The earliest form of English verse is not rhymed, but alliterative. In alliterative verse, the poet links phrases together by matching the sounds at the front of words rather than linking lines together by matching the sounds at the end of words.
There are numerous variations of the alliterative style, but the best known and most popular among modern poets is the Old English form. A line of Old English poetry is formed by linking two phrases called half-lines. Each half-line has at least one strong beat. The primary beat (i.e., the first strong beat) in the first half-line is matched by alliteration in the primary beat of the second half-line. There can be as many as two alliterating words in the first half-line, but no more than one in the second. Here's an example of modernized alliterative verse from Linking Letters:
A Poet's Guide to Alliterative Verse, edited by Paul Deane:
Pride and anger brought pain and loss,
and hate festered. Hell's masterpiece
overwhelmed all.
There are five types of rhythm (called Sievers' five types) available to the poet for each half-line. These samples are also from Linking Letters:
Type A: Lift-Dip, Lift-Dip
PRIDE and ANger
Type B: Dip-Lift, Dip-Lift
brought PAIN and LOSS
Type C: Dip-Lift, Lift-Dip
and HATE FEStered
Type D: Lift, Lift-Dip (with a secondary stress in the dip) (secondary stress underlined)
HELL'S MASterpiece
Type E: Lift-Dip-Lift (with a secondary stress in the dip) (secondary stress underlined)
OVerwhelmed ALL
To show how this form can be used in modern English, Deane's website includes this excerpt from C.S. Lewis's alliterative poem, "The Nameless Isle." I have underlined the alliterating words:
Like floor unflawed, the flood, moon-bright
Stretched forth the twinkling streets of ocean
To the rim of the world. No ripple at all
Nor foam was found, save the furrow we made,
The stir at our stern, and the strong cleaving
Of the throbbing prow. We thrust so swift,
Moved with magic, that a mighty curve
Upward arching from either bow
Rose, all rainbowed; as a rampart stood
Bright about us. As the book tells us,
Walls of water, and a way between
Were reared and rose at the Red Sea ford,
On either hand, when Israel came
Out of Egypt to their own country.
Crap. Should've brought you an apple...
Posted by: Scott P | November 14, 2005 at 03:31 PM
When I introduce a poetic form, I introduce a poetic form.
Posted by: gail | November 14, 2005 at 05:30 PM
As poetic forms go, I like Jennifer Lopez. Now that's poetry.
Posted by: CraigC | November 14, 2005 at 06:52 PM
She's a Spencerian stanza (the bottom line always has an extra foot).
Posted by: gail | November 14, 2005 at 09:02 PM