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A HISTORY OF
ENGLISH VERSIFICATION
BY
JAKOB SCHIPPER, PH.D.
PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH PHILOLOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA
MEMBER OF THE KAISERLICHE AKADEMIE DER WISSENSCHAFTEN, VIENNA
HON. D.LITT. OXON.; HON. LITT.D. CANTAB.
HON. LL.D. EDINBURGH AND ABERDEEN
HONORARY MEMBER OF THE MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
1910
HENRY FROWDE, M.A.
PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
LONDON, EDINBURGH, NEW YORK
TORONTO AND MELBOURNE
PREFACE
It is now more than twenty years since a reviewer of the author's
_Englische Metrik_, in three volumes, expressed the opinion that 'an
English translation of it would do a service to English philology'.
At that time, however, it seemed doubtful whether such a voluminous
work, which probably would have interested only a comparatively small
circle of English scholars, would have found a market. Even in Germany,
although the work was favourably reviewed, and although at the time
when it appeared great interest was felt in metrical research, the sale
was comparatively slow.
Much livelier, on the other hand, was the demand for an abridged edition
of it which appeared under the title _Grundriss der englischen Metrik_
(Wien, 1895). It was therefore found possible, several years after its
publication, to make arrangements with the Delegates of the Clarendon
Press for an English edition of this smaller book. Unfortunately,
however, the printing of the manuscript, which was submitted to the
supervision of the late Professor York Powell, was delayed, first by the
illness and the untimely death of that eminent scholar, and afterwards
by other circumstances which it is not necessary to mention here.
On the whole the English text of the present volume is a close rendering
of the German book, except in the first few chapters, which have been
somewhat more fully worked out. It may also be mentioned that one or
two modern English poets who seemed to be unduly neglected in the German
book have received a larger share of attention in the English edition.
Some errors of the original work have, of course, also been corrected
here.
The treatment of the subject in this handbook is the same as in the
author's larger work. The systematic arrangement of the different kinds
of verse in Book I, and of the varieties of stanzas in Book II, will
enable the reader easily to find the appropriate place for any new forms
of verse or stanza that may come in his way, and will also facilitate
the use of the large German work, to which frequent references are
given, for the benefit of those students who may desire more detailed
information.
From the Preface to the German edition of the present work some remarks
on the accents, chiefly in Part II of Book I, may be repeated here in
order to prevent misunderstanding.
These accents on particular syllables in equal-measured rhythms are
merely meant to facilitate the scansion of the verse according to the
author's view of its rhythmical movement, and to enable the student to
apprehend more readily the precise meaning of the descriptions. They are
by no means intended to dictate a schematic scansion to the reader, as
it is obvious that the finer shades of the rhythm cannot be indicated
by such a mode of accentuation. The safer and easier way undoubtedly
would have been to put no accents at all; but this would have been
less convenient for the reader, to whose own judgement it may be left
in every case to be guided by the accents just so far as he may think
proper.
In making this statement, however, I may be allowed to mention that none
of the English friends who kindly assisted me in revising my manuscript
has found fault with my system of accentuation.
My sincerest thanks for their kind help and advice are due to Dr.
Francis J. Curtis, now Professor of English Philology in the Mercantile
Academy at Frankfort on the Main, and in a still higher degree to Dr.
James Morison, of Shotover Cottage, Headington Quarry, Oxford, Examiner
in Sanskrit and German, both of them formerly Lectors of English in
the University of Vienna. I am under equally great obligations to Dr.
Henry Bradley, to whose care the final revision of the MS. was entrusted
by the Delegates of the Clarendon Press, and who also had the great
kindness to superintend the printing of it. To him I am indebted for
several useful suggestions regarding the typographical arrangement, and
still more for his valuable help in regard to the style of the book. To
the Delegates and the Secretary of the Clarendon Press I feel greatly
obliged not only for undertaking the publication, but also for the
patient consideration they have shown me during the slow progress of
this work.
J. SCHIPPER.
VIENNA, _Feb. 6, 1910_.
CONTENTS
BOOK I. THE LINE
=PART I. THE NATIVE METRE=
CHAPTER I
GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE OF METRE
AND THE STRUCTURE OF VERSE
PAGE
§ 1. Uses of the study of English metre 1
2. Object of the science of metre 1
3. Definition of rhythm 2
4. Distinction between prose and poetry 3
5. Phonetic qualities of syllables 4
6. Definition and use of the word _accent_ 4
7. Classification of accent 5
8. Marks indicating position of accent 8
9. Principles of versification and their terms 9
10. Rhyme; its twofold purpose 11
11. End-rhyme, or full-rhyme 12
12. Vocalic assonance 12
13. Alliteration 13