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 broilsTo be commenced in strands afar remote..

Henry IV part 1. Act 1 Scene 1

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 broilsTo be commenced in strands afar remote.

iamb

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,

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.

trochee – trochaic substitution

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,

And breathe│short-win│ded ac│cents of│new broils

To be commenced in strands afar remote

spondee

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

spondee spondeepyrrhic

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 stresses • Gawayn stresses • Chaucer syllables • Shakespeare 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 comingso 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 nommerdu cuer commense à souspirerpourpense soi d’une voidiecom il pourra veoir s’amie

When Tristran hears Isault namedhe begins to sight from his heartbethinks himself of some deviceby 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 tydingeto Vortiger þan kinge to Vortiger þan kingeþat over sæ woren icumen þat over see weren icomeswiðe selcuðe gumen... swiþe selliche gomes...þis weoren þa færeste men þes weren þe faireste menþat aver her comen þat evere come hereah heo weoren hæðene ac hii weren heþene

Morris p. 65 lines1-4, 13-15

The Owl and the Nightingale (1246-1250) Ich was ine one somere dale,in one swiþe diȝele haleiherde ich holde grete talean 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 dayalso ihc ȝou telle maymuri þe gode kingrod on his pleingbi þe se sideas he was woned ride

Morris p. 228, lines29-34

Lyrics (about 1300) Betuene Mershe and Averilwhen spray biginneþ to springeþe lutel foul haþ hire wylon hire lud to synge,Ich libbe in lovelongingeFor semlokest of alle þyngeHe may me blisse bringIcham in hire bandoun.An hendy hap ichabbe yhentIchot from hevene it is me sentfom alle wymmen mi love is lentand liht on Alysoun

Morris and Skeat p.43

Langland, Piers Plowman (about 1362) Ac on a May mornynge · on Malverne hullesme byfel a ferly · of fairy me thouȝtei was wery forwandred · and wente me to resteunder a brode banke · bi a bornes sideand as i lay and lened · and loked on þe watersi 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,   

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, 

Chaucer (1400):is this iambic pentameter?

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.