too : long. :A

* ·• '* * * '* '* * * '* '* '* * '* '* * '* *' * * "* ·• '* in which Youth becomes ecstatic and adoring, while Age abhors and defies. The value of vowels and consonants is well marked in the following lines from Tennyson's Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington (i): : Bury the : Great : Duke With an: empire's : lamen=tation, : Let us : bury the : Great : Duke To the : noise of the : mourning of a : mighty : nation, : Mourning : when their : leaders : fall, : Warriors : carry the : warrior's : pall, And : sorrow : darkens : hamlet and : hall.

.....*'

'* * *' *' *' *' '* "* ··•· *' * ·•· *" *' ·•· *' *'

....

....

* *' * * '*

This poem opens with a clarion call to the nation. The whole line may be focused as a slight modulation of three units beginning with the voiced explosives B, G, and D, rolling the two rs, and ending with the short and sharp, y, t, and k, so sounding one clear call.

86

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Line 2 is muffled. What a contrast in the ushering in of the bars of line I with B, G, and D, and of line 2 with the basic e, I, and t; and again in the total absence of the humming /, m, and n from line I and their frequency in line 2-n, m, l, m, n, n ! In line 3 the clarion call is repeated, introduced by the less emphatic Let us, so that this line echoes line 2 and at the same time prepares us for the 4-basic line 4. Line 4 is muffled by the sequence, n, m, n, ng, m, n, n, and lines 5, 6, and 7 form a subordinate stanza with the funeral procession and the general mourning, with which their slow steady rhythm is in harmony. Throughout, the rhyme progresses with the meaning.

Alliteration In both nursery rhymes and more serious verse the echo of initial consonants or vowels may distinguish line from line or resolve and balance a line, as in Mother Goose's : Trip upon : trenchers, and : dance upon : dishes, My : mother sent : me for : harm, for : harm.

* ··*· "* ··*· ·* ·* ·* ·*

and in Robert Browning's Abt Vogler (i):

: Bidding my: organ o:bey, : calling its : keys to their: work

*· ·*· ·* *· "* ..*

: Man, • brute, : rep•tile, : fly, - : alien of : end and of : aim

* • * • * *" "* ··*

in which last every syllable begins with a consonant in the first half of the line and every syllable begins with a vowel in the second half.

Rhyme Rhyme pleases by its echo and charms when it is appropriate, but it is also of prime importance in building them up or breaking them down, and so weaving the metrical pattern. Unrhymed verse which is irregular in number, position, and grouping is often fluid and formless. Even when the basic syllables are well defined, it is tantalizing to the ear, and often to the eye also, if the ribbon of rhythm is cut into snippets without rhyme or reason. In the hands of a master such vivisection may help to induce that susceptive state of mind which is essential for the full enjoyment of verse, yet the poet must many a time wink to himself as he finally snips off his lines. Much that is printed as verse in these days is so

PHONETIC MELODY

unpoetical that, when it is spoken, its insubstantial fabric leaves not a rack behind that is not prose. Rhyme may be metrical and structural or sporadic and decorative. Both forms are heard in the last verse of Poe's The Raven. : And the i raven, : never i flitting, : still is l sitting, : still is i sitting : On the i pallid : bust of l Pallas : just albove my : chamber l door; :A

* •i*• *· i*• * •i*• * •i*• * •i*• * •i*• * •i* ·*· l*

in which flitting and sitting are structural and pal-, bust, Pal-, just are decorative. Unusual decorative echo is heard in the following couplet from an unknown poet: : Groweth : seed and : bloweth : mead And : springeth the : wood : neu. :A

·*

*

*

And, in Browning's Saul (i. 1) we find

Said : Abner, "At : last thou art : come! Ere I : tell, ere thou : speak, Kiss my: cheek, wish me: well!" Then I : wished it, and : did kiss his : cheek.

·*· ·* ··* ··* ..* ... ··* ··*· ·*· ·* gives the symmetrical rhyme Said: Abner, "At: last thou art: come! Ere I : tell, Ere thou : speak, Kiss my : cheek. Wish me : well !" Then I : wished it, and : did kiss his : cheek.

·*· ·* ··* ··* ··* ..* ··*

..*. ·*· ·*

88

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Refrain

Refrain may be anything from meaningless sounds to words charged with meaning. The foundation of the love of literature can be well laid in the early years of childhood. The sound of words, the placing of accent, the charm of rhythm and metre, the intricacies of number, position, and grouping; the quest for meaning, and the lure of half or wholly meaningless verse-all these can be learned in play at an age when every impression is vivid and memory is swift and tenacious. Mother Goose My : father he : died, but I : can't tell you : how, He : left me six : horses to : drive in my : plough; With my: wing• wang =waddle= Oh, : Jack • sing : saddle : Oh, : Blowsey : boys : bubble : Oh, : Under the : broom.

·*· ·* ..* ·*· ·*· ·* ..* • *· * • *· *·. *· *· ·*

..* ..* • • •

Mother Goose : Where are you : going, my : pretty : maid, With your: rosy : cheeks and: golden: hair? I'm: going a-=milking, : sir, she: said; The= strawberry: leaves make: maidens :fair.

Psalm CVII

..*. ·*· * ..**. * ·•· * ·*· ·*· ·* * .*.. * ·*· *

: 0 that : men would : praise the : Lord for his : goodness, And=· for his =wonderful : works to the ' children of ' men.

* ·* ~ ~- ·~· * ·*·· * ..*. ·*

PHONETIC MELODY

Anonymous

I : wish I : were where : Helen : lies; : Night and : day on : me she : cries; : 0 that I : were where : Helen p:lies On : fair Kir=connell : lea!

'* ·• ·•· * * '* '* ·* * ·•· * '* ·•· * Ben Jonson, Hymn to Diana (i)

...

: Queen and : huntress, : chaste, and : fair, : Now the : sun is : laid to : sleep, : Seated : in thy : silver : chair, : State in : wonted : manner : keep : : Hesperus en:treats thy: light; : : Goddess, : exceNently : bright.

* ·•· * ·• ·• •·* '** '*·•· * *' ·•· •· * * '* '* '* *' * ·*· * In the following verse from Poe's The Raven there is refrain and much rhyme, both structural and decorative.

i

i

i

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is i sitting On the! pallid bust of i Pallas just aibove my chamber i door; And his l eyes have all the i seeming of a i demon's that is i dreaming, And the i lamp-light o'er him i streaming throws his i shadow on the i floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the i floor Shall be i lifted-neverimore !

i

* * * * *

•·

i

•i•• •i•• •i* •i•• •i* !••

i

i*• * •i*• * •i•• *' •i•• ·*· !* * •i*• * •i* •i*• ·• !*• * •i•• * •i* •i*• •· * * '* •i*• * •i*• * •i* *' !*

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

The refrain is simply nevermore. The scheme of terminal and internal rhyme which is structural for all the stanzas of the poem has been indicated above, and we also have sporadic decorative rhyme and echo in demon and shadow and, above all, in pal- ... bust ... Pal- ... just. Subdued serial falling rhythm is complete in the first and third lines, and notably so in the first half of every line but the last. So far as the serial rhythm goes, the poem might have been set in 4-basic metre, but the natural rhythm of the words counters and dominates both the falling rhythm and the shorter setting. This holds for the eighteen stanzas of the poem except for five lines, of which the most striking is : Take thy l beak from : out my l heart, and : take thy l fonn from : off my l door!

With all this modulation, it is not easyto convince oneself that throughout the poem one ought to hear the suggested rolling, racing trochaics, especially as the poet himself has placed it on record that he heard strict trochaic rhythm, which he has defined as pure : 21. When we listen to the above line, must we hear, or rather must we listen for,

I

Take thy beak from I out my I heart, and I take thy I fonn from off my door!

I

*· I *· I *· I *· I *· I *· I *· I * and not for Take I thy beak I from out I my heart, I and take I thy form from off I my door!

I

* I ·* I ·* I ·* I ·* I ·* I ·* I ·*?

I cannot help thinking that the raven has the last word: And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted-never . . . more !

For echo of consonant and vowel, of syllable, word, and phrase, Poe's Annabel Lee would be hard to beat: It was: many and: many a: year a=go, In a : kingdom : by the : sea. :A That a : maiden there : lived whom : you may : know

PHONETIC MELODY

By the : name of : Annabel : Lee;- '• And this : maiden she : lived with no : other : thought Than to : love and be : loved by : me. '•

....··*·.... ·*·* ·• ·•··

'* ·* ·* '* '*

"* * '"*' '* "*' * ··• '*

...

: She was a: child and: I was a: child, In this : kingdom : by the : sea, :. But we : loved with a : love that was : more than : love: I and my : Annabel : Lee- '• With a : love that the : winged : seraphs of : Heaven : Coveted : her and : me. :.

*· "*" "* * "* *"

·* ·•· '* * ·• "* '* "*" * "*' •· ·•· * ·*

...

And : this was the : reason that, : long a=go, In this : kingdom : by the : sea, :. A : wind blew : out of a : cloud, by night : Chilling my : Annabel : Lee; '• : So that her : high-born : kinsmen : came And : bore her a=way from : me, '• To: shut her: up in a: sepul=chre In this : kingdom : by the : sea. '•

·* "*' ·* ·• "*· * '* ·* ·• ··* ·* *· '*" * *· ·*· •· * '* '*

·•· ·•· ··•·

* ··•· * * '*

91

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

But our : love it was : stronger by : far than the : love Of : those who were : older than : we- :A Of : many far : wiser than : we- :A But : neither the : angels of : Heaven a:bove, Nor the : demons down : under the: sea, :A Can : ever dis:sever my : soul from the : soul Of the : beautiful : Annabel : Lee : - :A

..*. ..*. ·*· ·*· ·*· ·*·

·* ..* ·* ·* ·*· ·* ·* ·* ..* ··*·· *.. *

··* ·*· ·*· ..·*·*. ·*·

For the : moon never : beams without : bringing me : dreams Of the : beautiful : Annabel : Lee; :A And the : stars never : rise but I : see the bright : eyes Of the : beautiful : Annabel : Lee; :A And so, : all the night-'tide, I lie : down by the : side Of my : darling, my : darling, my : life and my : bride, In her : sepulchre : there by the : sea- :A In her : tomb by the : side of the : sea. :A

..* ..*.. ..* ..*.. ..* ..*. .. *. ..*

··* *.. .. * *.. ..* ·*· ..**

..*.. ..** ..** ·* ..* ··*

* ..* ..* ..*

The lilt in For the : moon never : beams without : bringing me : dreams Of the : beautiful : Annabel : Lee; :A

..*.. * .. *.. * ..*.. *.. *

PHONETIC MELODY

93

recalls the lilt in Shelley's Arethusa (i): And : gliding and : springing She : went, ever : singing, In : murmurs as : soft as : sleep;

·•·

:A

·•· ·•· ·• ··•·

'* '*

More stately rhyming is heard in the following poem, Tennyson's Sir Launcelot and Queen Guinevere (iii, v): : Then, in the : boyhood: of the : year, Sir : Launcelot : and Queen : Guine =vere : Rode through the : coverts: of the : deer. With : blissful : treble : ringing : clear, She : seem'd a: part of: joyous : spring; A : gown of : grass-green : silk she : wore, : Buckled with: golden: clasps be=fore; A : light-green : tuft of : plumes she : bore : Closed in a : golden : ring. :A

.... ....*

* '* * *' *' '* '* ·•· '* ·•· * •· ·•· '** ·•· * * ··•· *

'* '* '* * * '* '* '*

·• ·•·

'* * '* '* *

*

·•· * ·•·

As : fast she : fled thro' : sun and : shade, The: happy: winds up=on her: play'd, : Blowing her : ringlet : from the : braid : She : look' d so : lovely : as she : sway' d The : rein with : dainty : finger-=tips,

'* '* * ·•· *' ·•· * '* ·•· * '* ·•· *'

94

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

A : man had : given all : other : bliss, And : all his : worldly : worth for : this, To : waste his : whole • heart : in ,one : kiss Up:on her : perfect : lips. :A

·• ·• '* ·•

·•· ·•· ·•· • * • ·•* ·• * * ·•· *

8 Tone and Pitch

Verse may be spoken with the natural expression of prose, or in monotone, or again with modulation of tone and pitch more suggestive of music and song. Which we choose depends upon the form and content of the verse, upon our rhythmic constitution and experience, and our mood of the moment, as well as upon the audience and auditorium. Perfect speaking of verse is based upon knowledge and control of every element of the rhythm. Such knowledge and control is acquired and retained by the brain, by the eye and ear, and by the nerves and muscles of voice, of facial expression, and of gesture. Some remember mostly by the eye, recalling the printed page or visualizing the words; others remember mostly by the ear, recalling the sound (phonetic, tone, and pitch); and others again by the brain, recalling the content and progression of the meaning. Each of these methods should be cultivated, but never to the neglect of the nerves and muscles, whose action becomes so automatic that, when we are absorbed in any problem, we may suddenly realize that we have been speaking prose or verse without either seeing or hearing its words or thinking at all of its meaning. After all, have not these very nerves and muscles learned to give a poem its harmony of time and accent, and tempo, of phonetic and tone and pitch, of number and position and grouping, of meaning and diction, and so its ultimate appeal? Wordsworth's sonnet Upon Westminster Bridge is a placid poem. Earth : has not : any=thing to : show more : fair: : Dull would he : be of : soul who : could pass : by A : sight so : touching : in its : majes=ty: This : City : now doth, : like a : garment, : wear

·*· * ·* ·*·

*· ··* ·*· *

* ·* * ·*95

·* ·* "* ·* ·*· * ·*· *

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

The: beauty: of the : morning; : silent, : bare, Ships, : towers, domes, : thea=tres, and : temples : lie : Open un=to the fields, and: to the : sky; All : bright and : glittering : in the smokeless : air. : Never did: sun more: beauti=fully: steep In: his first: splendour, : valley, : rock, or: hill; Ne'er: saw I, : never: felt, a: calm so : deep! The : river : glideth : at his : own • sweet : will: Dear: God! the: very: houses: seem a=sleep; And : all that : mighty : heart is : lying : still!

