[Michael Cantor]

Random thoughts -

My personal rules are that (a) there are no rules, and (b) context is everything. Specific substitutions may or may not work, depending on how strongly meter is established by preceding lines, and the voice of the poem - brisk and conversational, or formal - it can all make a difference.

Personally, I am far more comfortable varying the rhythm - caesuras, breaks, enjambments, dashes - to add life to a poem than in deliberately sliding in substitutions. If a substitution occurs accidentally, and it sounds reasonable (context is key), I'll go with it.

I will sometimes deliberately inject a substitution - even a clinker - to underline something in the poem, to offer an awkward reading to accentuate an awkward moment. Context (did I say that?)

I also find that I tend to be more metrically faithful in rhymed verse, particularly fixed forms, and less so when I am writing blank verse. It just seems to feel right that way - nothing deliberate.

I do use headless lines fairly frequently - sometimes for effect, to start a line a bit more brutally; and sometimes because it follows a feminine line and I almost always follow a feminine ending with a troachaic (or headless, or whatever you want to call it) start, because - well, because my ear thinks that's the natural order of things.

Final point. I get a kick out of these discussions on substitutions because, almost invariably, if I use a substitution - particularly in a fixed form - one or more critters are going to note the metrical anomaly when I workshop

[Wintaka]

Tony:

FWIW, I share your reservations about the trochaic inversion coming too late in the line, "aCROSS /the LINE /of STRAIGHT /TREES in / the SNOW".

I get that catalexis is typically used in trochaic tetrameter and is usually positioned in the final foot (TYger / TYger/ BURNing/BRIGHT), but with a shift in vision couldn't such meter also be read as iambic tetrameter with the catalectic foot in the first position (TY/ger TY/ ger BURN/ing BRIGHT)?

One of the two most common errors in scansion is to mistake "Tyger, Tyger" for trochaic tetrameter. The poem has six lines of clearcut iambic tetrameter, 18 hypometrical/ambiguous lines and zero lines of trochee. (The other common slip-up is to regard the heterometrical iambic "Prufrock", with its copious anacrusis, as free verse.)

As for pyrrhics and spondees, their effect on emphasis and pace may be at least as significant as their role in meter. Spondees seem like shouting [slowly] to me while pyrrhics strike me as the rhythmic equivalent of whispering [quickly].

Interesting subject, to be sure.

Best regards,

Colin

[Tony Barnstone]

Dear Colin,

Ah, my hastiness in posting showed -- I Googled to find common examples of trochaic tetrameter with catalexis and the Blake kept showing up. So much for depending on the world mind for wisdom! I shoulda known better, having taught the poem again this semester (though not for form, but for visual form).

Hey Sam, could you email me the list as well?

Maryann, yeah, I read that as an unalloyed anapest. No headless foot at all.

Roger, I don't disagree, but as you say that's more the exception that proves the rule. I'll allow myself that substitution VERY rarely, and only if it really adds something.

Hmn, this forum reminds me of my one-and-only time at Westchester, walking with Bill Baer and a crowd of others and talking about how lovely it was to be in a place where you could ask a question such as "what're your favorite and least favorite substitutions" and not be looked at like an alien.

Thanks for the fun discussion.

Yours, Tony

[Gregory Dowling]

Originally Posted by Wintaka

One of the two most common errors in scansion is to mistake "Tyger, Tyger" for trochaic tetrameter. The poem has six lines of clearcut iambic tetrameter, 18 hypometrical/ambiguous lines and zero lines of trochee.

Colin, I can see the iambic lines and I can see a case for saying some lines are ambiguous. But I really don't see how it is possible to say it has zero lines of trochee. How do you scan the first line? And "What the hammer? what the chain?" I confess I'm not sure how you are using the term "hypometrical"; presumably it is alternative to "catalectic" but I still don't see how one read these lines other than with a marked trochaic beat.

[Lance Levens]

Tony,

How many substitutions (any type) push you over the line into a non-met poem? At that point
would you be inclined to patch it up into meter turn it loose as is?

