Thread: Terzanelle
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Unread 01-07-2002, 07:49 AM
A. E. Stallings A. E. Stallings is offline
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P.S. In my experience, it is a totally standard variation for dactylic meters to be catalectic (dropping unstressed syllables at the end of a line). And nothing unusual about anacrusis either (extra unstressed syllable at beginning of line). Actually, it would be more unusual to see dactyls with no substitions. There is something pleasing about stopping short, on the stress or just a trochee. I think because the end of the line, the line break, provides a little breath of air that almost equals the weight of that extra unstressed syllable or two. Straight dactyls, on the other hand, tend to get sing-songy fast.

On the other hand, I must admit, I find the Turco rather metrically awkward. "This is the center of thunder weather" has such a great, strong swing to it, and then that seems to break down...
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