·*· * ·*· *· * ·*· ·*· * ·*· * *· ·* ·* ·* ·* ·• .*.. * ·*· * *· ·* ·•· *· * ·* ·*· *· * ·• ·*· *· * '* ·* ·•· *· * ·* • ·** ·• ·*· *· * ·• ·*· * ·•· * What a contrast there is within the next poem, Sir Walter Scott's

Where shall the Lover Rest? l Where shall the l lover rest i Whom the fates l sever From his i true maiden's l breast i Parted for l ever? l Where : through groves l deep and : high i Sounds the far l billow, l Where early l violets die l Under the l willow. i E=leu i lo•ro ! : i Soft shall be his l pill=ow.

l* l* ••l* l*• l* l* l*

•l*• ·* l*• *· l* •l*• • l* * l*• ·* i... *· *

*

*

TONE AND PITCH

i*• i* i*

97

•i*• * i*• "* •i*•

There, through the i summer day, Cool streams are i laving; There, while the i tempests sway, Scarce are boughs i waving; There thy : rest shalt i th6u : take, Parted for i ever, Never again to i wake, Never, 0 i never! E:leu i lo•ro ! :A Never, 0 i never!

i* i* i*

* * *

i*

·•

iifr

·•

i*•

i•• i••

.j.. * •!•• •!•• i*•

•iifr

*

*

.j••

·•

•i• •i••

i Where shall the i traitor rest, i He, the deiceiver, Who could i win maiden's i breast, i Ruin, and i leave her? In the i lost i battle, Borne i down by the i flying, Where i mingles war's i rattle

i* ••i*

•i•• •· !*

••i* •!*

i*• .. [•.

•!••

•i••

i••

•i••

*

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

With i groans of the i dying; i E=leu i lo•ro ! :A i There shall : he be i lying. -

.:*

••i*•

i* * i*• i* ·* •i*•

Her i wing shall the i eagle flap i O'er the false-ihearted; His i warm blood the i wolf shall lap i Ere life be i parted; i Shame and disihonour sit i By his grave i ever; i Blessing shall i hallow it i Never! 0 i never! i E=leu i lo•ro ! :A i Never! 0 i never!

··*·· ·* ··*· * ·*·· ·*· ··*· * ··*·· * *·· *· ·*·· *· ·*· *· * * *· ·*· *·

The above setting tries to bring out the contrast between the slow plaintive basic metre of the first two stanzas and the vigorous protesting major of the last two. Is there any poem more difficult to declaim than Shelley's Ode to the West Wind? For example, the first stanza is made up of a complex vocative which occupies the whole stanza apart from the : Hear! 0 : hear! in the last two-fifths of the last line. The rhyme is terza rima with a terminal couplet. Terza rima is rare in English verse, but it harmonizes with this impassioned poem. On the printed page it appeals, aba

bcb

cdc ded ee

yet I wonder if even a rhyme addict could scent terza rima on hearing this poem spoken for the first time. Is he not more likely to hear an

99

TONE AND PITCH

initial quatrain followed by basimetrical free verse with decorative rhyme and a terminal couplet? abab

cbcdcded ee

The quatrain is strongly suggested in Stanzas 3 and 5, and less and less in 2, 1, and 4. In the central free verse the decorative rhyme asserts itself as it develops. The terminal couplet is emphatically rhymed. In Stanza 3 the Mediterranean's sleep is emphasized by the quatrain abab followed by the almost complete quatrain cdcd in which, however, the last line So : sweet the : sense faints : picturing : them.

:A :

Thou

by its abrupt break, its basic pause, and its imperfect rhyme towers

day flowers

Thou

shocks us out of sleep into a hurricane. The poem consists of two parts: in Stanzas 1, 2, and 3 the poet implores the wind to listen to his prayer, and in Stanzas 4 and 5 he calls upon the wind to fulfil it. The first part will be given here; the second will be found in the chapter on "The Poet's Dream" (p. 206). 0: wild• West: Wind, thou: breath of: Autumn's: being, :A : Thou, from whose : unseen : presence the : leaves : dead Are : driven, like: ghosts from: an en=chanter: fleeing, :A : Yellow, and: black, and: pale, and: hectic: red, :A : Pestilence- =stricken : multi =tudes : :A O : thou, Who : chariot=est to : their dark : wintry : bed The : winged : seeds, :A : where they : lie : cold and : low, :A Each : like a : corpse with=in its : grave, :A un=til Thine : azure : sister : of the : Spring shall : blow Her : clarion : o'er the : dreaming : earth, and : fill :A {: Driving sweet: buds like: flocks to : feed in: air) :A With : living : hues and : odours : plain and : hill: :A Wild: Spirit, : which art: moving: every=where; :A Des:troyer: and pre=server; :A! hear, :A Oh, ! hear! :A : Thou on whose: stream, ': mid the steep : sky's com=motion, Loose : clouds like : earth's de=caying : leaves are : shed, :A : Shook from the : tangled : boughs of : Heaven and : Ocean, :A : Angels of: rain and : lightning: :A : there are : spread On the : blue : surface of thine : aery : surge, :A : Like the bright: hair up=lifted from the : head Of : some fierce : Maenad, :A : even from the : dim : verge : Of the hor=izon : to the : zenith's : height, :A

100

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

The: locks of: the ap:proaching: storm. :,_Thou: dirge Of the : dying : year, to : which this : closing : night Will: be the : dome of a: vast: sepul:chre, :,_ : Vaulted with: all thy: congreg=ated: might Of : vapours, :,_ : from whose : solid : atmo =sphere Black: rain, and: fire, and: hail, will: burst: :,_ Oh, : hear! : Thou who didst : waken : from his : summer : dreams The : blue Med=iterr=anean, : where he : lay, : Lull'd by the : coil of: his : crys=talline : streams, Be=side a: pumice: isle in: Baiae's : bay, And: saw in : sleep old: pala=ces and: towers : Quivering with=in the: wave's in=tenser: day, All : over=grown with : azure : moss, and : flowers So : sweet, the : sense faints : picturing : them! :,_ Thou :,_ For whose : path the At=lantic's : level : powers : Cleave them=selves into: chasms, while : far be=low The : sea-=blooms and the: oozy: woods which: wear The : sapless : foliage : of the : ocean, : know Thy : voice, :,_ and : sudden=ly grow : gray with : fear, :,_ And: tremble: and de=spoil them=selves: :,_Oh,: hear I

9 Number, Position, and Grouping

Basic and Sub-basic Structure The basic structure of a poem depends primarily upon the number, position, and grouping of its basic units. In one of the simplest forms the flow of the words is broken into lines each of which has four syllables, and these lines are grouped into couplets which are themselves grouped into stanzas of four lines. In more complex forms the syllables vary in number and may even be absent, while the lines are compounded into very different patterns. The number, position, and grouping of the sub-basic syllables vary even more freely. Every example in this work so far has shown more or less of this freedom of structure: now let us look more closely at a few more. Basic Structure We may take a good example out of Byron's When We Two Parted (i, iv): When : we : two : parted :A In : silence :A and : tears, :A : Half : broken-=hearted :A To : sever :A for : years, :A : Pale : grew thy : cheek and : cold, : Colder :A thy : kiss; :A : Truly :A that: hour fore=told : Sorrow :A to : this. :A

·* * *' ·*· ·* * *' •· ·*· ·* * * ·* ·* *· ·• ·* *· ·• *· ·* IOI

IOZ

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

In l secret we l metIn l silence I l grieve, That thy l heart could forlget, Thy l spirit delceive. : If : I should : meet : thee : After : long : years, :A : How : should I : greet : thee?With : silence :A and : tears. :A •l*• ,l*• .. 1* •l*•

•l* •l* .. 1* ,l*

* *'

* * *'

* •l*•

'*

*

* * •l*

*

The next example is an excerpt from Arnold's The Forsaken Merman (i). : Come, dear : children, : let us a=way; : Down and a=way be=low! :A : Now my: brothers : call from the : bay, : Now the : great • winds : shore•ward : blow, : Now the: salt• tides: sea•ward : flow; : Now the : wild• white : horses : play; : Champ and: chafe and: toss in the: spray. : Children: dear, : let us a=way! This l way, :A this l way! :A * * * * * ** *' •l*

·•· ·•· •

"*

'* '* '* '* *

*' '*

* * • * • * '* *' •l*

'*

• • •

"* * * * ··* '*

The first quatrain of these lines is almost complete, but it is fused with the second by the four initial Nows, by the rhyme blow ... flow, by the unexpected fourth syllable blow, and by the identical ½-basic

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

103

metre of the last line of the first quatrain and the first two lines of the second, * •* • * • *. The next poem by Wordsworth could hardly be more simple.

A : slumber : did my : spirit : seal; I : had no : human : fears : :A She : seemed a : thing that : could not : feel The : touch of : earthly : years. :A

*

*

·•· ·• ·•·

*

No: motion: has she: now, no: force; She : neither : hears nor : sees: :A Roll'd: round in: earth' di:umal: course, With : rocks, and : stones, and : trees. :A

·•· •· * ·• ·•· ·• ·• ·•* ·•· •• ·• ·•Proud·• Maisie,

In Sir Walter Scott's poem major metre (2-basic) comes into play. Proud i Maisie is : in the i wood, :A l Walking :A so l early, :A Sweet : Robin : sits in the l bush, :A l Singing :A so l rarely. :A •l*• l*•

*

••l* .: ••

•l*• !*•

*

.. :* •l*•

"!Tell me, :A thou: bonny: bird, !When: shall I l marry: me?" "When l six: braw i gentle:men l Kirkward :A shall i carry : ye."

•· *

..

•l*•

:

l*• .i•.

* * * *

104

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

"i Who : makes the i bridal : bed, i Birdie, :A say i truly?" :A "The i gray-=headed i sex=ton That i delves the : grave i duly." :A

*

•i*• •i••

*

•·

i*

*

"The i glow-=worm o'er i grave and: stone Shall i light : thee i steady; :A The i owl : from the i steeple : sing, 'i Welcome, : proud i lady!'" :A

* •i•i•• ·• * •i*• * * i*• * Scott's Pibroch of Donuil Dhu summons the clan to the fray in major •i• •i• •i* i••

(2-basic) metre, with free rhythmic modulation of its fundamental ¼-basic metre. Pibroch of i Donuil Dhu, Pibroch of i Donuil, Wake thy wi=ld i voice anew, Summon Clan-iConuil. Come a=way, i come a=way, Hark to the i summons! Come in your i war-array, Gentles and i commons.

·•·· •· ·•· ·• •· ·•· •·· •·· * ··•· * ·•· •· *·

*···

··*··

i Come from deep i glen, and From i mountain so i rocky, The i war-pipe and i pennon Are at i lnverilochy.

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

Come every i hill-plaid, and True heart that i wears one, Come every i steel blade, and Strong hand that i bears one.

* ··*· "*" ·•· ·*· ·•· ··•· *" * ··•·· •· ··•·· ·•· * •· ·*· Leave unitended the l herd, The i flock without i shelter; Leave the i corpse unin!terr'd, The ! bride at the ! altar; Leave the i deer, leave the i steer; i Leave nets and i barges; i Come with your i fighting gear, i Broadswords and ! targes ...