[John Whitworth]

Americans, Oh praise youse all, know more about metrics than Brits have ever known. I love and admire this stuff. Now I know what I did. This is NOT an example of British irony. I mean it sincerely. If a cricketer can bash the ball out of the park, well and good. But if he doesn't know how he does it, sooner or later he will lose the knack.

[Bill Carpenter]

Tony,
Some substitutions from the opening of PL:

Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Reversed 2nd foot

Sing, Heavenly Muse, that, on the secret top
Spondee in 1st foot

In the beginning how the heavens and earth
Pyrrhic 1st foot

Rose out of Chaos: or, if Sion hill
Reversed 1st foot

That with no middle flight intends to soar
Spondee in 2nd foot

Instruct me, for Thou know’st; Thou from the first
Reversed 4th foot (base hit!)

Dove-like sat’st brooding on the vast Abyss,
Reversed 1st foot, spondee or near spondee in 2nd foot, pyrrhic or near-pyrrhic 3rd

Illumine, what is low raise and support;
Reversed 4th foot (on base again!)

That, to the highth of this great argument,
Reversed or pyrrhic 1st foot

Nor the deep tract of Hell—say first what cause
Pyrrhic 1st, spondee 2nd—your double iamb

Moved our grand Parents, in that happy state,
Reversed 1st, spondee (?) in 2nd

Favoured of Heaven so highly, to fall off
Reversed 1st, pyrrhic 4th, spondee 5th

For one restraint, lords of the World besides.
Reversed 3rd

With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power
Reversed 3rd

Hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky,
Spondee in 1st and 2nd

Nine times the space that measures day and night
Spondee in 1st

To mortal men, he, with his horrid crew,
Reversed 3rd

Both of lost happiness and lasting pain
Reversed 1st

Mixed with obdurate pride and steadfast hate.
Reversed 1st

Good stuff. As Tim Murphy said, "the ultimate clinic for anyone who wants to master pentameter."

[Clive Watkins]

Hm? Well...

Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit – regular IP

Sing, Heavenly Muse, that, on the secret top – trochee, iamb, iamb, iamb, iamb (“Heavenly”: two syllables)

In the beginning how the heavens and earth – elision / suppression of first “the” (“in th’”, a common phonetic habit in the period) “Heavens”: one syllable.

Rose out of Chaos: or, if Sion hill – reversed 1st foot: Indeed; then regular IP

That with no middle flight intends to soar – either iamb, iamb or trochee, iamb

Instruct me, for Thou know’st; Thou from the first – reversed 4th foot: Yes, but its relation to the syntax is of interest.

Dove-like sat’st brooding on the vast Abyss – trochee, iamb, iamb, iamb, iamb

Illumine, what is low raise and support – reversed 4th foot: Indeed, but again its relation to the syntax is of interest.

That, to the highth of this great argument – trochee, iamb, iamb, iamb, iamb

Nor the deep tract of Hell—say first what cause – trochee, iamb, iamb, iamb, iamb

Moved our grand Parents, in that happy state – trochee, iamb, iamb, iamb, iamb

Favoured of Heaven so highly, to fall off – trochee, iamb, iamb, iamb, iamb (“to” readily promoted)

For one restraint, lords of the World besides – reversed 3rd: Yes, but again its relation to the syntax is of interest.

With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power – reversed 3rd: Yes, but again its relation to the syntax is of interest.

Hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky – regular IP (with elision at “the – “th’”: see above.)

Nine times the space that measures day and night – regular IP

To mortal men, he, with his horrid crew – reversed 3rd: Yes, but again the relation to the syntax is of interest.

Both of lost happiness and lasting pain – trochee, iamb, iamb, iamb, iamb

Mixed with obdurate pride and steadfast hate – reversed 1st: Indeed (“Obdurate” stressed on second syllable)

...

Metrical verse and non-metrical verse are not the same.

Clive