1919.] New Zealand Institute Science Congress. 323 
Each contains sixteen syllables, and both, in part, sway to the same 
rhythm, yet on the first reading the first line is unmetrical, the second 
completely metrical. In counting the natural accents, it is found that the 
first has eight:— 
I could not see what her face was, my heart so awoke and trembled ; 
the second has seven :— 
Yet all alike dispelling fear and the cloven hoof of darkness. 
In the first line two accents come together on the words 44 face was,” and 
two on the words “ heart so ” ; in the second line the accents are separated 
by an unaccented syllable, and in one instance by two unaccented syllables. 
Rearrange the accents in the first line so as to accord with the arrange¬ 
ment in the second, removing the accent from “ face ” to “ her,” and 
omitting the accent on 44 so ” : in both lines the accents are then separated 
by one unaccented syllable, and in one instance by two, and both lines are 
perfectly metrical:— 
I could not see what her face was, my heart so awoke and trembled ; 
Yet all alike dispelling fear and the clbven hoof of darkness. 
The accent on the 44 her ” is crude, no doubt, but the metrical effect has 
been brought about. Is this effect, then, due to the fact that an evenness 
of flow has been brought about by the distribution of syllables so that 
every accented syllable is accompanied by an unaccented syllable ? This 
is not the full explanation, though it is the explanation that was accepted 
for many years, and is still accepted by a large class of writers and readers. 
But in the two lines above there are two accented syllables accompanied 
each by two unaccented syllables : 44 my heart so awoke,” and 44 dispelling 
fear and the cloven hoof.” If the words are read aloqd, however, it will 
be observed that there is an inclination to say 44 so woke ” instead of 44 so 
awoke,” or at least to say 44 so awoke ” in the same time that would be 
occupied in saying 44 so woke ”—in the same time, that is, that would be 
occupied in saying 44 my heart,” or 44 I could,” or 44 not see.” Here the 
clue is picked up : unconsciously the reader gives to the accents not an 
equal number of syllables, but equal time-spaces ; so that if time were 
beaten with the foot the accents would fall regularly on the beats. More ; 
once this beat has been perceived by the subconsciousness, sentences 
ordinarily unmetrical will be accommodated to the pulsations, and become, 
for the time being, metrical; so that after the metrical sentence 
Then life and joy sprang reassured from every crouching hollow 
the sleeping metre awakens in the line 
And spread with that young blue which never lives beyond the April. 
And I will engage that, whilst on a first reading, or a second, or a third, 
or until the metrical feeling has been awakened, the lines beginning 
Suddenly the gladsome light leaped over hill and valley 
will be read as prose, the reader will, once the metre has been perceived, 
lose all feeling of prose, and gain a feeling of wonder that the poetic metre 
was so long hidden. Another short quotation may be given — 
Thel answered, 0 thou little virgin of the peaceful valley 
Giving to those that cannot crave, the voiceless, the o’er-tired, 
Thy breath'doth nourish the innocent lamb ; he smells thy milky garments, 
He crops thy flowers, whilst thou sittest smiling in his face . 
These verses are from Blake’s Book of Thel, and they are printed as poetry ; 
and Blackmore’s lines, which are every whit as poetical, are printed as 