·• ··•· ··•.... ··• *" ·•· * ""*"" *" ·•·

··•· ·• ··• ·• ··•

Fast they come, i fast they come; See how they i gather! Wide waves the i eagle plume, Blended with i heather.

*•·· .,*"" •. * ··•··

•· ·•·

106

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Cast your plaids, i draw your blades, Forward each i man set! Pibroch of i Donuil Dhu, Knell for the i onset!

•·· ... •· ·•· •· ·•·· * ··•·

The fundamental ½-basic metre, is as follows:

* * * * * * * * * * * . '** * '' * * The next example is T. L. Peacock's The War Song of Dinas Vawr (i, ii, v), the story of a successful raid. The i mountain sheep are i sweeter, But the i valley sheep are i fatter; Wei therefore deemed it i meeter To i carry off the i latter. Wei made an expediition; Wei met a host and i quelled it; We i forced a strong posiition, And i killed the men who i held it. -!•• ••i•• •i••

.:..

* *

•i•• •i••

•·

i••

* .[•.

-!• ·• .:•.

•i*

·•

•i••

•i*

·•

-!••

·• ·• ·•·

On i Dyfed's richest i valley, Where i herds of kine were i browsing, Wei made a mighty i sally, Toi furnish our cairousing.

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

107

Fierce i warriors rushed to l meet us; Wei met them, and o'edthrew them: They l struggled hard to i beat us; But we l conquered them, and l slew them.

•i*• .:* •!* •!*• •i*•· •i*• •i*• ••!*•

*· ·* ·*· * * * * *

i*• •i*• !*• •!*• •!*• •i*• •i*• •i*•

Wei brought away from i battle, And i much their land be!moaned them, Two i thousand head of i cattle, And the i head of him who i owned them: Edlnyfed, King of l Dyfed, His l head was borne be!fore us; His l wine and beasts suplplied our feasts, And his i overthrow, our l chorus.

•!*

·*

.:* .:*

·* ·*

•i*•

.:* ·* .:*. ·'*· * •i*• .. :* ·* •i*• •i*• * •!*• ••i*•

•!*•

•!* * •i*•

·*

And the next, of victory, is Macaulay's The Battle of Naseby (i, ii): "Oh i wherefore come ye i forth, in i triumph from the i North, With your i hands, and your l feet, and your i raiment all l red? And i wherefore doth your l rout send l forth a joyful i shout? And l whence be the i grapes of the l wine-press which ye i tread?"

•!*• ••!*

•i*•

•i*

*· l* * ·'* * .:* * •i*

•!*•

* * •!* ·*· * •i*• *

*

•i*•

.:* :* i* •!*

108

l

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

l

l

l

"Oh, evil was the root, and bitter was the fruit, And l crimson was the i juice of the l vintage that we l trod; For we trampled on the throng of the haughty and the strong, Who sate in the high places, and slew the saints of God."

i

i

•l*• •i*• ••l*• •l*

i i i l i i •l*• •l* •i* •l* * •l*• ** •i* •l* * .:*. * •l* l*• •l* ·* •l*

* * * .. *

In Tennyson's The Charge of the Light Brigade heroes die: : Half a : league, : half a : league, : Half a : league : onward, :A : Into the : valley of : Death :A : Rode the : six : hundred l l "Forward, :A the l Light Bri=gade! l Charge! :A for the l guns!," he: said: : Into the : valley of : Death : Rode the : six : hundred.

* •·* * l*• l*

·* ·* ·*·

·•

·•· ·•

•· *

* *· ·* •· •l* ••l*

·•

·••·

·• ·•

!"Forward, :A the l Light Brigade!" l Was: there a i man dis=may'd? :A : Not : tho' the : soldier : knew : Some one :A had: blunder'd: :A : Their's: not to : make re=ply, : Their's: not to: reason: why, : Their's: but to: do and: die : : Into the : valley of : Death : Rode the : six : hundred.

l*• *· *

•·

·* *

•i* ·* ·*· ·*·

·• *

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

* * *

•·

* * *

*

·•· ·•

·• ·•· ·•

·••·

·• ·•*

l Cannon :A to l right of : them, l Cannon :A to l left of : them, l Cannon :A in l front of : them l Volley'd :A and l thunder'd; :A : Stormed : at with : shot and : shell, : Bold:ly they: rode and: well, : Into the : jaws of: Death, : Into the : mouth of : Hell : Rode the : six : hundred.

'*· l*• l•• !*• *

* •· •· *

* *

•l* •l* •l* •l*• ·* ·• ·*

·• ·•

·• ·* ·• ·•

·•·• ·• •·

: Flash'd : all their : sabres : bare, : Flash'd: as they: turn'd in: air, : Sabring :A the : gunners : there, : Charging :A an : army, : while : All the: world: wonder'd: :A : Plunged: in the : battery-'smoke : Right : thro' the : line they : broke; l Cossack :A and l Russian :A

* *

·•

* *

·•· ·• •l••

.. •· ·•·· ·•.,..

.,

·•*

* * *

·•

109

110

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

l Reel'd :, from the l sabre-'stroke l Shatter'd :, and l sunder'd. :, · Then : they rode : back, but : not : Not the : six : hundred .

l* l••

*

..•l••

.. [

* ·•• * *

*

•·

·•

l Cannon :, to l right of : them. l Cannon :, to l left of : them, i Cannon :, i behind : them i Volley'd :, and i thunder'd; :, : Storm'd : at with: shot and: shell, : While : horse and : hero : fell, : They that had : fought so : well : : Came thro' the : jaws of : Death, : Back from the : mouth of : Hell, : All : that was : left of : them, : Left of : six : hundred.

•i•

*

* * *

* * * *

•l* •l* •l••

......

·• ·•· ·•

·• ·• ·• ·• •·

·• ·•

*

·• ·•*

·•

: When : can their : glory : fade? : 6 the : wild : charge they : made! : All the : world: wonder'd. :, l Honour :, the l charge they : made! i Honour:, the i Light Bri:gade! : Noble : six : hundred!

* * *

*

·• ·•

·•· * •·

*

·•

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

l,f,. ,f,.

*

,f,.

•!* •!*

*'

Ill

·* ·*

And in Jane Elliot's Lament for Flodden (i, ii, vi) there is defeat and mourning. I've ! heard them ! lilting at our ! ewe-!milking, ! Lasses a' ! lilting before ! dawn o' ! day; But ! now they are ! mourning on ! ilka green ! loaningThe ! Flowers of the ! Forest are ! a' wede alway. * * *

!*• !*• ,!*•

*

•!*•

* '*

•!* !* •!*• •!*

!*• •l* * *

l*• •l*

At l bughts, in the l morning, nae l blythe lads are l scorning, l Lasses are I lonely and l dowie and l wae; Nae! daffing, nae l gabbing, but! sighing and! sabbingIlk ! ane lifts her ! leglin and l hies her alway.

* -

*

•i*• •i*• •i*• ••!*•

•i*• •l* •i*• ,!*

We'll I hear: nae mair ! lilting at our! ewe-lmilking; l Women and l bairns are l heartless and! wae; ! Sighing and l moaning on ! ilka green l loaningThe l Flowers of the ! Forest are l a' wede alway.

*'

!*• •i* •i*•

* •i*•

*

,!* •!*• •i*• •i*

l*• ,!*

* *

l*• •i*

In W. E. Aytoun's The Execution of Montrose (i, ii, xv, xvi, xviii) a hero meets his doom. Come: hither,: Evan: Camer:on! Come, : stand be :side my : kneeI : hear the : river : roaring : down To:wards the : wintry : sea. :A

:A

112

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

There's: shouting: on the: mountain-=side, There's : war with=in the : blast- :A Old: faces: look up=on me, :A Old: forms go : trooping: past: :A I : hear the : pibroch : wailing :A A:midst the : din of : fight, :A And my : dim : spirit : wakes a:gain Up=on the: verge of: night. :A

·•· ·•·'*

"*

* *

·•·*'

·•· ·•·*'

*

*

'Twas : I that : led the : Highland : host Through: wild Loch:aber's: snows, :A What : time the : plaided : clans came : down To : battle : with Mont'rose. :A I've : told thee : how the : Southrons : fell Be:neath the: broad clay:more, :A And : how we : smote the : Campbell : clan By : lnver:lochy's : shore. :A I've : told thee : how we : swept Dun:dee, And : tamed the : Lindsays' : pride; :A But : never : have I : told thee : yet : How the great : Marquis : died. :A

'*

·•·

* '*

'*' '* '*' * * '* '* * '*' *' ·•· '* '* .... •· * * "He isl coming! He isl coming!"

'*

'* '*' ·•·'* '*'

'*' * '* *

* '*' '*' '* *'

* '* '* * * *

Like a l bridegroom from his l room, Came the l hero from his l prison To the l scaffold and the l doom. There was l glory on his l forehead, There was l lustre in his l eye, And he l never walked to l battle More l proudly than to l die : There was l colour in his l visage, Though the ! cheeks of all were l wan, : And they l marvelled : as they l saw him l pass, That l great and : goodly l man! :A

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

* •l*• * •l*• * •l*• •l*• •l*• * l*• * •l*• * •l*• *· *· l*• * •l*• * •l*• * •l*• •l*• •l*• •l* * •l*• * •l*• * •l* *He : mounted * : up the : scaffold, *

* * * * ·* ·*·

•l* •l* •l* •l* •l* l*

: And he : turned him : to the : crowd; : But they : dared not : trust the : people, : So he : might not : speak a=loud. : But he : looked up=on the : heavens, :A And : they were : clear and : blue, :A And : in the : liquid : ether :A The : eye of : God shone : through! : Yet a: black and: murky: battle:ment Lay : resting : on the : hill, :A As: though the: thunder: slept with:inAll : else was : calm and : still. l :A

·*· * ·*· * ·*· * ·*· * * ·*· * ·*· * ·• ·• * ·• ·* ·*·*· ·• ·*· ·• ·* ·• •· ·•· ·•· * ·* ·*· * * ·* ·** ·* A : beam of: light fell : o'er him,

·* ·*

·• ·• ·* ·*

: Like a : glory : round the : shriven, : And he : climbed the : lofty : ladder : As it : were the : path to : heaven. :A Then : came a : flash from : out the : cloud, And a: stunning: thunder-=roll; :A And : no man : dared to : look a=loft, For : fear was on : every : soul. : There was an'other: heavy: sound, :A A : hush and : then a : groan; :A And: darkness : swept a=cross the: skyThe : work of : death was : done! :A

·*· * ·*· ·* ·* ·*· ··*· *· * ·* .. *. * ·* ·* ·* * ·*· * ·* ·* ·* ·* ·*

·* ·* * ·* ·*· ·* ·* ·*· * •· ·*· *·

·*· *· ·* ·*

* * ·* ·*

IIJ

114

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

And in Browning's Prospice the poet girds himself to meet the last enemy. In the first part the recurrent rhythm, some of which is underlined, forces the pace, while in the last part it drives it almost beyond control. Fear : death?-to : feel the : fog in my : throat, The : mist in my : face, When the : snows be:gin, and the : blasts de:note I am: nearing the : place, The : power of the : night, the : press of the : storm, The : post of the : foe; Where he : stands, the Arch : Fear in a : visible : form, Yet the : strong man must : go: For the : journey is : done and the : summit at:tained, And the : barriers : fall, Though a : battle's to : fight ere the : guerdon be : gained, The re'ward of it : all.

'* '* "* ..* '* ·*

'* "* "*' '* '* "* "*" '* "*" * "* "* I was : ever a : fighter, so- : one fight : more, '* "* '*' ··* "*' "*'

'* "* '* "*" "*' "*'

"* '* "* * ·* '*

The : best and the : last! I would : hate that death : bandaged my : eyes and for:bore, And : bade me creep : past. • No! : let me • taste the : whole of it, : fare like my : peers The : heroes of : old, Bear the : brunt, in a : minute pay : glad life's ar'rears Of• pain, : darkness and : cold.

"*' '*' ·*· * '* • "* "* "*' '* "* ·*· • *' • '*" * "* ·*· '** "* "*' ·*· ·*· • *' ·* For : sudden the : worst turns the : best to the : brave,

The : black : minute's at : end, And the : elements' : rage, the fiend-'voices that : rave, Shall : dwindle, shall : blend, Shall : change, shall be:come first a : peace out of: pain, Then a : light, then thy : breast, 0 thou: soul of my: soul! I shall: clasp thee a=gain, And with : God be the : rest!

II5

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

..·*· *.. ·** ··* .. *. ·* .. * :.:.!. :.:.!. :.:.!. ..*.

