A History of English VersificationSchipper, J. (Jakob)
History
A History of English Versification
Schipper, J. (Jakob)
English language -- Versification; English poetry -- History and criticism
So the following adjectives and participles are used by Shakespeare and
other poets with variable accentuation: _complete_, _adverse_, _benign_,
_contrived_, _corrupt_, _despised_, _dispersed_, _distinct_, _distract_,
_diverse_, _eterne_, _exact_, _exhaled_, _exiled_, _expired_, _express_,
_extreme_, _famous_, _insane_, _invised_, _misplaced_, _misprised_,
_obscure_, _perfect_, _profane_, _profound_, _remiss_, _secure_,
_severe_, _sincere_, _supreme_, _terrene_; and so are also the many
adjectives and participles compounded with the prefix _un-_, as e.g.
_unborn_, _unchaste_, _unkind_, &c. (cf. Alexander Schmidt,
_Shakespeare-Lexicon_).
Substantives and verbs are treated in a similar way, e.g. _c+o+mf+ó+rt_
(subst.) Wyatt 14, _r+e+c+ó+rd_ ib. 156, _d+i+sc+ó+rd_ Sur. 6,
_c+o+nfl+í+ct_ ib. 85, _p+u+rch+á+se_ ib. 58, _m+i+sch+íe+f_ Wyatt 78,
_s+a+fegu+á+rd_ ib. 212, _M+a+d+á+me_ ib. 149, _pr+o+m+é+ss_ ib. 25. So
also in Shakespeare (cf. Alexander Schmidt, l.c.): _+á+cc+e+ss_,
_+a+sp+é+ct_, _c+o+mm+é+rce_, _c+o+ns+ó+rt_, _c+o+ntr+á+ct_,
_c+o+mp+á+ct_, _+e+d+í+ct_, _i+nst+í+nct_, _+ou+tr+á+ge_, _pr+e+c+é+pts_,
_c+é+m+e+nt_, _c+ó+nd+u+t_ (vb.), _c+ó+nf+i+ne_, _p+ú+rs+ue+_,
_r+é+l+a+pse_ (cf. _Metrik_, ii. § 62).
§ =123.= Trisyllabic and polysyllabic words, too, of French or Latin
origin are still used frequently in the beginning of the Modern
English period with an accentuation contrary to present usage.
Words e.g. which now have the chief accent on the second syllable,
the first and third syllable being unaccented, are often used with
the rhythmical accents on these two syllables, e.g.: _c+ó+nf+e+ss+ó+r_
Meas. IV. iii. 133, _c+ó+nt+i+n+úe+_ Wyatt 189; _d+é+p+a+rt+ú+re_
ib. 129; _r+é+p+e+nt+á+nce_ ib. 205, _+é+nd+ea+v+óu+r_ ib. 232;
_d+é+t+e+st+á+ble_ John III. iv. 29, _rh+éu+m+a+t+í+c_ Ven. 135, &c.
Likewise in words the first and third syllables of which are now
accented and the second unaccented, the rhythmical accent is placed on
this very syllable, e.g. _charácter_ Lucr. 807, _confíscate_ Cymb. V. v.
323, _contráry_ Wyatt 8, _impórtune_ Ant. IV. xv. 19, _oppórtune_ Temp.
IV. i. 26, _perséver_ All's Well IV. ii. 37, _prescíence_ Troil. I. iii.
199, _siníster_ Troil. IV. v. 128. Certain verbs also in _-ise_, _-ize_
are used with fluctuating accentuation; Shakespeare e.g. always has
_advértise_ Meas. i. 142, _authórise_ Sonn. 35, _canónize_ Troil. II.
ii. 202; sometimes also _solémnize_ Temp. v. 309 (cf. _Metrik_, ii. §§
64, 65).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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