Metre Beowulf to Shakespeare Ptur Kntsson Iambic pentameter

Metre: Beowulf to Shakespeare. Pétur Knútsson

Iambic pentameter Shakespeare. About 1600 So shaken as we are, so wan with care, Find we a time for frighted peace to pant, And breathe short-winded accents of new broils To be commenced in strands afar remote. . Henry IV part 1. Act 1 Scene 1

Iambic pentameter iamb So sha│ken as│we are│so wan│with care, Find we a time for frighted peace to pant, And breathe short-winded accents of new broils To be commenced in strands afar remote.

Iambic pentameter So sha│ken as│we are│so wan│with care, Find we a time for frighted peace to pant, And breathe short-winded accents of new broils To be│commenced│in strands│afar│remote.

Iambic pentameter So shaken as we are, so wan with care, Find we│a time│for frigh│ted peace│to pant, And breathe│short-win│ded ac│cents of│new broils To be commenced in strands afar remote.

Iambic pentameter So shaken as we are, so wan with care, trochee – trochaic substitution Find we│a time│for frigh│ted peace│to pant, And breathe│short-win│ded ac│cents of│new broils To be commenced in strands afar remote.

Iambic pentameter So shaken as we are, so wan with care, Find we│a time│for frigh│ted peace│to pant, And breathe│short-win│ded ac│cents of│new broils To be commenced in strands afar remote.

Iambic pentameter So shaken as we are, so wan with care, Find we│a time│for frigh│ted peace│to pant, spondee And breathe│short-win│ded ac│cents of│new broils To be commenced in strands afar remote

Iambic pentameter So shaken as we are, so wan with care, Find we│a time│for frigh│ted peace│to pant, spondee pyrrhic spondee And breathe│short-win│ded ac│cents of│new broils To be commenced in strands afar remote

Iambic pentameter So shaken as we are, so wan with care, Find we a time for frighted peace to pant, And breathe short-winded accents of new broils To be commenced in strands afar remote.

Alliterative metre: stressed syllables counted; unstressed syllables not counted. Beowulf: / ˘ ˘ ˘ / / ˘ Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, / / ˘ ˘ / ˘ þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, Gawain ˘ ˘ ˘ / ˘ / Siþen þe sege and þe assaut watz sesed at Troye, ˘ / / ˘ ˘ ˘ / ˘ þe borgh brittened and brent to brondez and askez

Syllabic metre: all syllables counted; regular patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables • • Beowulf Gawayn Chaucer Shakespeare stresses syllables

Chanson de Roland (about 1100) Sin apele Rollant son compaignon: “Devers Espaigne vei venir tel brunor, tanz blancs osbercs, tanz helmes flambios. Icil feront nos Franceis grant iror” He calls to Roland his companion “From Spain I see such a tumult coming so many white haubercs, so many shining helmets. These will do great damage to our Frenchmen. ” Woledge p. 5.

Marie de France La Folie Tristran (around 1175) Tristran quant ot Iseut nommer du cuer commense à souspirer pourpense soi d’une voidie com il pourra veoir s’amie When Tristran hears Isault named he begins to sight from his heart bethinks himself of some device by which he will be able to see his love Woledge p. 68

Layamon´s Brut (about 1225) MS. Cott. Calig. A. ix. MS. Otho, C. xiii Under þan comen tiende Under þan com tydinge to Vortiger þan kinge þat over sæ woren icumen þat over see weren icome swiðe selcuðe gumen. . . swiþe selliche gomes. . . þis weoren þa færeste men þes weren þe faireste men þat aver her comen þat evere come here ah heo weoren hæðene ac hii weren heþene Morris p. 65 lines 1 -4, 13 -15

The Owl and the Nightingale (1246 -1250) Ich was ine one somere dale, in one swiþe diȝele hale iherde ich holde grete tale an ule and one niȝtingale (p. 171)

A Moral Ode (about 1250) Ich am eldre þan ich wes on winter and eke on lore. ich welde more þan ich dude. my weit auht beo more. To longe ich habbe child ibeo on werke and eke on dede. þah ich beo of winter old to yong ich am on rede. (p. 194, edited)

King Horn, (about 1300) Hit was upon a someres day also ihc ȝou telle may muri þe gode king rod on his pleing bi þe se side as he was woned ride Morris p. 228, lines 29 -34

Lyrics (about 1300) Betuene Mershe and Averil when spray biginneþ to springe þe lutel foul haþ hire wyl on hire lud to synge, Ich libbe in lovelonginge For semlokest of alle þynge He may me blisse bring Icham in hire bandoun. An hendy hap ichabbe yhent Ichot from hevene it is me sent fom alle wymmen mi love is lent and liht on Alysoun Morris and Skeat p. 43

Langland, Piers Plowman (about 1362) Ac on a May mornynge · on Malverne hulles me byfel a ferly · of fairy me thouȝte i was wery forwandred · and wente me to reste under a brode banke · bi a bornes side and as i lay and lened · and loked on þe waters i slombred in a slepyng · hit sowned so murie Skeat p. 1

Gawain and the Green Knight (about 1380) Siþen þe sege and the assaut watz sesed at Troye. . .

Chaucer (1400): is this iambic pentameter? Whan that aprill with his shoures soote the droghte of march hath perced to the roote, and bathed every veyne in swich licour of which vertu engendred is the flour; whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth inspirėd hath in every holt and heeth the tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,

Chaucer (1400): is this iambic pentameter? Whan that aprill with his shourės sootė the droghte of march hath percėd to the rootė, and bathėd every veyne in swich licour of which vertu engendred is the flour; whan zephirus eek with his sweetė breeth inspirėd hath in every holt and heeth the tendrė croppės, and the yongė sonne hath in the ram his halvė cours yronne,

and smalė foweles maken melodye, that slepen al the nyght with open ye so priketh hem nature in hir coragės; thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimagės, and palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, to fernė halwės, kowthe in sondry londes; and specially from every shirės endė of Engėlond to Caunterbury they wendė, the hooly blisful martir for to sekė, that hem hath holpen whan that they were seekė.