··* ··*· ·* ·* ·*· ·* .. * :.:!. :..:!. ·* .. * ··*

In F. W. H. Myers' St. Paul (ii, v, xi, xix) a devoted missionary speaks: ! Yes, without! cheer of! sister or of! daughter, l Yes, without i stay of i father or of i son, l Lone on the! land and l homeless on the i water, ! Pass I in l patience till the l work be l done.

·* l* ·* i* * •1* * •l*•

•1*• •i*• •1*• * •i*

* •1*• * •i* * •1*• •1*

l What was ! their sweet delsire and subtle ! yearning, ! Lovers, and i women whom their l song en!rolls? ! Faint to the i flame which in ! my breast is l burning, : Less than the l love wherewith ! I ache for ! souls.

l* i*• i* l*

•1* •1*• * ·1* * •1*

* •i*• * •1* * •i* ·* l*

i* •i* * •l* * •i*

·*·

* *

Then with a l ripple and a ! radiance ! thro' me, Rise, and be ! manifest, 0 ! Morning ! Star! Flow on my l soul, thou l Spirit, and relnew me, Fill with thy!self, and let the ! rest be ! far.

* * * *

•1*• •1*• •i* •i*

* * * *

•i* •i* •l* •l*

* •i*• * •i* •i*• ·• •i*

* i* * i* * •i* •i*

*

*

Shame on the l flame so l dying to an ! ember! Shame on the i reed so i lightly overiset ! Yes, I have l seen Him, ! can I not reimember? Yes, I have l known Him, and shall! Paul for!get?

!* l* !* l*

* * * *

l*• * •l* !* *· l* l*• * •l* !* ·* •l*

* *

u6

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

An authority has said that this long poem is in 5-basic metre, and I have seen no suggestion to the contrary: : Yes, without : cheer of : sister : or of : daughter, : Yes, without : stay of : father : or of : son, : Lone on the : land and : homeless : on the : water, Pass : I in : patience : till the : work be : done.

··• ··• ··• ·• ·•· * * *

·•· * ·•· ·•· * ·• ·•· * ·•· * ·• ·•

and that it may have been suggested by Emily Bronte's Remembrance: : Cold in the : earth-and the : deep snow : piled a:bove thee, : Far, far re'moved, : cold in the : dreary: grave! : Have I for:got, my : only : Love, to : love thee, : Severed at : last by: Time's all-:severing: wave?

* ··• ··•· * ·•· * ··• ·•·* ··•· * •· ·• * ·•· •· ·• ·• ·•·· *

But the rhythm had already been heard in two well-known earlier quatrains imbedded in Shakespeare's Sonnets LXI and XXIX: : Is it thy : will thy : image : should keep : open My : heavy : eye-lids : to the : weary : night? : Dost thou de:sire my : slumbers : should be : broken, While : shadows, : like to : thee, do : mock my : sight?

•· ·• ·•· ·•· ·•· •· * ·•·* * •· ·•· ·•· ·•· ·•· * ·• ·•* ·• and again, : Yet in these: thoughts my:self al:most des:pising, : Haply I : think on : thee,-and : then my : state, : Like to the : lark at: break of: day a=rising From : sullen : earth, sings : hymns at : heaven's : gate;

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

117

* ··•·• ·• ·• ·•· •· ·• ·• ·• ··• ·• ·• ·•· ·•·* * ·• ·•· * And is the poem which we are considering really in 5-basic metre? It has more than one hundred and fifty stanzas, and so many lines have only four accents, or are logically bisected or logically parallel, that either 4- or 8-basic metre may have been intended by the poet. Moreover, by breaking up the lines the stanzas can be so freely modulated that they are emotionally much more appealing. In Browning's Rabbi Ben Ezra (xxx-xxxii) a saint exhorts and prays. : Look not thou : down but : up! To : uses : of a : cup, The: festal: board, lamp's : flash and: trumpet's: peal, :A The: new wine's: foaming: flow, The: master's: lips a=glow! Thou, : heaven's con=summate : cup, what : need'st thou : with earth's : wheel?

•·· ·• ·•· ·• ·•· ** ·• ·•· ** ·•· •· ·•· ·• ·•· ·•· ** ·•· ** ·•

But : I need, : now as : then, Thee, =: God, who : mouldest : men; And : since, not : even : while the : whirl was : worst, Did: 1,-to the: wheel of: life With : shapes and : colours : rife, Bound: dizzi=ly,-mis=take my: end, to: slake Thy: thirst.

·• ·• ·• ·• ·• ·•· * ·• ·• ··• ·• ·• ·•· * ·• ·•

·•· ·• * ·•· ·• ·•*

So, : take and : use thy : work: A=mend what: flaws may: lurk, What : strain o' the : stuff, what : warpings : past the : aim I

'* ·•

·• ··•

·• ·• ·• ·• ·•· * ·•

II8

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

My : times be in : Thy : hand! : Perfect the : cup as : planned! Let : age ap:prove of : youth, and : death : complete the : same I

'* '* '* *' '* '* '* '* '* '* '* '*

And now, Tennyson's Crossing the Bar:

: Sunset and : evening : star, And : one clear : call for : me ! And : may there : be no : moaning : of the : bar, When : I put : out to : sea,

*' ·*·

"* • * '** '*' * '*' * '* ·* ·* ·*

But ! such a : tide as : moving : seems a=sleep, Too : full for : sound and : foam, When : that which : drew from : out the : boundless : deep : Turns a : gain : home.

·* '* ·* *

·* "*" * '* ·* ·* ·* ·* '*" * '* *

: Twilight and : evening : bell, And : after : that the : dark! And : may there : be no : sadness of fare=well, When : I em:bark;

*· ·*· *

·*· * ·* ·*· * ·*· * ·* ·* ·* For : tho' from : out our : bourne of : Time and : Place

The: flood may: bear me: far, I : hope to : meet my : Pilot : face to : face When: I have : crossed the : bar.

·* ·* '* '*' ·* ·* ·* ·*

"* '* '* * ·*· * ·* ·*

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

119

In very different mood let us turn to Milton's L'Allegro and II Penseroso. It has recently been suggested that Milton was wrong in treating of Mirth and Melancholy in the same 4-basic metre. But we have, for example, both Matthew Prior's Song (iii): My : lyre I : tune, my : voice I : raise, But : with my : numbers : mix my : sighs; And: whilst I : sing Eu=phelia's: praise, I : fix my : soul on : Chloe's : eyes.

·•· ·• ·• ·• ·• '*' * ·• ·• ·• ·•·· * ·• ·• (5): ·•· *

and Burns's Lament for Culloden

Drum=ossie: moor, Drum=ossie: day, A : waefu' : day it : was to : me! For : there I : lost my : father : dear, My : father dear, and : brethren : three.

·•· * ·*· * ·*· * '* ·* ·• ·•· ·•·'* * ·•· ** So much depends upon expression! L'Allegro means "the lively, sprightly, sportive, cheerful," and II Penseroso means "the pensive, thoughtful, sober, studious, artistic, religious." Why then does Milton first curse Melancholy and bless Mirth, and then bless Melancholy and curse Mirth? He says that Melancholy is the daughter of the Hell Hound and Midnight-she is a goddess sage and holy; while Mirth, a goddess fair and free, is the daughter of Venus and Bacchus, or of Zephyr and Aurora, and certainly the daughter of Folly without Father bred-so far as I know, a unique birth by both poly- and parthenogenesis. Everyman is therefore no heretic and vandal if, for his own delectation, he substitutes Quietude for Melancholy, and begins speaking these poems as follows : L' Allegro ( 11)

: Come, thou : Goddess, : fair and : free, In: heaven y=clept Eu=phrosy=ne, : And by : men, heart- =easing : Mirth.

120

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

: Haste thee : Nymph, and : bring with : thee : Jest and : youthful: Jolli'ty,

II Penseroso (n) : Hail, thou : Goddess, : sage and : good! : Hail! di:vinest: Quiet=ude!

If called upon to justify himself, he could summarize the poems, but each is its own best catalogue, and here we may take a single example from each:

L' Allegro (69) : Straight mine eye hath : caught new : pleasures : Whilst the : landscape : round it : measures, : Russet : lawns, and : fallows : gray, : Where the : nibbling : flocks do : stray, : Mountains : on whose : barren : breast The : labouring : clouds do : often : rest. : Meadows : trim, with : daisies : pied, : Shallow : brooks, and : rivers : wide. : Towers, and : battle:ments it : sees : Bosom'd: high in: tufted: trees, : Where per:haps some : beauty : lies, The: cyno:sure of: neighbouring: eyes. Hard : by, a : cottage : chimney : smokes, : From be:twixt two: aged: oaks, Where : Cory:don and : Thyrsis : met, Are : at their : savoury : dinner : set Of : herbs and : other : country : messes, : Which the neat-=handed: Phyllis : dresses; And : then in : haste her : bower she : leaves, With : Thesty:lis to : bind the : sheaves; Or : if the : earlier : season : lead : To the tann'd : haycock : in the : mead. What folly!

* * *· * *· ·*·· *· *· *"

·* ·*· * ·*· * * * * ·*·

·* * ·*· * ·*· ·*· ·*· ·*· *

·*· ·*· * ·* * * * * "*

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

*· * ·*· ·* *

·*· ·*· ·*·· *·

* * * * ·• ·•· ·•· * ·•· ** ·• ·•·· •· * ·• ·*· •· •· * ··*· •· •· II Penseroso (155)

* ·* * ·*·

·• ·• ·•· ·• ·• ·• ·• ·• ·• ·*·· •· * * ··•· * ·•

But : let my : due feet : never : fail, To : walk the : studious : cloister's : pale, And: love the: high em:bowed: roof With : antique : pillars : massy-'proof, And : storied : windows : richly : dight, : Casting a : dim re'ligious : light. There: let the: pealing: organ: blow, : To the : full-voic'd: quire below, In : service : high and : anthems : clear, As : may with : sweetness, : through mine : ear, Dis:solve me : into : ecsta'sies, And : bring all : Heav'n be:fore mine : eyes.

What Melancholy I

·• ·• ·• ·•· ·•· •· ·• ·•·* ·• ·•· ·•

·•· ·•·· ·• •· •· ·* ·•· ·*· *

•· •· ·•· •· *· ·•· •· •· ·•·

* * * * * * * ·* *

·•· * ·• •· ·• ·•· ·•* ·*

121

122

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

In much the same spirit the following passage from Milton's Lycidas (64) is in very different metre. A=lasl what: boots it: with un=cessant: care To : tend the : homely, : slighted, : shepherd's : trade, And: strictly: medi=tate the : thankless : Muse? : Were it not: better: done as: others : use, To : sport with : Amar=yllis : in the : shade, Or : with the : tangles : of Ne=aera's : hair? : Fame is the : spur that : the clear : spirit doth : raise (That : last in=firmi=ty of: noble : mind) To: scorn de=lights, and: live lab:orious: days; : But the fair : guerdon : when we : hope to : find, And : think to : burst out : into : sudden : blaze, : Comes the blind : Fury : with th' ab=horred : shears, And : slits the : thin-spun : life. "But : not the : praise," : Phoebus re=plied, and : touch'd my: trembling: ears; "Fame is no : plant that : grows on : mortal : soil, Nor : in the : glistering : foil Set : off to th' : world, nor : in broad : rumour : lies, But : lives and : spreads a=loft by : those pure : eyes, And : perfect : witness : of all-=judging : Jove; As: he pro=nounces : lastly: on each: deed, Of : so much : fame in : Heav'n ex=pect thy : meed.

'* '*

·•·*"

'* '* * '*

·•

* '* * '* *' * '* '* '*

·•· ·•·*'

* ·•· * *' *' * * ·•· * *' * ·•· * '* ·•· * '* ·•· '** ·•· '** ·•· ·• '* ·•· * '* ·• ·•·· * * '* '* ·•· *' *' * * ·•· * ·•·'* '** '* '* * ·•· "* '* ·•· * ·•·· * '* '* ·•· * '* '* '* '*

...

.... ....

