Accentual Verse Options

[JaxMyth]

Ignore all thought of feet you who venture here *smile*, this is no realm for the pedagogue more for the like of bush balladists, cowboys and rappers.

English is a language of strong stresses and some of the earliest poetry was based around the repetition of those strong stresses.

Accentual verse is the simplest of poetry. It is the poetry of childhood: the nursery rhyme.

Mary had a little lamb
its fleece was white as snow
and everywhere that Mary went
the lamb was sure to go

Yet it is not only a childish toy.

BIRD ON THE WING

Bird keel, boat keel
slice the wind and water.
Listen lad, you’ll curse the day
you kissed Poseidon’s daughter.

Leeward, leeward!
Scud before we get you.
Now we’re in the cuddy, boy,
there’s no-one to protect you.

Dark hair, sweet lips,
lookee lad what’s grew.
We’ll take our turns at what we lost,
we once was young as you.

There are a few pointers:

a) There should be no more than three more lightly stressed syllables (secondary stresses) between each strongly stressed syllable.

b) The secondary stresses must be obviously secondary. and this where the four part scansion process is so ideal.

4 Strongly stressed
3 Stressed
2 Lightly stressed
1 Unstressed

As long as there are at least two stops of differentiation between the syllables the metre works.

c) Clashing stresses should indicate a medial caesura.

e.g. Bird keel, ll boat keel

Jax

[Cleo_Serapis]

Hey - this makes it look so easy - I have two left feet!

Thanks Jax for posting this one - I'll be back soon (when time finds me) , LOL!

Cheers
~Cleo

[AMETHYST]

Hi Jax,

Thank you for starting this learning thread, I have been longing to learn about accentual verse and now is as good a time as any. First to get my feet wet let me see if I understand the rules or guides you've provided to see if I understand them.

Here is my first offering -


I sneak a peek at a sparrow
who's lurking near the sill
its head is sleak and narrow
and lurches around at will.


Ok now, is this anything like what accentual verse would be like - Huuuuuuh ...Would it need to be consistant to line lengh, as mine here is not tight line length. but I was just going with sounds and not so much focused on syllable counts. :)

Ok ... that's my first attempt. Rip it apart! LOL


And again, Jax thank you so much for helping us to learn this... I have read many a wonderful lyrical poems written with accentual and admired it for a long while, but have never been brave enough to venture out. Thank you for this opportunity.

Hugs, Liz

[JaxMyth]

Hi Liz,

I sneak a peek at a sparrow
I sneak a peek at a sparrow
1 4 1 4 2 1 3 1

who's lurking near the sill
who's lurking near the sill
2 4 2 4 1 4


its head is sleak and narrow
its head is sleak and narrow
1 4 1 4 1 3 1

and lurches around at will.
and lurches around at will.
1 4 1 1 4 1 3

Accentual trimeter meeting the basic technical requirements.

Line length can vary in an accentual poem as long as there are no more than three relatively unstressed syllables between the heavily stressed ones and there are the same number of strong stresses in each line.

It is fun to play with.

Regards,

Jax

[Cleo_Serapis]

This is a great way to teach and learn Jan - I shall be back to try this one out myself (once my brain fog clears).

Looking forward to my return!

~Cleo

[Guest_Don_*]

Hi JaxMyth,

Thank you for touching upon, perhaps, my favorite of structured prosody.

I suspect the Anglo-Saxon examples are best, but my failure is learning my own language.

Your introduction through Nursery Rhyme is ideal. We are ignorant of how easy and familiar we are to what seems foreign when called accentual verse.

My goal is to become proficient at accentual tetrameter.

The knights of old were brave and bold.
On castle wall their steeds stood tall.

Don

[AMETHYST]

Thank you Jax,

I like the way the rhythm flows, it is lyrical. I am going to continue to practice this. Perhaps, I will create an entire poem without even trying!

Best Wishes, Liz

Hi Liz,

I sneak a peek at a sparrow
I sneak a peek at a sparrow
1 4 1 4 2 1 3 1

who's lurking near the sill
who's lurking near the sill
2 4 2 4 1 4


its head is sleak and narrow
its head is sleak and narrow
1 4 1 4 1 3 1

and lurches around at will.
and lurches around at will.
1 4 1 1 4 1 3

Accentual trimeter meeting the basic technical requirements.

Line length can vary in an accentual poem as long as there are no more than three relatively unstressed syllables between the heavily stressed ones and there are the same number of strong stresses in each line.

