A WORD ABOUT METER

A Word about Meter

Let us divide the business of Meter into two segments, that of Durations and the other side of the coin which involves Pitches. Since we have problems with the length-based metrical patterns coming from our corrupted substitution of Stresses for Lengths, and another set of problems involving the Accents used as another set of Stresses for prose only, it seems best to talk about the Durative or length-based metrics here, and leave the superimposed Pitches for another time. The first poem which we will work with is written in a metrical form called the Sapphic stanza, which has three lines in a largely similar pattern, followed by a short line.

< + < <± < + + < + < <±
< + < <± < + + < + < <±
< + < <± < + + < + < <±
< + + < <±

The pattern is not hard to follow, since it has often been used in English, and has a distinctive sound of its own which once heard is easy to remember. Here is a Sapphic strophe in triplex form, since it is a Sapphic in English translating a Sapphic of Horace from his Latin, which in turn is an imitation of Sappho's Greek Sapphic. Perhaps not the best translation
but useful as a metrical example.

Once unarmed I was in a forest roaming,
Singing love lays, when i' the secret gloaming
Rushed a huge wolf, which though in fury foaming
Did not attack me.

In reading, we look for the long vowels eta and o-mega, the diphthongs which are always long, and vowels under a circumflex pitch mark. These will always be Long, but we can also watch for short vowels, the -e-psilon and o-mikron. Furthermore a short vowel before two consonants will generally (sic) be pronounced long as a matter of length compensation.

Between these two searches we can usually get enough of the metrical pattern to read verse decently, perhaps after a try or two, at a normal reading pace. This is what we must aim for, a real-time reading speed which enables us to read aloud, understand and at the same time feel the musical metrics of the verse.

The traditional method of first memorizing the metrical patterns from a written out schema, then pencil marking the little long and short marks over the words in a test, and finally trying to read the Greek with these neo-diacritics in mind ----- this is NOT the way to go about reading Greek verse.

Poetry is a musical experience and must be approached acoustically, best by listening to someone who reads the Greek well aloud, and then trying to approximate his sound or her intonation. Listening is the first step, doing some intelligent guess-work comes next, and finally the whole procedure will snap into place on day as you read line after line of your Homeric
dactyls and wonder why it has suddenly become so easy.

Remember that you can do in cold and read long/short as you do, and you will come out with the pattern as above outlined for the Sapphic strophe. The sounds are a part of the words and the best way is to derive them from the words as you are reading them. The worst way is to memorize the meter and try to apply the text to it.

Would you condor memorizing the rhythmics of Bach's Brandenberg # I first, and then tapping the pattern out with your finger while listening to the recording?