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

·•· •· *·* ·•· '** * ·• ·•· * ·•· ·• ·• ·•· How different Arnold's Rugby Chapel (1) is in 3-basic metre! : Coldly, : sadly de=scends The : autumn : evening. The : field : Strewn with its : dank yellow : drifts Of : wither'd : leaves, and the : elms, : Fade into : dimness a=pace, : Silent;-: hardly a: shout From a : few boys : late at their : play! The : lights come : out in the : street, In the : school-room : windows ;-but : cold, : Solemn, un=lighted, aus=tere, Through the: gathering: darkness, a=rise The : chapel-=walls, in whose : bound ' Thou, my : father! art : laid.

and again (57):

•· •· ·• ·•· *' '* * ··• ··• ·•· * ··• * ··•· ·* •· •· ·• ··•· * ··• ....'* '**' ··•·• •· ·•· '* ··•·· •· ·• ·•· * ··• * ·•· '* : What is the • course of the : life Of : mortal : men on the : earth?: Most men: eddy a=bout : Here and there-: eat and : drink,

* ··• ··• ·•· * ··•

*' *' '* •·· *

·•

123

124

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

: Chatter and : love and : hate, : Gather and : squander, are : raised A=loft, are : hurl'd in the : dust, : Striving : blindly, a=chieving : Nothing; and: then they: die: Perish ;-and : no one : asks : Who or : what they have : been, : More than he : asks what : waves, In the : moonlit : solitudes : wild Of the : midmost : Ocean, have : swell'd, : Foam'd for a: moment, and: gone. And : there are : some, whom a : thirst: : Ardent, un=quenchable, : fires, : Not with the : crowd to be : spent, : Not without : aim to go : round In an : eddy of : purposeless : dust, : Effort un :meaning and : vain. Ah : yes! : some of us : strive : Not without : action to : die • Fruitless, but : something to : snatch From : dull ob:livion, nor : all : Glut the de:vouring: grave!

*' *' '* *' *' *' * * ··*· "*' * '* *' * * "*' *' '*

'* '*' '* *' '* '*' '* "* *" *' "*' ·* '*" "* "* "*" '*' *"

'* '* "* '*' '* * "* '* * '* '* "* *' "* "* * '* *

125

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

··•· ·• •· ·•· '* '* .... ·• ..... *

*

*

The rhythm of this poem is (a) 3-basic and neutral, each line being normally self-enclosed, without initial rise or terminal fall, and (b) 2-sub-basic with rare initial rise and rare terminal fall, and with This 3-basic more usual single sub-basic in the first bar, metre does not quicken the tempo, for the whole poem is pensive and can hardly be spoken with due expression without being turned into prose. After all, is anyone likely to speak it or hear it spoken except perhaps by way of exposition? The following poem, Christina Rossetti's Uphill, has regular rhyme but varying length of line and free terminal linking.

*' •·(·) *·

"Does the : road wind : uphill : all the : way?" ": Yes, to the : very: end." "Will the : day's : journey : take the : whole long : way?" "From: morn to: night, my: friend."

...

...

*

·•·

....

*

*

·•

* *' '* • ·• '* '* "But : is there : for the : night a : resting-:place?"

*

"A: roof for: when the : slow,• dark: hours be:gin." ": May not the : darkness: hide it: from my: face?" "You: cannot: miss that: inn."

·•· * ·•'* • ·•·*' '** ·• •· ·•· *' * ·• ·•· * ·• "Shall I : meet : other way:farers at : night?" '*

"Those who have : gone be:fore." "Then : must I : knock, or : call when : just in : sight?" "They: will not: keep you: waiting: at that: door."

...

·•· ·•·

* * *'

•·

...

'*

•·

·•·

'* '* *

'* '* '*

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

": Shall I find : comfort, : travel-=sore and : weak?" "Of: labour : you shall : find the : sum." ": Will there be : beds for : me and : all who : seek?" "Yea, : beds for: all who: come."

•·· *··

"*'

•·

*

* ·*

•· ·•

·* * ·* ·* ·* ·*

·*

·*

A happier rhythm enlivens Browning's How They Brought the Good

News from Ghent to Aix:

I : sprang to the : stirrup, and : Joris, and : he; I : galloped, Dirck : galloped, we : galloped all : three; "Good: speed!" cried the: watch, as the: gate-bolts un=drew "Speed!": echoed the: wall to us : galloping: through; Be=hind shut the : pastern, the : lights sank to : rest, And : into the : midnight we : galloped a=breast.

·* ·*· ·* ·*· ·* ·*·

··*· ·*· ··* ·*·· ··*· ·*·

··* ··* ·* ·*· ·•· ·*·

··* ··•· ·*· ·*· ·*··

·*· ·*· ··*· *·· ·*

·•·

·* ·* ·* * ··* ·*

Not a: word to each: other; we: kept the great: pace Neck by : neck, stride by : stride, never : changing our : place; I : turned to the : saddle and : made its girths : tight, Then : shortened each : stirrup, and : set the pique : right, Re=buckled the : cheek-strap, chained : slacker the : bit, Nor : galloped less : steadily : Roland a : whit.

··•· ·* ··* ··*· ·*·· ·*·· ·*· *·

·* * * ·* ·*

'Twas: moonset at: starting; but: while we drew: near Lo=keren, the: cocks crew and: twilight dawned: clear; At : Boom, a great : yellow star : came out to : see;

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

At : Duffeld, 'twas : morning as : plain as could : be; And from : Mecheln church-=steeple we : heard the half-=chime, So, : Joris broke : silence with ": Yet there is : time!"

·*· ·*· ·* ·*· ··*· ·*·

·*· ·*· ··*·· ·*· ·*· ·*·

·*·· ·*· *· ·* ·* ·*

* ·* ·* ··* ··* ··*

At : Aershot, up : leaped of a : sudden the : sun, And a=gainst him the : cattle stood : black every : one, To : stare thro' the : mist at us : galloping : past, And I : saw my stout : galloper : Roland at : last, With : resolute : shoulders, each : butting a : way The: haze, as some : bluff river: headland its spray:

·*· ··*· ·* ··* ·*·· ·*

·* ·*· ··*·· ..*.. *· ··*

.. *. ·* *·· *· ·*· ··*·

·* ··* * ·* ·* ·*

And his : low head and : crest, just one : sharp ear bent : back For my: voice, and the : other pricked: out on his : track; And one: eye's black in=telligence,-= ever that: glance O'er its: white edge at: me, his own: master, a=skance! And the : thick heavy : spume-flakes which : aye and a=non His : fierce lips shook : upwards in : galloping : on.

.. *. ··* ··* ··*· ··* ·*·

·* ··*· ··*·· ·* ··*· ·*·

··*· ·* *· ··*· ·* ·*··

·* ··* ·* ·* .. * *

By: Hassalt, Dirck: groaned; and cried: Joris, "Stay: spur! Your: Roos galloped: bravely, the: fault's not in: her,

·*· ·* ·*·· ·* ·* ··*· ·* ··*

127

128

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

We'll re=member at: Aix"-for one : heard the quick: wheeze Of her : chest, saw the : stretched neck and : staggering : knees, And sunk ; tail, and : horrible : heave of the : flank, As : down on her : haunches she : shuddered and : sank.

··*· ··* ··* "*

"* ··*· ·*·· ··*·

"*"" "* "*" ··* ·*· ·*·

··* "*"" * "*"

··* * ··* ·*

*·· ··*· "* ··*· ·*· "*"

*" "* ··*·· ·*· ·*· "*

"* ··* * "* "* ··*

"* *" ··*· ··* "* "*

··*· "* "* ··* ··* ··*··

"* ··* ··* ··* ··* *

So, : we were left: galloping, : Joris and: I, Past: Looz and past: Tongres, no: cloud in the : sky; The : broad sun a=bove laughed a : pitiless : laugh, 'Neath our : feet broke the : brittle bright : stubble like : chaff; Till: over by: Dolhem a: dome-=spire sprang: white, And "Gallop", said: Joris, "for: Aix is in: sight!"

"How they'll : greet us !"-and : all in a : moment his : roan Rolled: neck and croup : over, lay: dead as a: stone; And : there was my : Roland to : bear the whole : weight Of the : news which a=lone could save : Aix from her : fate, With his : nostrils like : pits full of : blood to the : brim, And with : circles of : red for his : eye-sockets' : rim.

··*· ·*·· "* ··* ··*· ··*·

Then I : cast loose my : buffcoat, each : holster let : fall, Shook : off both my : jack-=boots, let : go belt and : all, Stood : up in the : stirrup, leaned, : patted his : ear, Called my: Roland his: pet-name, my: horse without: peer; Clapped my : hands, laughed and : sang, any : noise, bad or : good, Till at : length into : Aix Roland : galloped and : stood.

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

129

.

"*' '*' '*" '* '* "*' • '* "* ....'* "*'·•· '**' ..'* "* ..

... ...... ..... ...·•

And: all I re=member is,-: friends flocking: round AB I : sat with his : head 'twixt my: knees on the : ground; And no : voice but was : praising this : Roland of : mine, AB I : poured down his : throat our last : measure of : wine, Which (the: burgesses: voted by: common con=sent) Was no : more than his : due who brought : good news from : Ghent.

......'* ........... "*·• ...... ........ ... ....·•· ·•'* •· ....·•· '* ... ·• "*

SUB-BASIC DECORATION

The basic syllables build up the structure of verse, and the subbasics decorate it. In number, position, and grouping the sub-basics are subjected to the constant tension between rhythm and meaning, between the norm and its modulation, and between the natural speech rhythm and the dominant serial rhythm. Many of our examples have already illustrated these elements. A common form of sub-basic rhythm is resolution, the breaking up of the basic metre into minor metre, as in Thomas Moore's Eveleen's Bower (ii): The : clouds• pass'd: soon • From the : chaste • cold : moon, :h And: heaven• smiled a=gain • with her: ves•tal: flame;• But : none will • see the : day, • When the : clouds shall• pass a=way, • Which that : dark• hour : left up,on : Evel•een's : fame. •

•

•

·• ·• ·•· ·• ·•

•

• •

·•

•·

* * ·• '*

•

• ·• *

·•* *

•

·•

·•

·•* *

130

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

An authority, stumbling over : none will• see the : and : clouds shall• pass

a- :, condemns the ditty as prosodically ugly, wicked, and impossible!

Modulation of the sub-basic rhythm may set up wave rhythm, of which the following excerpt is an average example: it comes from Scott's The Lady of the Lake (I, xvii). But : scarce a:gain his : horn he : wound, When : lo! forth : starting : at the : sound, From : under=neath an : aged : oak, That : slanted : from the : islet : rock, A : damsel : guider : of its : way, A : little : skiff : shot to the : bay, That : round the : promon =tory : steep : Led its deep : line in : graceful : sweep, : Eddying, in : almost : viewless : wave, The : weeping : willow : tree to : lave, And kiss, with : whispering : sound and : slow, The : beach of : pebbles : bright as : snow.

·* ·* * ·* ·*· * ·*· * * ·* * ··* *· * ·*· * *· * * "* * ·* * ·* Shakespeare's Love's

"* "* ·*· ·*· ·*· ·*· ·* * *·· ·*· ·* ·*

·* ·*· * * *· * ·*· ··* ·*· *· ·*·· ·*·

In the first part of Perjury, from Love's Labour's Lost (IV, iii, 101), wave rhythm is unusually alternating: : On a: day, a=lack the: day! : Love, whose : month is : ever : May, : Spied a : blossom : passing : fair : Playing : in the : wanton : air: : Through the : velvet : leaves the : wind, : All un=seen, 'gan: passage: find; : That the : lover, : sick to : death, : Wish'd him=self the : heaven's: breath. : "Air," quoth: he, "thy: cheeks may: blow; : Air, would : I might : triumph : so!"

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

* ·• ·• ·• * ·• ·•· * ·•· •· •·* * ·•· ** * ·•· * ·• * ·• ·•· * * ·•· * ·• ·• ·•· * * * ·• ·• ·• * ·* ·*· *

This part begins and almost ends with rhythm becomes dominant in the second part.

* •* •* ••

131

and this

: But, a=lack ! my : hand is : sworn : Ne'er to: pluck thee: from thy: thorn: : Vow, a=lack! for: youth un=meet, : Youth so: apt to : pluck a: sweet.

* * * *

'* ·* ·• ·*· * ·• '* ·• '* '* '* '*

and in the third and last part the rhythm becomes more varied; : Do not : call it : sin in : me, : That I : am for=swom for : thee; : Thou for: whom e'en: Jove would: swear : Juno: but an: Ethiope : were; : And de=ny him=self for: Jove, : Turning : mortal : for thy : love.

•· •· * * ·• '* * '* '* *' * ·•·· •·* '*•· '**

·•

'* '* ·•* '*

In W. M. Praed's Letter of Advice (iv) the wave rhythm of the first

IJ2

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

line and the rising rhythm of the second are reversed in the fifth and sixth lines : Re=member the: thrilling ro=mances We : read on the: bank in the : glen; Re=member the: suitors our: fancies, Would : picture for : both of us : then. They: wore the red: cross on their: shoulder, They had : vanquished and : pardoned their : foeSweet : friend, are you : wiser or : colder? My: own Ara=minta, say": No!"

