Reading Poetry

Etymologies and Rhythms

Readings

 Steele, Timothy. All the Fun’s in How You Say a Thing: An Explanation of Meter & Versification. Ohio University Press, 1999. pp. 1–51.  ISBN: 9780821412602.

Reading Exercises

1. Steele alludes a couple of times in the introduction to how the English language has changed over time, and we’ll talk this week about a few relevant consequences. Basic fact—an earlier Germanic language (Old English, aka Anglo-Saxon) got mashed up with French at the time of the Norman conquest, 1066. By the 1300s these had merged into a new language—Middle English—by time of Shakespeare in 1500s, things had settled down into modern English. Why do we care? Because the two largest sources of English words, Old English and French/Latin, provide us with words that sound different, have different rhythms, and just feel different even when they mean the same things. If you want to pin down the particular sound or tone of a given poem, looking at the sources of its words gives you something objective to go on.
2. So you can see what I mean, please go listen to audio of some Old English poetry being read out loud—either a passage from Beowulf, or “Caedmon’s Dream”—with the original and modern texts in front of you. Notice the rhythm! Then have a look at the original and find two words that also exist, in some form, in modern English. If you’re interested, the second part of Seamus Heaney’s introduction to his translation of Beowulf is well worth reading. You might also be curious to listen to the audio/read the text from the beginning of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, to get a feel for how middle English sounded.
   1. Beowulf opening lines in Old English | Beowulf text
   2. Seamus Heaney’s Beowulf text | Seamus Heaney reading Beowulf | Intro to Beowulf (read part 2)
   3. Chaucer’s Prologue to the Canterbury Tales read aloud | General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, Lines 1-18 
3. To build on our conversation about meter, you have “meter exercises” that will ask you to make two lists and write two sentences in different metrical patterns with the components suggested. Meter Exercises (PDF)