Eratosphere Forums - Metrical Poetry, Free Verse, Fiction, Art, Critique, Discussions Able Muse - a review of poetry, prose and art

Forum Left Top

Notices

Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Unread 07-27-2019, 11:03 AM
Michael Cantor Michael Cantor is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Plum Island, MA; Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 11,168
Default

Pick whatever meter works best for you, and make sure that the preceding lines establish that. There are probably about eight people in the world who (a) know what "boustrophedon" means, (b) use it in a poem, and (c) worry about the meter. And most of them are already on this thread (Julie hasn't shown up yet.) In other words - what Matt said. Go with what works best for the poem and direct the meter accordingly. And if anybody disagrees with your meter choice, get even with them swiftly and quietly!
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Unread 07-27-2019, 11:40 AM
Edmund Conti Edmund Conti is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Summit NJ USA
Posts: 426
Default

It depends. Are you reading it backwards or forward?
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Unread 07-27-2019, 11:42 AM
Ann Drysdale's Avatar
Ann Drysdale Ann Drysdale is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Old South Wales (UK)
Posts: 6,667
Default

Thank you so much. Aaron for the Frost-precedent and Michael for the carte blanche. I am in your debt, all of you.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Unread 07-27-2019, 12:16 PM
John Isbell John Isbell is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: TX
Posts: 6,630
Default

FWIW - i.e., not very much - I have a poem which states, "Still the tractor rolls / in boustrophedon down the beach," and that's how I scan it.

Cheers,
John
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Unread 07-27-2019, 01:23 PM
Michael Cantor Michael Cantor is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Plum Island, MA; Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 11,168
Default

Sorry, John - I should have mentioned you as one of the Octet of Enlightenment.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Unread 07-27-2019, 01:29 PM
Julie Steiner Julie Steiner is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Posts: 8,307
Default

In Greek, the accent's on the final syllable, because it's an adverb:

Quote:
βουστροφηδόν (boustrophēdón), from βοῦς (boûs, “ox”) + στροφή (strophḗ, “turning”) + -ηδον (-ēdon, “adverbial suffix”).
I suppose that's an argument for pronouncing it "boo-STROH-fee-DON" in English, which keeps the stress on the final syllable despite English's abhorrence of three unstressed syllables in a row.

The main argument for "boo-stroh-FEE-don" is probably that the "e" is an eta rather than an epsilon, and Greek accents don't recess past the penultimate syllable if that syllable is long. (But anyone who moves the stress from the last syllable of this word is disregarding the original Greek, anyway, and it seems silly to make a point of pedantically adhering to one rule while ignoring another.)

Also, in English, it's not an adverb--it's a noun. So whatever.

Bottom line: I think you can make a case for whichever you'd like.

Last edited by Julie Steiner; 07-27-2019 at 01:31 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Unread 07-27-2019, 01:39 PM
John Isbell John Isbell is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: TX
Posts: 6,630
Default

I feel relieved to know, Julie, that my stress here isn't wildly out of left field. Otherwise I'd have to revise the thing.
Michael, I've never been in an octet before. Thank you!

Cheers,
John
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Unread 07-27-2019, 03:17 PM
Ann Drysdale's Avatar
Ann Drysdale Ann Drysdale is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Old South Wales (UK)
Posts: 6,667
Default

Thanks, Julie, though I feel I am using the word adverbially...
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Unread 07-28-2019, 12:26 AM
Erik Olson Erik Olson is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 2,150
Default

I hear boustrophedon either as two unaccented syllables, though with the first slightly more stressed than the second, followed by an accented and an unaccented syllable; or alternatively, simply as two trochees, thus boustrophedon. An example of the first and of the second second. The received pronunciation in English allows at least that much variability, so I would stress whichever way accommodates the meter at hand in the context. If that helps any.

Last edited by Erik Olson; 07-30-2019 at 10:56 AM. Reason: The d accidentally emboldened.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Unread 07-28-2019, 06:01 AM
Jim Moonan Jim Moonan is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 4,197
Default

x
It is a new word for me.
.made been has day My
Into the shoebox it goes.
x
x
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump



Forum Right Top
Forum Left Bottom Forum Right Bottom
 
Right Left
Member Login
Forgot password?
Forum LeftForum Right


Forum Statistics:
Forum Members: 8,399
Total Threads: 21,840
Total Posts: 270,804
There are 2060 users
currently browsing forums.
Forum LeftForum Right


Forum Sponsor:
Donate & Support Able Muse / Eratosphere
Forum LeftForum Right
Right Right
Right Bottom Left Right Bottom Right

Hosted by ApplauZ Online