·•· ·• ·•· ·•· ....·• ·• ·•

·•· ··• ·•· ·•·· ··• ·•· ··•· ··•·

·•· ··• ·•· * ··•· ·• ·•· ·•

The following excerpt from Longfellow's Hiawatha (v, 68) has unusual wave rhythm in the even basic syllables: · Standing : at the : open : doorway, : Long he : looked at: Hia=watha, : Looked with : pity : and com=passion On his : wasted : form and : features, And, in : accents : like the : sighing : Of the: South-Wind: in the : tree-tops, : Said he,": 0 my: Hia=watha! : All your : prayers are : heard in : heaven, : For you : pray not : like the : others; : Not for : greater : skill in : hunting, : Not for : greater : craft in : fishing, : Not for: triumph: in the: battle, : Nor re=nown a=mong the: warriors, : But for : profit : of the : people, : For ad=vantage: of the: nations."

•· * ·•· * ·• ·•· * ·•· * * ·•· * * ·•· *

•·

•· ·•· ·•· ·•·

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

1 33

* ·•· * ·•· •· * ·•· •· * ·• ·• ·•· * ·•· * ·•· ·•· * * ·•· * ·•· * ·•· ·•· * ·•· * ·•·· ·• ·• * * ·•· * ·•· * ·•· * ·•· And in John Davidson's The Lutanist (i) there are eighteen out of twenty possible waves: The : harvests of : purple and : gold Are : garnered and : trodden; dead : leaves To=morrow will: carpet the: wold; And the : arbours and : sylvan : eaves Dis=mantled, no: welcome ex=tend; The : bowers and : sheltering : eaves Will : witness to =morrow the : end Of their : stained, of their : sumptuous : leaves, While: tempests ap=parel the : wold In their : cast-off : crimson and : gold.

·•· ·• ·*· ·• ·*· ·• ·•· * ·•· ·• ·•·· * ·•· ·• ..... ··* * ·*· ·•· "* ··•· •· ·• ·•· ·•· ·•· ··•· ·•· ·•· ·•·

The next example is Shelley's To--:

One: word is too : often pro=faned For : me to pro=fane it,

·* ··•· "*

·• '"*'

1 34

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

One : feeling too : often dis =dained For: thee to dis=dain it; One : hope is too : like des=pair For : prudence to : smother, And : pity from : thee more : dear Than : that from an =other.

·•· ·• ·• ·•· ·•· ·•

·•· "* ··•· ··• ·• ·•· ·• ·• ··•·

I can : give not what : men call : love, But : wilt thou ac=cept not The : worship the : heart lifts a=bove And the: Heavens re=ject not,The de=sire of the: moth for the: star, Of the : night for the : morrow, The de=votion for: some=thing a=far From the : sphere of our : sorrow?

··• ·•· ·•· ··•· ··• ··• ··•· ··•

··• • * ·•· ·* ··• ·•· ··• ··• ··•· ·•· ·• ··•·

The following Stanzas for Music by Byron are so metrical that they may have been composed for a musical setting: There be i none of Beauty's l daughters With a i magic like l thee; And like i music on the i waters Is l thy • sweet : voice to i me : When, as i if its sound were l causing The l charmed ocean's l pausing, The l waves lie still and i gleaming, And the l lull'd winds seem i dreaming.

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

..

·•·

l* •l••

.:

..

•l* •l*

.:

•

•l* ,l*

•·

l*•

* *

l* •l*• •l*

* * * '*

.:

*

.: .:

•· '*

1 35

.. ....

*

l*•

*

Or shall we notate the next stanza as follows? And the l midnight moon is l weaving Her bright l chain o'er the l deep; Whose l breast is gently l heaving, As an l infant's alsleep: So the l spirit bows belfore thee, To I listen and aldore thee; With a l full but soft elmotion, Like the l swell of Summer's : ocean.

* * *

•l*• * •l* * •l* •l* • -

·•·

•l*•

.:.

l*• ,l*

* .:.. * .:•. .:..

* .:•.

*

•l*

'*

•l••

*

•l*

·•·

l*•

With double rising rhythm we get longer waves, as in Shelley's

The Cloud (i):

I : bring fresh : showers for the : thirsting : flowers, From the : seas and the : streams; I : bear light : shade for the : leaves when : laid In their : noonday : dreams . '* '*

·•· ··•

.... '*

.... "* "* *

•· '*

136

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

From my : wings are : shaken the : dews that : waken The : sweet buds : every : one, :A When: rocked to: rest on their: mother's: breast, As she : dances a=bout the : sun. :A I : wield the : flail of the : lashing : hail, And : whiten the : green plains : under, :A And : then a=gain I dis=solve it in : rain, And : laugh as I : pass in : thunder. :A

··• • ·•· ·• •· ·• ·• ··•· ·• ·• ·• ·•· ·•· ·• ·• ·• ··•

·• ·•·

··•·* * ·• ··•· * •· ··•· ·•

·•·

The next example is from Francis Mahony's The Bells of Shandon (i); it is in 2-basic metre. With : deep af:fection, And: recol=lection, I : often : think of Those : Shandon : bells, Whose : sound so : wild would, In the : days of : childhood, Fling : around my : cradle Their : magic : spells: On : this I : ponder Wher=e'er I: wander, And : thus grow : fonder, Sweet : Cork, of : thee; With thy : bells of : Shandon, That : sound so : grand on The : pleasant : waters Of the : River : Lee.

·•· ·• ·•· ·• ·•· •· ·•· ·• ·•· ·•· ··• ··• ·•·

*

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

·• ·• ·•

·•·

1 37

*

·•· ·•· ·•· ... ·• ·•· ·• ·• ·•· ·•· •· * ··•· The Bridge of Sighs

and Thomas Hood's of a very different mood :

(i) is another example, though

: One more Un:fortunate, : Weary of: breath, : Rashly im:portunate, : Gone to her : death! : Take her up : tenderly, : Lift her with : care ; : Fashion'd so : slenderly, , Young, and so : fair!

•· .... •·•· ·•...

* ...

•·· •·· •·•· ·•... * .. .

In this stanza from the anonymous The Faithless Shepherdess we hear a refrain of two lines in wave-rhythm: So : long as : I was : in your : sight : I was your : heart, your : soul, your : treasure; And : ever=more you : sobb'd and : sigh'd : Burning in : flames be :yond all : measure:

·• * ·•· •·

·• ·• ·• ··• '* ·•· ·• ·• ·•* ·• ·•·

138

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Three: days en=dured your: love to: me, And : it was : lost in : other : three ! A=dieu Love, a=dieu,: Love, un=true: love! :A Un=true: Love, un=true Love, a=dieu, Love! :A Your : mind is : light, soon : lost for : new love.

·* ·* ·* ·* ·* ·* ·*· * ·*· ·*· ·*· ·*· ·*· ·*· ·* ·* ·* ·*· In Thomas Campion's Laura there is much falling rhythm: : Rose-cheeked : Laura, : come; : Sing thou : smoothly : with thy : beauty's : Silent : music, : either : other : Sweetly: gracing.

*· * ·*· *· * •· *· *· *· *· : Lovely : fonns do : flow

•· •·

*·

: From con =cent di =vinely : framed : : Heaven is : music, : and thy : beauty's : Birth is : heavenly.

·* * ·•· *· ·* ·*· ·*· *· * ·*·· * : These dull : notes we : sing

*

*·

: Discords : need for : helps to : grace them; : Only : beauty : purely : loving : Knows no : discord;

*

*

*·

*

: But still: moves de=light, : Like clear: springs re=newed by: flowing, : Ever : perfect, : ever : in them: Selves e=ternal.

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

* *'

*

'* *' *

'*

'* *' ·*·

'*

1 39

'*' *·

And in Keats's Happy Insensibility there is much terminal falling, and even wave, rhythm: In a: drear-'nighted De:cember, :A Too : happy, : happy : tree, :A Thy: branches: ne'er re=member :A Their : green fe=lici=ty: :A The : north can =not un :do them, : With a: sleety: whistle : through them; Nor : frozen : thawings : glue them :A From : budding : at the : prime. :A

··* *· ·*· '*' *· * * ·•· '*' '* '*

·•'* ·•· ·•· *'•· *'•· ·•· ·•· * '* '*

*

In a : drear-nighted De:cember, :A Too : happy, : happy : brook, :A Thy : bubblings : ne'er re=member :A A=pollo's : summer : look; :A But : with a : sweet for=getting, :A They : stay their : crystal : fretting, :A : Never, : never : petting :A A=bout the : frozen: time. :A

*' ·•· ·•· *' * '*' * '*' ·•·'* '**' * ·•· '* ·•· *' *' *' •·

"*

'*

'*' *

:A

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Ah!: would 'twere: so with: many'• A : gentle : girl and : boy! :. But : were there : ever : any :. Writh'd: not at: passed: joy? '• To : know the : change and : feel it, '• When : there is : none to : heal it, :. Nor : numbed : sense to : steal it, '• Was : never: said in: rhyme. :.

'* ·*· ·*· '* '* ·* ·* ·*·

·* * *· ·*· ·* ·* * *

·*· ·* *· * ·*· ·*· ·*· '*

And Richard Edwardes's Amantium Irae (i) has a refrain in alternating wave rhythm: In i going to my i naked bed, as l one that would have ! slept, I ! heard a wife sing l to her child, that i long before had : wept: She ! sighed sore, and ! sang full sweet, to ! bring the babe to ! rest, That l would not rest, but l cried still, in l sucking at her l breast. She l was full weary l of her watch, and ! grieved with her ! child, She ! rocked it and l rated it, till ! that on her it l smiled: Then l did she say, "Now i have I found this ! proverb true to ! prove, "The ! falling out of l faithful friends, re!newing ! is of! love."

* ·*· * ·* ·* ·* '* '* ·* ·* * ·* ·* '* '* * * ·*· * ·•· ·*· * ·* ·*· * ·*· * ·*· * ·* ·* ·•· * ·*· * ·*· * ·*· * ·*· * ·*· * ·*· '* ·*· ·*· ·*

·* '*

·•·*

·*

·* '* ·*

Then ! took I paper, ! pen, and ink, this l proverb for to l write, '• In l register for l to remain, of l such al worthy! wight: '• As ! she proceeded i thus, in song un!to her little l brat, '• Much: matter utter'd l she of weight, in! place whereat she! sat. '•

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

141

And l proved plain, there l was no beast, nor l creature bearing l life, Could l well be known to l live in love, with lout dislcord and l strife: Then l kissed she her l little babe, and l sware by God albove, :A "The l falling out of l faithful friends, relnewing is of l love." :A

·•··*· •· * ·• ·•· * ·• * ·• ·• ·• ·•· * ·* ·*· * ·• ·* ·•· * ·*· *· * ·• ·• ·• ·* ·*· * ·* ·• ·*· *· * ·* ·* ·• ·• ·• ·• ·* ·*· * ·•· * ·* ·* ·* ·*· * ·•· * ·•· * ·• Lastly, Shelley's Arethusa, a poem of adventure which is not fact myth in a style which is not mythical but jocose. I. Areth=usa a=rose

From her : couch of : snows In the : Acroker=onian : mountains- :A From : cloud and from : crag, With : many a : jag, : Shepherding : her bright : fountains. :A

··*· ·* ··* ·*

··*· ·*·· *· ·• ··*·* ·*· *·· *· *· She : leapt down the : rocks,

With her : rainbow : locks : Streaming a=mong the: streams- :A Her : steps paved with : green The: downward ra=vine Which : slopes to the : western : gleams;

·* ··*

··•· * *· ·* ·• ·* ··• ·*· ·* ·* ··*· *

:A :A

but

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

And : gliding and : springing She : went, ever : singing, In : murmurs as : soft as : sleep; :A The : Earth seemed to : love her, And : Heaven smiled a:bove her, As she: lingered to:wards the: deep.

·*· ·* ·*· ·* ·* ·* .. *. ·*

:A

..·*·*. ..·**. ..*. ·*

II. Then: Alpheus : bold, On his : glacier : cold, With his : trident the : mountains: strook; And : opened a : chasm In the : rocks-with a : spasm : All Ery=manthus : shook. :A

..·*·*.. .. *. ·*· ·*· ..* * ..*.

* * * ·*· ..*. *

And the : black south : wind It un'sealed be:hind The : urns of the : silent : snow, :A And : earthquake and : thunder Did : rend in : sunder The : bars of the : springs be:low. :A

..* ..* .. ·* *. ·*· ·* ·* ..*

·* ·* * ·*· ·*· ·*

:A

NUMBER, POSITION, AND GROUPING

1 43

And the : beard and the : hair Of the : River-god : were Seen : through the : torrent's : sweep, :A As he : followed the : light Of the : fleet nymph's : flight To the : brink of the : Dorian : deep. :A

"* ··* ··•·· * * "*" * ··•· "* ··•· * ··• ··•·· * III. "Oh, : save me! Oh, : guide me! And : let the deep : hide me, For he : grasps me : now by the : hair!"

