A History of English Versification

Name: A History of English Versification
Author: Schipper, J. (Jakob)

Schipper, J. (Jakob)

English language -- Versification; English poetry -- History and criticism

§ =88.= Another deviation from the regular iambic line is the =inversion
of the rhythm=; i.e. the substitution of a trochee for an iambus at the
beginning of a line or after the caesura. The rhythmical effect of this
licence has some resemblance to that of the suppression of anacrusis. In
both cases the rhythmic accent has to yield to the word-accent. But
while in the latter case the whole verse becomes trochaic in consequence
of the omission of the first syllable, in the former the trochaic
cadence affects one foot only (generally the first), the rest of the
verse being of a regular iambic rhythm. Hence the number of syllables in
each line is the same as that in all the other regular lines (including
those with level stress), whereas verses with suppressed anacrusis may
easily be distinguished from the former by their smaller number of
syllables. On the other hand, the number of syllables (being the same in
both cases) affords no help in distinguishing between change of
word-accent and inversion of rhythm. Which of these two kinds of licence
is to be recognized in any particular case can be determined only by the
position which the abnormal foot occupies in the line. Inversion of
rhythm (i.e. the substitution of a trochee for an iambus) occurs, as a
rule, only at the beginning of a line or hemistich, where the flow of
the rhythm has not begun, so that the introduction of a trochee does not
disturb it. If, therefore, the discord between normal word-stress and
iambic rhythm occurs in any other position in the line, it must be
regarded as a case of level stress.

The following examples will serve to illustrate the difference between
these three species of metrical licence:

Omission of anacrusis:

    _Herknet tó me góde men_.  Hav. 1.                           7 syll.

    _Nórfolk sprúng thee, Lámbeth hólds thee déad._
                               Surrey, p. 62.                    9  "

Level stress:

    _A stálw+o+rþí man ín a flok_.  Hav. 24.                     8  "

    _And Rýpheús that mét thee bý m+oo+nlíght._
                               Surrey, p. 126.                  10  "

Inversion of rhythm:

    _Míchel was súch a kíng to préyse_.   Hav. 60.               8  "

    _Míldly doth flów alóng the frúitful fíelds._
                               Surrey, p. 145.                  10  "

    _Shróuding themsélves únder the désert shóre._
                               Surrey, p. 113.                  10  "

Inversion of rhythm may be caused in the interior of a rhythmical series
only when a particularly strong emphasis is laid upon a word, e.g. to
express an antithesis or for similar reasons:

    _That íf_ góld ruste | _whát shal ýren dó?_      Chaucer, Prol. 500.

    _And wé'll_ nót fail | _When Dúncan ís asléep._
                                              Shakesp. Macb. I. vii. 61.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

A History of English VersificationSchipper, J. (Jakob)

History

A History of English Versification

Schipper, J. (Jakob)

English language -- Versification; English poetry -- History and criticism

§ =88.= Another deviation from the regular iambic line is the =inversion
of the rhythm=; i.e. the substitution of a trochee for an iambus at the
beginning of a line or after the caesura. The rhythmical effect of this
licence has some resemblance to that of the suppression of anacrusis. In
both cases the rhythmic accent has to yield to the word-accent. But
while in the latter case the whole verse becomes trochaic in consequence
of the omission of the first syllable, in the former the trochaic
cadence affects one foot only (generally the first), the rest of the
verse being of a regular iambic rhythm. Hence the number of syllables in
each line is the same as that in all the other regular lines (including
those with level stress), whereas verses with suppressed anacrusis may
easily be distinguished from the former by their smaller number of
syllables. On the other hand, the number of syllables (being the same in
both cases) affords no help in distinguishing between change of
word-accent and inversion of rhythm. Which of these two kinds of licence
is to be recognized in any particular case can be determined only by the
position which the abnormal foot occupies in the line. Inversion of
rhythm (i.e. the substitution of a trochee for an iambus) occurs, as a
rule, only at the beginning of a line or hemistich, where the flow of
the rhythm has not begun, so that the introduction of a trochee does not
disturb it. If, therefore, the discord between normal word-stress and
iambic rhythm occurs in any other position in the line, it must be
regarded as a case of level stress.

The following examples will serve to illustrate the difference between
these three species of metrical licence:

Omission of anacrusis:

    _Herknet tó me góde men_.  Hav. 1.                           7 syll.

    _Nórfolk sprúng thee, Lámbeth hólds thee déad._
                               Surrey, p. 62.                    9  "

Level stress:

    _A stálw+o+rþí man ín a flok_.  Hav. 24.                     8  "

    _And Rýpheús that mét thee bý m+oo+nlíght._
                               Surrey, p. 126.                  10  "

Inversion of rhythm:

    _Míchel was súch a kíng to préyse_.   Hav. 60.               8  "

    _Míldly doth flów alóng the frúitful fíelds._
                               Surrey, p. 145.                  10  "

    _Shróuding themsélves únder the désert shóre._
                               Surrey, p. 113.                  10  "

Inversion of rhythm may be caused in the interior of a rhythmical series
only when a particularly strong emphasis is laid upon a word, e.g. to
express an antithesis or for similar reasons:

    _That íf_ góld ruste | _whát shal ýren dó?_      Chaucer, Prol. 500.

    _And wé'll_ nót fail | _When Dúncan ís asléep._
                                              Shakesp. Macb. I. vii. 61.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A History of English Versification

A History of English Versification

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