It is fun to play with.

Regards,

Jax

[JaxMyth]

This is a great way to teach and learn Jan - I shall be back to try this one out myself (once my brain fog clears).

Looking forward to my return!

~Cleo

I look forward to it Cleo.

regards,

Jax

[JaxMyth]

Hi Don a few thoughts:

Hi JaxMyth,

Thank you for touching upon, perhaps, my favorite of structured prosody.

I suspect the Anglo-Saxon examples are best, but my failure is learning my own language.

Your introduction through Nursery Rhyme is ideal. We are ignorant of how easy and familiar we are to what seems foreign when called accentual verse.

My goal is to become proficient at accentual tetrameter.

The knights of old were brave and bold.
1 4 1 4 2 4 1 4
Straight and strongly accentual tet that sets up the expectation and allows for the demotion in the next line.

On castle wall their steeds stood tall.
2 4 1 4 2 4 3 4
the 'steeds stood tall' works because, even though the stress differential is not really strong enough, the expectation has been previously set.



Don

Regards,

Jax

[JaxMyth]

Thank you Jax,

I like the way the rhythm flows, it is lyrical. I am going to continue to practice this. Perhaps, I will create an entire poem without even trying!

Best Wishes, Liz

Hi Liz,

I sneak a peek at a sparrow
I sneak a peek at a sparrow
1 4 1 4 2 1 3 1

who's lurking near the sill
who's lurking near the sill
2 4 2 4 1 4


its head is sleak and narrow
its head is sleak and narrow
1 4 1 4 1 3 1

and lurches around at will.
and lurches around at will.
1 4 1 1 4 1 3

Accentual trimeter meeting the basic technical requirements.

Line length can vary in an accentual poem as long as there are no more than three relatively unstressed syllables between the heavily stressed ones and there are the same number of strong stresses in each line.

It is fun to play with.

Regards,

Jax

You have good ear Liz I see no problems for you. I look forward to your first accentual ballad.

Regards,

Jax

[Guest_Kathy_*]

Jax, I'm frustrated by the fact that the accentual rhythm in these examples is the same as iambs, isn't it? (Well, except for the sparrow and the lurch around.)

Oh, and 'Boat Keel.' Could you mark out the beats for us please Jax?


This is one of my favourites, clearly accentual as I understand it. Did I get it right?


"Break, Break, Break"

Break,/ break,/ break,/
On thy cold /gray stones,/ O Sea!/
And I would/ that my tongue/ could utter/
The thoughts/ that arise /in me./

O well/ for the fisher/man's boy,/
That he shouts/ with his sis/ter at play!/
O well /for the sail/or lad,/
That he sings/ in his boat/ on the bay!/

And the state/ly ships/ go on/
To their hav/en under/ the hill:/
But O /for the touch /of a vanish/'d hand,/
And the sound /of a voice/ that is still!/

Break,/ break, /break,/
At the foot/ of thy crags,/ O Sea!/
But the tend/er grace/ of a day/ that is dead/
Will never/ come back/ to me./

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

[JaxMyth]

Jax, I'm frustrated by the fact that the accentual rhythm in these examples is the same as iambs, isn't it? (Well, except for the sparrow and the lurch around.)

Oh, and 'Boat Keel.' Could you mark out the beats for us please Jax?

BIRD ON THE WING

Bird keel, boat keel
slice the wind and water.
Listen lad, you’ll curse the day
you kissed Poseidon’s daughter.

Leeward, leeward!
Scud before we get you.
Now we’re in the cuddy, boy,
there’s no-one to protect you.

Dark hair, sweet lips,
lookee lad what’s grew.
We’ll take our turns at what we lost,
we once was young as you.


This is one of my favourites, clearly accentual as I understand it. Did I get it right?


"Break, Break, Break"

Break,/ break,/ break,/
On thy cold /gray stones,/ O Sea!/
And I would/ that my tongue/ could utter/
The thoughts/ that arise /in me./

O well/ for the fisher/man's boy,/
That he shouts/ with his sis/ter at play!/
O well /for the sail/or lad,/
That he sings/ in his boat/ on the bay!/

And the state/ly ships/ go on/
To their hav/en under/ the hill:/
But O /for the touch /of a vanish'd hand,/
And the sound /of a voice/ that is still!/

Break,/ break, /break,/
At the foot/ of thy crags,/ O Sea!/
But the tend/er grace/ of a day/ that is dead/
Will never/ come back/ to me./

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Composed for his dead friend Arthur Hallam.