"*"

·•· ·•··

"*" *" ··* *

And here we leave these two to continue their adventure while we consider how the narrative, the myth, and the joke may influence the style. One of our poets has stated that the lines 0: save me! 0 guide me! And : let the deep : hide me,

will certainly be spoken with a slight forcing of the normal accent on let and reduction of the accent on deep, in order to maintain the repetition of the foot - - - . Certainly? It depends upon our mood at the moment of speaking the lines; for, without choosing, we may hit upon one or other of three rhythms:

(a) the natural speech rhythm, 0: save me! 0: guide me! And let the . deep : h£de me,

·*·

·•

"*"

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

(b) the jocose rhythm, 0: save me! 0: guide me! And : let the I deep : hide me,

(c) compromise for the myth, 0: save me! 0: guide me! And : let the deep : hide me,

Chacun

a son gout!

10 Norms and Progression

A well-defined norm is helpful: we know what to expect, and are made sensitive to its modulation which saves us from monotony and charms us with its delicate movement. The basic norm shows the structure of the verse, and the sub-basic shows its decoration. Even the basic norm is not always easy to determine, and those who yearn for a serial norm throughout may have to compare the rhythms of many lines or couplets or stanzas, and whether this is worthwhile each must decide for himself. Browning's Ride through the Metidja (iv) has a definite norm for all its stanzas and can be set in swift 4-basic metre with ½-basic resolution: : As I : ride, : as I : ride, : Ne'er has: spur my: swift horse: plied, : Yet his : hide, : streaked and : pied, : As I : ride, : as I : ride, : Shows where : sweat has : sprung and : dried, -= Zebra-=footed, : ostrich-=thighed,: How has : vied : stride with : stride : As I : ride, : as I : ride!

* * * * * * * *

• • • • • • • •

* * * * * * * *

•

• •

* * * * * * * *

• • • • • •

•

•

* * * * * * * *

In the second, fifth, and sixth lines a ½-basic syllable intervenes, a 145

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

welcome relief from the regular beat; but the rhythm readily becomes a swift major (2-basic): As I ! ride, as I ! ride, Ne'er has! spur my swift horse! plied, Yet his i hide, streaked and i pied, As I ! ride, as I i ride, Shows where ! sweat has sprung and ! dried, -Zebra-!footed, ostrich-ithighed,How has ! vied stride with ! stride As I ! ride, as I ! ride! ••i* ••!* .. j* ••i* ••i* ••!*• ••!* ••!*

••!* ·••!* ••!* .. :* ... 1* ••!* ••!* ••!*

The regular beat of the hooves, •·*, is heard throughout, for my in my swift horse ! plied and has in has sprung and i dried, and ed in ed ostrich-ithighed are all weak; and though my and has are logically attached to the beginning of the second beat, they need hardly assert themselves more than the ed which is attached to the end of the first beat,-Zebra-lfooted. In Browning's Pippa Passes (ii, 253) the basic structure may be as follows: : Give her : but a : least ex:cuse to : love : me! : When- : Where: How---can this: arm es'tablish: her a:bove : me, If : fortune : fixed her : as my : lady : there, : There al:ready, : to e'ternal:ly re'prove : me? *·

*

* * ·*· ·*·

* * ··* *· *

"*

·*

"*

*

·*·

* ·*·

"*

*

*

·*

*

* ·*·

•

NORMS AND PROGRESSION

: Is she : wronged?- : To the : rescue : of her : honour, :A My: heart! : Is she : poor?- :A What: costs it to be: styled a: donor? :A : Merely an : earth to : cleave, a : sea to : part. : But that: fortune : should have : thrust all: this up=on her!

•· * * ·*· * ·*· ·* •· * ·*· ··* ·*· *· ·• ·* ·* "* * ·*· * ·* ·* ·*·

1

47

:A

There is no obvious basic norm for the two stanzas, but if we set them in major (2-basic) metre, we get a simple structure which may have been what the poet intended: l Give her but a l least excuse to l love me! l When-Wherel How-can this arm esltablish her albove me, If l fortune fixed her l as my lady l there, There aUready, to elternally relprove me? Is she l wronged?-To the l rescue of her l honour, My l heart! Is she l poor?-What l costs it to be : styled a l donor? l Merely an earth to l cleave, a sea to l part. But that l fortune should have l thrust all l this uplon her! This gives a major (2-basic) norm of 31333:

The next example is Blake's Mad Song. The : wild winds : weep, And the : night is a-=cold; Come : hither, : Sleep, And my: griefs un=fold. I But : lo I the : morning : peeps : Over the : eastern : steeps, And the : rustling : beds of · dawn The : earth do : scorn.

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

: Lo! to the : vault Of : paved : heaven, With : sorrow : fraught, My : notes are : driven: I They : strike the : ear of : night, Make : weep the : eyes of : day; They make : mad the roaring : winds, And with : tempests : play. Like a : fiend in a : cloud, With: howling: woe, After : night I do : crowd, And with : night will : go : I I : turn my : back to the : east From whence: comforts: have in:creas'd, For : night doth : seize my : brain With : frantic : pain.

This gives us the numerical basic norm 2222332, but the poem is a compromise. The thoughts are the thoughts of a madman, but the words are the words of a poet, and neither poet nor madman rules. The madman must speak the words of the poet, but he can express them as he chooses, varying the tempo of the lines freely and freely linking them. Let us try to track his desperate thoughts: Stanza i: "Ohl ..• Wind! •.• Rain ... Cold! ... If only I could sleep! I can't; the clouds are brightening for the dawn." Stanza ii: "Oh! ... Oh! ... I make night hideous, and the day a misery." Stanza iii: "Oh! ... Oh! ... Oh! ... There's the sun: I must go! The light hurts my eyes, dammit! I'm off!" There may be a change of tempo in each stanza, the second half tending to be rather faster than the first. The whole poem may be set as above with the basic norm 2222332,

* * *

* * * * *

* * *

* * * * *

* * *

and this may now be retained for the first stanza without change: The : wild • winds : weep, And the: night is a-'cold;

NORMS AND PROGRESSION

1 49

Come : hither, : Sleep, And my : griefs un :fold. But : lo! the : morning : peeps : Over the : eastern : steeps, And the : rustling : beds of : dawn The : earth do : scorn.

·* *· ""*"

·* ··* ·*· ..* ·*

•

·*· ·*· *

* ··* * ·* "*

* * ·*

In the second stanza the madman's increased tension calls for moduation: : Lo ! to the : vault Of : paved : heaven With : sorrow : fraught, My : notes are : driven. They : strike the : ear of : night, :A Make: weep the: eyes of: day; : They make : mad the : roaring : winds, : And with i tempests :A l play. :A

* ··* ·*· *· ·*· * ·* ·*· ·* ·* ·* "* "* "* ·* ·*· * * •i*• i* * In the third stanza frenzy calls for its own modulation: Like a : fiend in a : cloud With : howling : woe

··*

·*·

··*

*

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

After : night I do : crowd And with : night will : go. I : tum my : back to the : east From: whence: comforts have in:creas'd, For : light doth : seize my : brain With : frantic : pain.

·•

·• •· ·•

··•

··• ·•·

·• ·•*

··•

·• *

:A

··• ·• ·•

Browning's poem The Last Ride Together has a norm which is not trictly observed. Let us compare three stanzas (i, iv, vi): I : said-Then, : dearest, : since 'tis : so, Since : now at : length my : fate I : know, Since : nothing : all my : love a=vails, Since : all, my : life seemed : meant for, : fails, Since : this was : written and : needs must : beMy : whole heart : rises : up to : bless Your : name in : pride and : thankful =ness ! Take: back the: hope you: gave,-1: claim : Only a : memory : of the : same, -And : this be=side, if you : will not : blame, Your : leave for one : more last : ride with : me.

·•· ·• ·• ·• ·•* ·• ·•· ·• ·•* ·•· ·• ·• ·•· •· ·•· ·• ·•·* ·• ·• ·• ·• ·•·· •· ·• ·• ··•·* ·• ··• ·•

·• ·• ·•

*

·•

*

·•

·• ·•* ·•

Then: we be=gan to: ride. My: soul : Smoothed itself : out, a : long-cramped : scroll : Freshening and : fluttering : in the : wind. Past: hopes al'ready: lay be=hind.

NORMS AND PROGRESSION

What: need to : strive with a: life a=wry? Had : I said : that, had : I done : this, So : might I : gain, so : might I : miss. : Might she have : loved me? : Just as: well She : might have : hated,-: who can: tell! Where: had I been: now if the : worst be:fell? And : here we are : riding, : she and · I.

·• ·• ·• ·• ·•· •·· •·· ·•··* ·•* * ·• ·•· ·• * ··• ·• ·• ·• ·•· ·•· ·•* ·• ·•* ·• ·• ·•· ·• * ·• ·•· ·• * ·•·· ··• ·• * ·• * ··•· ·•

What: hand and: brain went: ever: paired? What: heart a=like con=ceived and: dared? What : act proved : all its : thought had : been? What : will but : felt the : fleshly : screen? We: ride and I : see her: bosom: heave. There's : many a : crown for : who can : reach, Ten lines, a: statesman's: life in: each! The : flag : stuck on a : heap of : bones, A: soldier's : doing! : What a=tones? They : scratch his : name on the : Abbey : stones, My : riding is : better, : by their : leave.

·•· ·• ·• ·• ·• ·• ·• ·• ·• ·• ·• ·•· ··• ·•· ·• ·• ·•· ·• ·• ·•· ·• ··•* * ·•· •· ·• ·• ··•·* ·•· ·•· *

*

·• ·•

*

·•

*

*

·•

·• ·• ·•

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

The norm to which this poem appears to tend is two quatrains in rising rhythm with one sub-basic syllable, the first quatrain being followed by the line

'* and the second quatrain by

'* '* "* '* '* "* '* '*

though the twin sub-basics play at musical chairs. In the next two examples the basic norm is 62 : and 52 : how different their sub-basic rhythms are! The first poem is Browning's Love among the Ruins (i, vii): : Where the i quiet-=coloured lend of: evening i smiles, : Miles and l miles : On the i soli=tary l pastures : where our l sheep : Half-aisleep : Tinkle l homeward : thro' the i twilight, : stray or l stop = As they : crop-

* * * * *" *

•i*• *· i* "*" i* •i* •i*• *· l*• * •i* •i* l*• * •i*• * •i* •i*

* * •·* * *

•i*• •i*• * •i* •i* * •i*• *· i*• * •i* i* •i*• *' l*• *' i* •i*

Was the l site once of a i city great and l gay, (So they i say) Of our l country's very l capital, its i prince Ages i since Held his i court in, gathered i councils, wielding i far Peace or i war.

NORMS AND PROGRESSION

1 53

In one 1year they sent a 1million fighters i forth South and 1North, And they 1built their gods a 1brazen pillar 1high As the 1sky, Yet reiserved a thousand 1chariots in full 1forceGold, of 1course.

* * * * * *

.1. •l* .1. .1. .1. •l*

* * * *' * *

i* •l* •l•• 1* •i•• •l*

'*

.1•.

*'

1*

'*

•l••

1*

·•·

•·

l*•

* .1.

: Oh, 1heart! Oh blood that 1freezes, blood that 1bums! Earth's reitums For whole 1centuries of 1folly, noise and 1sin! Shut them 1in, With their 1triumphs and their 1glories and the i rest! Love is 1best.

·*

.1•.

* •l* .1.

* •l*•

*

* •i*•

* •i*

So much for love: now contrast Browning's A Grammarian's Funeral (I): i Let us be=gin and i carry : up this i corpse, : Singing toigether. 1 Leave we the : common i crofts, the : vulgar l thorpes, : Each in its l tether l Sleeping : safe on the i bosom : of the i plain, : Cared-for till l cock-crow:

i*•

'*

•· •i*• l*• ·•·

*

••i*•

•l*• 1*

1 54

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

Look 1out if yonder 1be not day algain : Rimming the 1 rock-row! 1That's the ap:propriate 1country; : there, man's 1thought : Rarer, inltenser, : Self-lgathered : for an 1outbreak, : as it 1 ought, : Chafes in the 1censer.

·1*

·*·

*· .1•• 1* ··•·· *· ·1•· .1.. * * ··1*·

1•· 1*• •1*•

He 1settled: Hoti's 1business-: let it 1 be!1Properly : based 1 Oun1Gave us the : doctrine 1of the en:clitic 1De, 1Dead from the : waist 1down.

