A History of English VersificationSchipper, J. (Jakob)
History
A History of English Versification
Schipper, J. (Jakob)
English language -- Versification; English poetry -- History and criticism
§ =43.= The first subject which we have to consider here is the further
development of the progressive form of the alliterative line, the
representatives of which[98] are closely connected in their rhythmic
form with the two specimens of the poetical parts of the _Saxon
Chronicle_ quoted above. From _Alfred's Proverbs_ we take No. xv (ll.
247-66):
_Þus queþ Alured:
Ne schal-tu néuere þi =w=íf | by hire =w=lýte chéose,_ 247-8
_for néuer none þínge | þat heo tó þe brýngeþ;
ac leorne hire =c=úste, | heo =c=úþeþ hi wel sóne;
for móny mon for =á=yhte | =ú=vele i=á=uhteþ,
and ófte mon of =f=áyre | =f=rákele ichéoseþ._ 255-6
_Wó is him þat =ú=vel wìf | brýngeþ to his cótlýf;
só is him alýve | þat úvele ywýueþ.
For hé schal uppen éorþe | dréori i-wúrþe.
Mónymon síngeþ | þat wíf hom brýngeþ
Wíste he hwat he bróuhte | wépen he mýhte._ 265-6
The metre of Layamon's _Brut_ may be illustrated by the following
passage (ll. 13841-13882):
_Þa =á=nswerede þe =ó=ðer | þat was þe =á=ldeste bróðer
'Lust me nú, lauerd =k=íng | and ích þe wullen =c=úðen
what =c=níhtes we béoð, | and whanene we i=c=úmen séoð.
Ich hátte =H=éngest, | =H=órs is mi bróðer;
we beoð of =Á=lemáinne, | =á=ðelest alre lónde;_ 13849-50
_of þat =í=lken =ǽ=nde | þe =Á=ngles is iháten.
Béoð in ure lónde | sélcùðe tíðènde:
vmbe =f=íftène ȝér | þat =f=ólc is isómned,
al ure =l=édene fólc, | and heore =l=óten wérpeð;
uppen þán þe hit =f=áleð, | he scal =u=áren of lónde;_ 13859-60
_bilǽuen scullen þa =f=íue, | þa séxte scal =f=órð-lìðe
=ú=t of þan =l=éode | to =ú=ncùðe =l=ónde;
ne beo he ná swa =l=eof mon | vorð he scal =l=íðen.
For þer is fólc swiðe =m=úchel, | =m=ǽre þene heo wálden;
ba =w=íf fareð mid chílde | swa þe déor =w=ílde;_ 13869-70
_ǽueralche ȝére | heo béreð chíld þère.
þat beoð an us =f=éole | þat we =f=ǽren scólden;
ne míhte we bi=l=ǽue | for =l=íue ne for dǽðe,
ne for náuer nane þínge, | for þan fólc-kìnge.
=þ=ús we uerden =þ=ére | and for =þ=í beoð nu hére,_ 13879-80
_to séchen vnder =l=úfte | =l=ónd and godne =l=áuerd._
These extracts illustrate only the general metrical character of the
two literary monuments, the versification of which in many passages
considerably deviates from the type here exhibited. It frequently shows
a still more arbitrary mixture of the different kinds of verse, or a
decided preference for some of them over the others. But the examples
given will suffice to show that here, as in the two passages from the
_Saxon Chronicle_ quoted above, we have four different kinds of verse
distinguished by the different use of rhyme and alliteration, viz.:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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