Versification

I

Introduction

Versification, art of making verses or the theory of the phonetic structure of verse. This theory considers the phonetic characteristics of verse both as absolute elements and as relative to the other, nonphonetic elements of verse.

Theoretically, any phonetic characteristics of a language, such as the number of syllables in an utterance, the degrees of energy or lengths of time taken to utter them, or even their pitch, may be organized into an orderly and symmetrical pattern. The study of versification in the poetry of different languages and periods must take account of these possibilities.

II

English Versification

In the English language the basic system of versification is known as accentual-syllabic. In this system the constituents of the fundamental pattern of versification are the number of syllables to the line of verse and the arrangement of these syllables according to whether they are pronounced with a greater or lesser degree of energy, that is, whether they are accented or unaccented. Thus, in English poetry of almost all periods, the verse structure is created both by fixed or varying numbers of syllables per line and by constant alternation of accented and unaccented syllables in definite, recurring sequences within each line.

A

The Foot

In accentual-syllabic versification the basic unit of measurement is known as the foot. The foot consists of one accented syllable accompanied by one or more unaccented syllables. According to the particular pattern chosen, the accented syllable may precede or follow either one or two unaccented syllables in a regularly recurring sequence throughout the line, as in the following example, in which the accented syllables are marked ', the unaccented are marked ˘, and the divisions between the units of accented and unaccented syllables are marked /.

In each foot of the example above, one unaccented syllable precedes one accented syllable. This type of foot, called the iamb or iambic foot, is the most common in English verse. The other principal types found in English verse are

B

The Line

In addition to accent, the number of syllables to a line is an important determinant of the theoretical pattern of English verse. This syllabic pattern, or metre, is expressed usually in terms of the number of feet to a line. The example given previously contains five feet and is known therefore as a pentameter (Greek, penta, “five”) line. Iambic pentameter is the most common type of verse line in English. Other types of line frequently encountered in English verse are

These lines are illustrated in the accompanying table of the principal versification systems.

Although each line of a poem often contains the same number of feet, poets also employ lines varying in length either according to a definite scheme or, less frequently, according to expressive need.