·1*·

*·

1•·

•·

1*

1•· ·*· 1* ..*

1* 1*

··•·

1*

l••·

* i*

1Here-: here's his 1place, where: meteors 1shoot,

1Lightnings :,. are 1loosened, Stars 1come and : go ! Let i joy : break with the i storm, i Peace : let the i dew send! i Lofty de=signs must i close in: like efifects: i Lofti:ly i lying, i Leave him--still i loftier i than the : world suslpects, i Living and 1dying.

1* * •i* 1.. •1*• ·1* ·* •1*

1* * 1.. ·• 1*· * 1.. ·•·· 1*·

·•··

i*

* ••i*

.1 •. .1. ·* •1* l•• i*

.1 •.

·•

·1*

NORMS AND PROGRESSION

1 55

Browning's Saul (i, ii) is an interesting example of 5-basic metre with double rising rhythm: Said : Abner, "At : last thou art : come! Ere I : tell, ere thou : speak, Kiss my: cheek, wish me: well!" Then I : wished it, and: did kiss his : cheek. And : he, "Since the : king, 0 my : friend, for thy : countenance : sent, Neither: drunken nor: eaten have : we; nor un=til from his : tent Thou re=turn with the : joyful as=surance the: King liveth: yet, Shall our : lip with the : honey be : bright, with the : water be: wet. For : out of the : black mid-tent's : silence, a : space of three : days, Not a : sound hath es=caped to thy : servants, of : prayer nor of : praise, To be=token that : Saul and the : Spirit have : ended their : strife, And that, : faint in his : triumph, the : monarch sinks : back upon: life.

...'*' .......·• ... .......'*' ...

......'* ......."* .."*·•·•.. ...·• * ... ... ........·•· ·•·'* ·• ...

"*' ·• ·•'* "*"* '*' '* '* "* be:loved! God's: child with his

'*" "* ·• "*'

'* *' "*' "*' '*'

...

..

"Yet' now my heart: leaps, 0 =dew On thy : gracious gold : hair, and those : lilies still : living and : blue Just : broken to : twine round thy : harp-strings, as : if no wild: heat Were now: raging to : torture the : desert!"

.. '* '* "* .... "*' '* .... '*' '* "*' '* '* "* "*' '*' '*'

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

If a norm persists throughout a poem, the rhythm may in places appear to be out of harmony with the meaning as the poem progresses. Thus in the first stanza of Byron's The Destruction of Sennacherib, The As=syrian came: down like a: wolf: on the : fold, And his : cohorts were : gleaming in : purple and : gold; And the : sheen of their : spears was like : stars on the : sea, When the : blue' wave' rolls: nightly on: deep Gali:lee .

..*.. ·* ..*. ·*· ..* ' '..* ..* *·

..* ·*· ..* ·*

..* ·* ..* ..*

we see and hear the triumph of a victorious army, whereas in the later stanza (v) And : there lay the : rider dis=torted and : pale, With the : dew on his : brow, and the : rust on his : mail: And the : tents were all : silent-the : banners a:loneThe: lances up:lifted-the : trumpets un=blown .

·* ..* .. * ·*·

..*. ..* .. *. ·*·

·*· ..* ·*· ·*·

·* ..* ·* ·*

there is the stillness of pestilence and death. Since both stanzas have the serial grouping in • • *• we must in the later stanza modulate tone, pitch, accent, and time (both rate and pause). Number fascinates, but we must not make it a fetish. The rhythm of Charles Wolfe's The Burial of Sir John Moore at Corunna: Not a : drum was : heard, not a : funeral : note, As his : corse to the : rampart we : hurried; :A Not a : soldier dis=charged his : farewell : shot O'er the: grave where our: hero we : buried.

•A

..* .. * ··*· .. *

..·**. ..·**.

..*.. * ·*· ·*· * ·*·

1 57

NORMS AND PROGRESSION

We : buried him: darkly at: dead of: night, The : sods with our: bayonets: turning; :A • By the : struggl,ing : moon-beam's : mis'ty : light : And the : lan•tem: dim'ly: bur•ning.

• •

'*" '* "* '*

• •

*' "*" * *

'* *" * *

•

•

'* *

No : useless : coffin en :closed his : breast, Not in' sheet nor in: shroud we: wound him; But he : lay like a : Warrior : taking his : rest With his : martial : cloak a:round him. :A

'*' "* "* "*'

*' "* "*" *

:A

'* "* '*' *' '* '*'

has been condemned for its double rising rhythm, but how different it is from our last example! Each of its couplets ends in falling rhythm and a silent bar! Besides, the speaker is presumably a soldier and less demonstrative than a civilian, and he may have known nothing of official prosody. I was once much impressed on seeing soldiers march past slowly and sadly to the cemetery with the "Dead March," and soon return to the more cheerful strains of "The Girl I Left Behind Me." Too close adherence to a norm may be deadening. Milton in Paradise Lost (VII, 411) tells of creatures that : Wallowing, un:wieldy, e:normous: in their: gait, : Tempest the : ocean: Do not such creatures deserve a line e-norm-ous in its gait?

*" '*' '*'

*

'*

PROGRESSION

We have seen how the norm of basic and sub-basic syllables is subject to constant modulation: this modulation frequently progresses with the meaning. Even in strict verse the rhythm changes as!the poem

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

progresses, as in the following lines from Shelley's Prometheus Unbound (I, Fourth Spirit): : On a : poet's : lips I : slept : Dreaming : like a : love-a=dept : In the : sound his : breathing : kept; I Nor: seeks nor: finds he : mortal: blisses, But : feeds on : the a =erial : kisses Of: shapes that : haunt thought's : wilder=nesses. ; He will : watch from : dawn to : gloom The : lake-re=flected : sun il=lume The : yellow : bees in the : ivy-=bloom, Nor : heed nor : see, what : things they : be; : But from : these ere =ate he : can : Forms more : real than : living : man, : Nurslings of: immor=tali=ty!

* *· * ·* ·* ·* * ·* ·*· ·* * * *·

·*· * ·* ·*· ·* ·* ·* ·*· * "* ·* ·* ·*

* ·* ·*· *· .* .. ·*· ·* * .. *. ·* ·* ·*· ·*

a a a I

I

b b b

C C

d e

d

e

·* ·* * *· *· *· ·* ·* * ·* ·* * ·*

In the next passage from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (II, i, 1), there is steady progression, probably unnoted by the poet. Puck, on patrol for Oberon, King of the Fairies, challenges the Fairy in what may well be prose. : How now, : spirit; ,. whither : wander : you?

*· *· *· *·

*

A mortal might have answered in few words, but the Fairy, quintessence of the joie de vivre et de vitesse, takes sixteen lines in the course of which he hums the fairy slogan, translates it, proclaims his office,

NORMS AND PROGRESSION

1 59

demonstrates the botany of cowslips, bids Puck farewell, and at last announces the coming of the Queen. Swifter than mortal thought he darts away from Puck's challenge, and, oblivious of him, hovers on tiptoe like a hummingbird at a flower, purging his emotion by lyrically humming at top speed the fairy slogan: " Over : hill, over : dale, Thorough : bush, thorough : brier, Over : park, over : pale, Thorough: flood, thorough: fire,"-

··* ··* '"* ··*

··* ··*· '"* '"*'

Recalling Puck's challenge, he answers in leisurely fashion by freely translating the slogan for Puck's benefit: : I do : wander : every=where, : Swifter : than the : moone's : sphere;

* '*' *· * *' * ·*· *

He proudly proclaims himself the Queen's greenkeeper: : And I : serve the : fairy : queen, To: dew her: orbs up=on the: green:

'* '*' * ·* ·* ·* ·* *

Recalling his errand after cowslips, he takes Puck into his confidence and expounds their botany: The : cowslips : tall her : pensioners : be; : In their : gold coats : spots you : see; : Those be : rubies ... : fairy : favours, : In those : freckles : live their : savC'nr":

'*' * * *

* '*' '*' '*'

'*" * *· *

* '* *· '*'

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

160

He now recalls the dewdrops for which he has come: : I must go : seek some : dew-drops : here, And : hang a : pearl in : every : clowslip's : ear,

*· ·* ·* ·*

* *·

*

This couplet gives easy transition from the rhymed 4-basic lines which have mostly been dominated by serial falling rhythm to the 5-basic rhymed couplets which are dominated by rising rhythm. Fare=well, thou: lob of: spirits:: I'll be: gone; Our: queen and : all her: elves come : here a=non.

·*· * ·*

·*

Puck announces the King's revel, and warns the Fairy to keep the Queen away. His harangue in rhymed couplets begins with The : king doth: keep his : revels : here to=night. Take : heed the : queen comes : not with=in his: sight;

·*

*

·*

·*

and ends (58) with But, : room, : Fairy! : here comes : Ober:~

*·

*·

*

which is coupled with the Fairy's exclamation

·*

And : here my : mistress. : Would that : he were : gone !

·*

* ·* ·*

after which Oberon and his Queen bicker in 5-basic blank verse: "Ill : met by : moonlight, : proud Ti=tani=a." ": What! : jealous : Oberon. : Fairies, skip : hence:" There is marked progression too in Tennyson's Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington (ii, vi) : Where shall we : lay the : man whom: we de=plore? : Here, in : streaming : London's : central : roar. :A

:A

NORMS AND PROGRESSION

161

Let the : sound of : those he : wrought for, =A And the : feet of : those he : fought for, :A : Echo : round his : bones for : ever=more. ::,

* "* * ·*· ··* ··* *" *

"* *· "* "* "*

"* "* *" * ·*· ·*· ·*· *

: Who is: he that: cometh, like an: honour'd: guest? :A With : banner : and with : music, : with :A soldier : and with : priest, :A With a : nation : weeping, and : breaking : on my : rest? :A

* * ··*·

* *

"*

: Mighty : Seaman, : this is : he Was: great by: land as : thou by: sea. Thine : island : loves thee : well, thou : famous : man, The: greatest: sailor: since our: world be=gan. :A : Now, to the : roll of : muffled : drums, To : thee the : greatest : soldier : comes; For : this is : he Was: great by: land as: thou by: sea;

*" "* * * ··* "*" '* "* "*

*" "* ·*· *" ·*· *" * "*

* "* ·*· "* ·*· *" "* "*

:A

'* "* * "* * * ·*

The above setting may not appeal to everyone. Indeed, it has been stated that among the choicest effects elaborated by the masters of metre we find the couplet Where Here

shall we lay the man whom in streaming London's

we deplore? central roar.

THE HARMONY OF VERSE

The next poem, Poe's The Bells, is extreme m its progression. Throughout the first stanza : Hear the l sledges : with the ! bells: Silver l bells! :A l What a: world of! merri'ment their l melo:dy fore!tells! : How they l tinkle, : tinkle, l tinkle, : In the ! icy : air of l night! : While the l stars that : over!sprinkle : All the l Heavens, : seem to l twinkle : With al crystal=line dellight; : Keeping l time, : time, l time, : In a l sort of : Runic l rhyme, : To• the tin•tin:na•buila•tion : that• so mu•si:cal•ly wells : From • the l bells, : bells, l bells, : bells, l Bells, : bells, ! bells,: From• the ! jing•ling : and• the l tink-ling : of• the l bells. :A

l

l

l

*

·•

*

• '*

*

* * * * *

•· *

*

l* •l*

l*

·•· •l* • * • !* • * • l* • * * • l* * *

l*

*

* • l* • * • l* • * • l* The major (2-basic), basic, and minor (½-basic) metres harmonize with the extrinsic metres of the sledges. In the last four lines, the change from ½-basic to accented basic and then to accented major harmonizes with their slowing and stopping. This, the first stanza of the poem, is good, the second is a wedding and tolerable, the third is a conflagration and bad, while the fourth and last is a funeral and execrable, for the king of the ghouls tolling is so blatantly a diabolus ex machina who intrudes in the vain attempt to harmonize the stanzas. At least that is how he appeals to me.

163 In the next example, Macaulay's Horatius (i, ii, xxxv), much of the NORMS AND PROGRESSION

effect is due to the interplay of major (2-basic) metre which in martial lines gives way to rising basic metre. Lars i Porsena of i Clusium By the i Nine Gods he i swore That the i great house of l Tarquin Should l suffer wrong no l more. By the l Nine Gods he l swore it, And l named a trysting l day, And l bade his : messenlgers ride : forth, : East and : west and : south and : north, To l summon his arlray. •l•• .. 1* .. 1. •l••

.. 1. '* .1.

*

•l••

* * * * * '*' '*

. 1.

*

•l*

·•

'*

•l* •l*• .1. •l*• * •l*

·>I