A History of English VersificationSchipper, J. (Jakob)
History
A History of English Versification
Schipper, J. (Jakob)
English language -- Versification; English poetry -- History and criticism
=Type A2A=, –́ ×̀ –́ × –́ ×, which is type AA with secondary accent on
the first thesis, occurs, according to Sievers, some twenty times, and
always in the first hemistich. Examples are,
_=w=ǣ́rfæ̀st =w=íllan mī́nes._ Gen. 2168;
with resolution of the last arsis,
_=þ=éarlmò̄d =þ=ḗoden gúmena._ Jud. 66;
with disyllabic second thesis,
_=f=rḗobèarn =f=ǽðmum beþéahte._ Gen. 2867.
=Type A*A=, –́ . ×̀ × | –́ × . | –́ ×, which is AA strengthened and with
disyllabic first thesis, is nearly as common as A2A, and is always in
the first hemistich, as for example,
_=ā́=rlḕas of =ḗ=arde þī́num._ Gen. 1019,
_=b=éalofùl his =b=éddes nḗosan._ Jud. 63;
with trisyllabic first thesis,
_=h=rḗohmò̄d wæs sē =h=ǣ́ðena þḗoden._ Dan. 242.
=Type AB=, –́ × . . . –́ × . –́, some thirty instances equally
distributed between the first and second hemistichs. Examples are,
_=é=orðan =ȳ́=ðum þéaht._ Riddle xvii. 3,
_=w=ǽsceð his =w=ā́rig hrǽgl._ Gnom. Ex. 99.
=Type AC=, –́ × . . . –́ –́ ×, about twenty-nine instances, of which
more than the half occur in the first hemistich, as
_=h=ríncg þæs =h=ḗan lándes._ Gen. 2854,
_=w=lítige tō =w=óruldnýtte._ Gen. 1016.
=Type AD=, –́ × . . –́ –́ × ×̀, is rarer, occurring about twelve times,
apparently only in the first hemistich, as
_=b=éalde =b=ýrnwíggènde._ Jud. 17,
_=J=ū̀das hire on=g=ḗn þíngòde._ El. 609.
=Type A E=, –́ × . . –́ ×̀ × . –́, somewhat more common than the last,
and in both hemistichs, as
_=s=wéord and =s=wā́tigne hélm._ Jud. 338,
_sǽgde him =ú=nlȳ̀tel spéll._ Gen. 2405.
=Type B A=, × . –́ × . . . –́ × . –́ ×, about 120 instances, has as its
simplest form, × –́ × –́ × –́ ×, as
_ā=l=ǣ́ton =l=ī́ges gánga._ Dan. 263;
with disyllabic thesis after the first arsis, × –́ × × –́ × –́ ×, as
_ā=w=ýrged tō =w=ī́dan áldre._ Gen. 1015;
with trisyllabic thesis, × –́ × × × –́ × –́ ×, as
_hȳ =t=wḗgen sceolon =t=ǣ́fle ymbsíttan._ Gnom. Ex. 182;
the initial thesis or anacrusis is rarely disyllabic.
=Type B B=, × . –́ × . . . –́ ×. –́, about nine times and mostly in the
first hemistichs, as
_ge=b=ī́dan þæs hē ge=b=ǣ́dan ne mǣ́g._ Gnom. Ex. 105;
with resolution of two of the accented syllables,
_ofer=c=úmen bið hē ǣ́r hē ā=c=wéle._ Gnom. Ex. 114.
=Type B C=, × . . –́ × . . . –́ –́ ×, nearly as common as the last and
nearly always in the first hemistich, as
_and nā́hte =é=aldfḗondum._ Dan. 454,
_be=g=óten of þæs =g=úman sī́dan._ Cross 49.
=Type B D=, × . –́ × . . –́ –́ ×̀ ×, about sixteen times, and in either
hemistich, as
_on =é=orðan =ú=nswǣ́slī̀cne._ Jud. 65,
_a=l=ḗdon hīe þǣr límwḗrìgne._ Cross 63.
=Type C A=, × –́ –́ ×. –́ ×, with some fifteen examples, of which eight
are in the first hemistich, as
_ge=s=ḗoð =s=órga mǣ́ste._ Crist 1209,
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