A History of English VersificationSchipper, J. (Jakob)
History
A History of English Versification
Schipper, J. (Jakob)
English language -- Versification; English poetry -- History and criticism
When one of two verbs in the hemistich is subordinate to the other the
verb in the subordinate clause alliterates, having a stronger accent
than the verb in the main clause,
_mýnte þæt hē ge=d=ǣ́lde ǣr þon =d=ǽg cwṓme._
Beow. 731.
If the two verbs are co-ordinate the first alliterates,
_=w=órolde lī́fes: =w=ýrce sē þe mṓte._ Beow. 1387;
in the first hemistich both verbs commonly alliterate,
_=s=éomade ond =s=ýrede =s=ínnìhte hḗold._ Beow. 161.
=The adverb.= Adverbs of degree like _micle_, _swīðe_, _ful_, &c., are
commonly found in the thesis, and even if they stand in the arsis they
usually do not alliterate, as
_=ó=ftor mícle þonne on =ǣ́=nne sī́ð._ Beow. 1580.
When adverbs of this kind have a special rhetorical emphasis they may of
course alliterate, as
_éfne swā =m=ícle swā bið =m=ǣ́gða cræft._ Beow. 1284.
_ac hē is =s=nél and =s=wíft and =s=wī́ðe lḗoht._
Phoen. 317.
Adverbs which modify the meaning of the word which they precede
alliterate, as
_=ǣ́=scholt =ú=fan grǣ̀g: wæs sē =ī́=renþrḗat._
Beow. 330.
Adverbial prepositions preceding the verb also alliterate,
_hēt þā =ū́=p béran =ǣ́=ðelìnga gestrḗon._
Beow. 1920,
but not when they follow the verb,
_=G=ḗat wæs =g=lǽdmōd, =g=éong sò̄na tṓ._ Beow. 1785.
Adverbs derived from nouns are more strongly accented than the verb
which they modify and therefore alliterate,
_ālégdon þā tō=m=íddes =m=ǣ́rne þḗoden._ Beow. 3141.
=Pronouns= (and pronominal adjectives like _monig, eall, fela_) are
usually enclitic, and precede or follow the noun without alliterating,
as
_manigu =ṓ=ðru gescéaft =é=fnswī̀ðe hím._ Metr. xi. 44.
_ealne =m=íddangéard ōð =m=érestrḗamas._ Dan. 503.
_fela ic =m=ónna gefrǽgn =m=ǣ́gðum wéaldan._ Wid. 10.
With a special rhetorical accent they may alliterate even if they
precede the noun,
_on =þ=ǣ́m d[´æ]ge =þ=ýsses lī́fes._ Beow. 197.
The pronoun _self_ and the pronouns compounded with the prefix _ǣ_
(_ǣghwā_, _ǣghwylc_, &c.) are usually accented, and alliterate
if they form the first arsis of the hemistich, as
_=s=ḗlran ge=s=ṓhte þǣm be him =s=elfa dḗah._ Beow. 1840.
_hǽfde =ǣ́=ghwæðer =é=nde gefḗred._ Beow. 2845.
=Prepositions, conjunctions, and particles= are not as a rule accented,
but prepositions if followed by an enclitic pronoun take the accent and
alliterate, as
_=é=aldum =é=arne and =ǣ́=fter þón._ Phoen. 238.
_nis =ú=nder mḗ =ǣ́=nig =ṓ=ðer._ Riddle xli. 86.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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