Andersen. — Classification of Verse. 493 



In the first line the words naturally accented are the second, fourth, and 

 sixth ; the same is true of the second and third lines. Naturally, then, 

 the stanza will be read in iambics until the fourth line breaks the metre, 

 and the eighth rouses a doubt as to what metre is really intended. The 

 doubt is resolved when a stanza like the following is met : — 



(18a.) Suffolk his axe did \Ay. 



Beaumont and Willoughhy 



Bore them right doughtily, 



Ferier.s and Fanhope. 



The metre is intended for dactyUc ; and as such, rugged indeed, yet 

 dactylic, it must be read. 



6. A more curious example of the interchangeable nature of duple and 



triple is furnished by Lady Nairn's " Land o' the Leal." The first stanza 



is in perfect triple metre : — 



(19.) I'm wearing awa', Jean, 



Like .snaw when it's thaw, Jean, 

 I'm wearing awa' 



To the land o' the leal. 



(I'm wear/ing awa'/, Jean, like snaw/ when it's thaw/, Jean, I"m wear/ing awa'/ to 

 the land/ o' the leal/.) 



Yet take the last stanza : — 



(19«.) Then dry tliat te^-rfu' e'e, Jean, 

 My soul langs to he free, Jean, 

 And angels wait on me 

 To tlic land o" the leal. 



Now the metre appears undoubtedly duple ; and with this duple idea the 

 first stanza is sung paused as follows : — 



(196.) I'm wear/ ing/ awa'/, Jean/, 



Like snaw/ when/ it's thaw/, Jean/, 



I'm wear/ ing/ awa'/ to/ the land/ o'/ the leal/. 



7. The questions of " pause " and " time " go together. The " time " 

 of a unit is the interval of time between stress and stress ; and, whilst such 

 intervals vary in a slight degree according to the emotion of the verse, in 

 any one metrical scheme they are approximately equal. The greatest 

 amount of variation is caused by the syllabification : a unit containing 

 only one syllable would appear to be of shorter duration than one con- 

 taining three ; but the one-syllabled imit is compensated by pause, and both 

 are practically equal, though there is always a tendency towards the short- 

 ening of a pause. Triple units appear to be in faster time than duple ; but, 

 if anvthing, they are in slower time. It is not so much, however, the time 

 that varies, as the rate of articulation of the syllables spoken. Though the 

 " time " of any two units is comparatively equal, if one has more syllables 

 than the other it will appear to be faster. In ballad-metre, owing to the 

 abstract emotion of the narrative form, the time- value of the units varies 

 little, and it is this which gives the sing-song nature to that metre ; in 

 dramatic blank verse, on the other hand, where action makes the emotion 

 actual, the' time-value of the units varies constantly. This variation can 

 be demonstrated by reading aloud ; and, whilst the unaided ear cannot 

 always detect the variations of time in progressive units, such variation 

 is at once apparent when the reading is done to the beats of a metronome. 

 In the fundamental rhythm of poetry, time- value is of primary importance ; 

 syllable? are secondary, though the presence of syllables is necessary to 

 indicate metre. The metrical units float upon rhythmic units, accent and 



