A History of English VersificationSchipper, J. (Jakob)
History
A History of English Versification
Schipper, J. (Jakob)
English language -- Versification; English poetry -- History and criticism
Spenser does not seem to admit syllabic final _-e_, in spite of his
archaic style.
§ =107.= Like the inflexional syllables, the suffixes of derivatives may
be treated in a twofold manner. Those of Germanic origin for the most
part call for little remark, as many of them have coalesced with the
root of the word, and others, as e.g. the syllables _-ing_, _-ness_,
_-y_, _-ly_, can, on account of their phonetic character, only be
metrically treated as full syllables. Only a few fluctuate in their
metrical treatment, as e.g. _-en_, _-er_, _-le_, mostly after a
consonant; these will be dealt with in the section on the slurring of
syllables.
Of much greater importance are the formative endings of Romanic origin,
especially those which begin with an _i_, _e_, or _u_ + a vowel, as
_-iage_, _-ian_, _-iaunt_, _-iance_, _-ience_, _-ient_, _-ier_, _-ioun_,
_-ious_, _-eous_, _-uous_, _-ial_, _-ual_, _-iat_, _-iour_. Such endings
may either have their full value, or be slurred in rhythm, i.e. they may
be treated either as disyllabic or as monosyllabic.
The full forms do not occur frequently in the interior of the line, but
mostly in the last foot, where the endings bear the last arsis and offer
a convenient rhyme. Hence we conclude, that the slurred pronunciation
(synizesis) had in the later Middle English period already become
general in ordinary speech, although the full value is in rhyme-words
certainly more common: e.g. _viáge: pílgrimáge_ Chaucer, Prol. 77-8;
_langáge: márriáge_ ib. 211-12; _térciáne: báne_ N. Pr. Tale 139-40;
_córdiál: spéciál_ Prol. 443-4; _ethériáll: impériáll_ Lyndesay,
Monarchie 139-40; _curát: licénciát_ Chauc. Prol. 219-20; _láste:
ecclésiáste_ ib. 707-8; _réverénce: cónsciénce_ ib. 225-6; _offénce:
páciénce_ Kn. T. 225-6; _dísposícióun: cónstellációun_ ib. 229-30;
_prisóun: compássióun_ ib. 251-2; _áscendént: páciént_ Prol. 117-18;
_obédiént: assént_ ib. 851-2; _óriént: résplendént_ Lyndesay,
Monarchie 140-2; _glorióus: précióus_ ib. 28-32, 44-5, 48-52, 75-9,
151-2, &c.; _ymágynációun: impréssióun: illusióun_ James I, Kingis
Quair, st. 12; _nációun: mýlióun: méncióun_ ib. st. 78. Slurred
endings: _Ful wél bilóved and fámuliér was hé_ Chauc. Prol. 215; _And
spéciallý_ ib. 15; _a cúrious pýn_ ib. 196; _Perpétuellý, not ónly fór
a yéer_ Kn. T. 600; _Suspécious wás the_ Clerk's T. 540; _This sérgeant
cám_ ib. 575, 582, &c.
Later on slurring becomes more frequent, mainly in the North, e.g. in
Dunbar's poems: _with váriand wíndis pást_ Thrissil and Rois 1; _wíth
ane órient blást_, ib. 3; _So bústeous ár the blástis_ ib. 35; _ane
ínhibítioun tháir_ ib. 64 (but _condítióun: renówn: fassóun_ 79-82); _A
rádius crówn_ ib. 132; Lyndesay, Monarchie: _On sénsuall Lúste_ 9; _Lyke
áurient péirles_ 136; _and búrial bémes_ 142; _his régioun áuroráll_
148; _Quhilk sítuate ár_ 166; _melódious ármonýe_ 195; _off thát
mellífluous, fámous_ 232; _And síc vaine súperstítioun tó refúse_ 242;
_The quhílk gaif sápience_ 249.
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