the accent or the symbol x, while the second syllable, on which the emphasis of the voice falls, is stressed or accented, and bears the accent or the symbol a. Blank Verse is often called Iambic Pentameter, and the symbol for this kind of verse, Blank or Heroic Verse, otherwise Iambic Pentameter, is 5xa. Exceptions.-The Normal Shakespearian Metre, however, is not always maintained. There are numerous exceptions. These may be summarised as follows: (1.) The Weak Stress, when the emphasis laid on any syllable in a line is not equal to that laid on the others—for example :— "Endúre/the win/tèr's cold/às wéll/às hé/." (Act I. Sc. ii. 99.) The ear at once tells us that in this line the second foot has a weak stress, the syllable "win," being less emphatic than the others. The student should remember that the first foot in verse is generally stressed, also that two stressed syllables rarely, if ever, come together, and that there is generally an emphatic stress on the third and fifth feet. The weak stress occurs most frequently in the second and fourth feet, and in connection with prepositions, or when liquid consonants and vowels come together. (2.) The Inversion of Stress. This occurs when the accent or stress in any foot, in place of falling as usual on the second syllable, falls on the first. "Wć shall/bè cáll'd/púrgèrs/nòt múr/dèrérs/." As the pause is customarily found at the end of a line, it is generally on the first foot of the following line that this emphasis, which Abbot calls the "pause-accent," occurs. In the middle of a line pause accents often follow emphasised monosyllables, i.l.,— 66 'A'ccóu/tréd ás/'I wás/I' plun/gèd ín/.” (Act I. Sc.ii. 105.) (3.) Double Endings.-The next exception to the normal Shakespearian Metre of a ten-syllabled line of five stressed or accented feet, is the double ending. This is the introduction into the measure of an additional unstressed syllable. It usually occurs at the end of the line, such an example as the following being one in point : or this: "A's wéll/às I'/dò knów/yoùr oút/wàrd fá/vour." (Act I. Sc. ii. 91.) “A'nd mén/arè flésh/ànd blood/ànd áp/prèhén/sive.” (Act III. Sc. i. 67.) The extra syllable is seldom a monosyllable, and still more rarely an emphatic monosyllable. The reason is that as in English we have no enclitics (viz., words or particles which by always following another word become so united to it as to seem a part of it), the least emphatic of our monosyllables in themselves are generally found to be prepositions and conjunctions. These carry the attention forward in place of backward, and are therefore inconsistent with a pause, while, in addition, they are, in conjunction, to some extent emphatic. (Cf. Abbott's Shakespearian Grammar, § 454-455.) Such extra syllables are called Double or Feminine Endings. In Shakespeare's earlier plays the extra syllable is rarely found; in his later plays it becomes increasingly frequent. (4.) Light and Weak Endings.-The fourth set of exceptions to the normal metre is to be found in the light endings and weak endings. Light endings are monosyllables on which the voice can in some slight degree rest, as, for instance, the parts of the auxiliary verbs, be, have, will, shall, can, do; also pronouns, such as, I, we, thou, you, he, she, they, who, which; and conjunctions, like when, where, while, etc. Weak endings are those monosyllables over which the voice passes without any rest or stress, viz., such words as the prepositions, at, by, for, from, in, of, on, to, with; also the conjunctions, and, but, if, nor, or, than, that, etc. Of the former class take the lines:: or these: "An'd lét/our hearts/ás súb/'tle más/ters dó, (Act II. Sc. i, 175.) 6'[ will/nòt dó/thèm wróng/I ra/thèr choose (Act III. Sc. ii. 130-132.) and of the latter class or these: "Whò glared/ùpón/mè and/wènt súr/ly' by! "O`f brò/thèrs' tém/pèr, dó/rèceive/yòu ín/ In the earlier plays both light and weak endings are almost unknown; in the later ones they become ever more frequent the nearer Shakespeare came to the end of his career. Unstopped Blank Verse.—Another characteristic of the Shakespearian measures is what is called Unstopped Blank Verse. If there occurs any pause in the sense, however slight, the line so distinguished is termed "stopped" or "end stopped." In Shakespeare's early plays, the sense, so to speak, was brought to "pause" at the end of each line-as in the following passage : a But Shakespeare, as his art became more untrammelled, and he attained greater control over the materials wherewith he worked, indulged more and more in unstopped blank verse. This (as is remarked by the editor of The Tempest in this series) implies that the sense passing over from the one line into the other, carries the rhythm along with it. The pauses, instead of always falling at the end of the line, fall upon other parts of it. This is particularly the case when the final word of an unstopped line chances to be either a light ending or a weak ending. As an example of unstopped blank verse, let us take the following from Julius Cæsar : "Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corse Into the market-place; there shall I try In my oration how the people take The cruel issue of these bloody men." (Act III. Sc. i. 291.) The Rhymed Couplet.-Another departure from the Normal Shakespearian Metre is in the use of the Rhymed Couplet. This generally is employed to end a scene or some great declamatory passage, though in the Two Gentlemen of Verona and the earlier plays it appears in other connections, and very much more frequently than was the case later. The couplet must be studied in close association with unstopped blank verse, because one result of this mode was that it practically insisted there should be a "pause" of the sense, if not at the end of the first line of the couplet, certainly at the end of the second. Take he following: "And after this let Cæsar seat him sure; For we will shake him or worse days endure." (Act I. Sc..ii. 324-325.) In order that the pupil may have these rules in a conveniently condensed form, we reprint here the summary of them contained in the introduction to The Tempest in this same series. 1. If Rhyme is present in a marked degree, the play probably has been written early in Shakespeare's life. 2. If Rhyme is little present or almost absent, the date of composition is likely to have been late. 3. A Stopped Line or Couplet is one where the sense and the rhythm are wholly contained within that line or couplet. 4. An Unstopped Line or Couplet is one where the sense is not wholly contained in that line or couplet, but runs over into the next or succeeding lines. 5. The presence, in any abundance, of Stopped Lines and Couplets in a play constitutes an argument in favour of the play being of early date; while the presence of Unstopped Lines and Couplets, or, in other words, when the sense overruns the limits of the line or couplet, creates the presumption that the play is of late date. 6. Light Endings or monosyllables on which the voice rests slightly, are also a sign of an early date of composition. 7. Weak Endings or monosyllables whereon the voice can find no place to rest, are evidence of a late date. 8. The presence of Double or Feminine Endings, in other words of an extra foot at the end of the line, is strong presumption of late date. |