Yes Kathy, Accentual trimeter with a definite deviation to tet in the second last line and a possible deviation in S3L3.

Accentual is such a powerful device.

Regards,

Jax

[Guest_Kathy_*]

Composed for his dead friend Arthur Hallam.

Really, Jax. I have often wondered who it was. Thanks. I think this poem is brilliant. For slow vowels as well as accentual.

Yes Kathy, Accentual trimeter with a definite deviation to tet in the second last line and a possible deviation in S3L3.

Accentual is such a powerful device.

Yes Jax, it is. Maybe I wrote in it way back when before I learned Metric. Must go and look. I think many people just naturally write this way.

I will try to unlearn and see what I can do.

What about 'The Listeners' ? (Walter de la Mare) I love it too. And its accentual, I think.

Here 'tis:

http://www.web-books.com/classics/poetry/a...e/Listeners.htm

[Guest_Don_*]

Hello JaxMyth,

Thanks for putting numbers into place. The strongest accents are seldom trouble, but the relation to others is a welcome sophistication.

Don

[JaxMyth]

Composed for his dead friend Arthur Hallam.

Really, Jax. I have often wondered who it was. Thanks. I think this poem is brilliant. For slow vowels as well as accentual.

Yes Kathy, Accentual trimeter with a definite deviation to tet in the second last line and a possible deviation in S3L3.

Accentual is such a powerful device.

Yes Jax, it is. Maybe I wrote in it way back when before I learned Metric. Must go and look. I think many people just naturally write this way.

I will try to unlearn and see what I can do.

What about 'The Listeners' ? (Walter de la Mare) I love it too. And its accentual, I think.

Here 'tis:

http://www.web-books.com/classics/poetry/a...e/Listeners.htm

Yes de la Mare used it and so did Vachel Lindsay have you read any of his work some is non PC.

http://www.poemhunter.com/vachel-lindsay/poems/page-5/

Regards,

Jax

[JaxMyth]

Hello JaxMyth,

Thanks for putting numbers into place. The strongest accents are seldom trouble, but the relation to others is a welcome sophistication.

Don

Yes Don the four part scansion is a superb tool that does away with a lot of unnecessary jargon and conflicting concept.

Regards,

Jax

[AMETHYST]

Hi Jan,

Yes I agree, the use of numbers to show the stress on each word is so much easier to gain a perspective on what I am hearing and what is ... helps me to physically 'see' how close I am to hearing the stresses and less stressed words from each other. Thank you.

I sneak a peek at a sparrow
who's lurking near the sill
its head is sleak and narrow
and lurches around at will.

I sneak a peek at a sparrow
I sneak a peek at a sparrow
1 4 1 4 2 1 3 1

who's lurking near the sill
who's lurking near the sill
2 4 2 4 1 4


its head is sleak and narrow
its head is sleak and narrow
1 4 1 4 1 3 1

and lurches around at will.
and lurches around at will.
1 4 1 1 4 1 3


Using this as my platform, I would like to add some to this quatrain and perhaps create a first poem using Accentual Verse -

His shadow dance is a pleasure
a stage show just for me-
How could I begin to measure
the worth of this birdie.


(ok so its silly, but the muse is off on vacation and didn't even invite me - and I just want to focus on the natural sounds of the accentual verse. :)

Hugs Liz ...

[Guest_Kathy_*]

Liz, you have the sparrow's head lurching around. Easily fixed, and so much easier than metric, eh?

[jgdittier]

Dear JaxMyth,
You have totally convinced me. For years I've been scanning poetry that seemed to flow especially well to determine how I could do it too. I've managed to repeat feet such that the piece sounds composed, but occasionally, perhaps after a beer or two, I've let my hair down and written with several substitute feet and LIKED it.
I've been even more perplexed in reading others that scan awfully but sound great.
These just have to be accentual and when done well are a vast improvement over plain repetitious metered feet.
I also have used the 1-2-3-4 system re beat strength and have attempted to prefer 1 s and 4 s over 2 s and 3 s. This seems to result in a bouncy, sing-songy sound that I personally like.
However, often in order to obtain that bounce, I must substitute a 1 for a 2 and that might mean an article for an adjective. In C&C, those articles usually come under fire, even if they provide alliteration.
Do you have any comments?
Cheers, ron jgd