LOGAOEDIC RHYTHMS
§ 299
1. Logaoedic rhythm is a rhythm in 3/8 time, having the trochee as its foundation, but admitting great freedom of construction. Besides the trochee – ⏑, it admits the irrational trochee – >, the tribrach ⏑ ⏑ ⏑, the cyclic dactyl – ⏑ ⏑, and the syncopated trochee ⌞.
2. The first foot of a logaoedic verse often allows special freedom, and it is then called a basis. The basis may be a trochee or an irrational trochee – >, and sometimes a tribrach ⏑ ⏑ ⏑. An apparent iambus (probably with ictus ⏑́ –) sometimes occurs (see § 300, 7); and rarely even two short syllables, ⏑́ ⏑, stand for a basis in lyric poetry. Great license is permitted in using different forms of basis, even in verses which otherwise correspond precisely (§ 289, 4), as in § 300, 7. A basis is marked x.
When a verse has more than one rhythmical series (§ 287, 1), each series may begin with a basis (see § 300, 7). Sometimes an anacrusis (§ 285, 4) precedes a logaoedic verse, either with or without a following basis.
§ 300
The following are some of the most important logaoedic verses: -
| No. | Verse | Example | Scheme | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adonic | σύμμαχος ἔσσο. | `– ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑` | ||
| 2 | First Pherecratic | ἑπταπύλοισι Θήβαις. | `– ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ⏑` | |
| 2 | First Pherecratic, catalectic | ψεύδεσι ποικίλοις. | `– ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ∧` | |
| 3 | Second Pherecratic | παιδὸς δύσφορον ἄταν. | `x > \ | – ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑` | |
| 3 | Second Pherecratic, catalectic | ἐχθίστων ἀνέμων. | `x > \ | – ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ∧` | |
| 4a | Glyconic | μὴ κατὰ τὸν νεανίαν. | `– ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ∧` |
| 4b | Glyconic | Θήβᾳ τῶν προτέρων φάος. | `x > \ | – ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ∧` |
| 4c | Glyconic | φῶτα βάντα πανσαγίᾳ. | `x ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ∧` |
The Adonic is the final verse of the Sapphic stanza (6).
5. Three Alcaics, which form the Alcaic stanza: –
| Form | Example | Scheme | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | ἀσυνέτημι τῶν ἀνέμων στάσιν· | `⏑ : x ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ∧` |
| a | τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἔνθεν κῦμα κυλίνδεται | `⏑ : x ⏑ \ | – > \ | – ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ∧` |
| b | τὸ δ᾽ ἔνθεν· ἄμμες δ᾽ ἂν τὸ μέσσον | `⏑ : – ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ⏑` | |
| c | ναὶ φορήμεθα σὺν μελαίνᾳ. | `– ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ⏑` |
Compare in Horace, –
Vides ut alta stet nive candidum, &c.
6. Sapphic:
| Example | Scheme | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `ποικι\ | λόθρον᾽ \ | ἀθάνατ᾽ \ | Ἀφρο\ | δίτα.` | `– ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑ \ | – ⏑` |
The second foot may also have the irrational form – >.
Three Sapphics and an Adonic (1) form the Sapphic stanza.
7. Eupolidean:
| ὦ θε | ώμε | νοι, κατε | ρῶ | πρὸς ὑ | μᾶς ἐ | λευθέ | ρως. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x ⏑ | – ⏑ | –⏑ ⏑ | ⌞ | x ⏑ | – ⏑ | – ⏑ | – Λ |
| – > | – > | – > | – > | ||||
| ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ | ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ | ||||||
| ⏑ – | ⏑ – |
See § 288, Note.
Note. Nearly all the verses here described as logaoedic have been called choriambic (§ 301, 1). If we consider the dactyl here as
⌁ ⏑ ⏑and not as– ⏑ ⏑, it forms– ⏑ ⏑ –with the following long syllable; and thus, by the division hitherto common, the Pherecratics become
(1)
– ⏑ ⏑ – | ⏑ – ⏑and– ⏑ ⏑ – | ⏑ –,
(2)
– ⏑ | – ⏑ ⏑ – | ⏑and– ⏑ | – ⏑ ⏑ –; the Glyconics become
(1)
– ⏑ ⏑ – | ⏑ – ⏑ –,
(2)
– ⏑ | – ⏑ ⏑ – | ⏑ –,
(3)
– ⏑ | – ⏑ | – ⏑ ⏑ –;
and the Sapphic becomes
– ⏑ | – ⏑ | – ⏑ ⏑ – | ⏑ – ⏑, with the Adonic– ⏑ ⏑ – | ⏑.
RHYTHMS WITH FEET OF FIVE OR SIX TIMES
Some of the more important rhythms with feet of five or six times (§ 285, 2, c, d) are the following: –
1. Choriambic rhythms, with the choriambus – ⏑ ⏑ – as the fundamental foot: –
| Example | Scheme | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `παῖδα μὲν αὐ\ | τᾶς πόσιν αὐ\ | τᾷ θεμένα.` | `– ⏑ ⏑ – \ | – ⏑ ⏑ – \ | – ⏑ ⏑ –` |
Note. Choriambic verses of this class are rare. Most so-called choriambic verses are here explained as logaoedic (§ 300, Note).
2. Ionic rhythms, with the ionic a minore ⏑ ⏑ – – as the fundamental foot, admitting also the equivalent ⏑ ⏑ ⌞ (§ 286, 2): –
| Example | Scheme | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `πεπέρακεν \ | μὲν ὁ περσέ\ | πτολις ἤδη` | `⏑ ⏑ – – \ | ⏑ ⏑ – – \ | ⏑ ⏑ – –` | |
| `βασίλειος \ | στρατὸς εἰς ἀν\ | τίπορον γείτονα χώραν` | `⏑ ⏑ – – \ | ⏑ ⏑ – – \ | ⏑ ⏑ – – \ | ⏑ ⏑ – –` |
Ἀθαμαντίδος Ἕλλας. | `⏑ ⏑ ⌞ \ | ⏑ ⏑ –` |
A ditrochee – ⏑ – ⏑ often takes the place of two long syllables and the two following shorts. This is called anaclasis (ἀνάκλασις, breaking up): –
| Example | Scheme | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `τίς ὁ κραιπνῷ \ | ποδὶ πηδή\ | ματος εὐπε\ | τοῦς ἀνάσσων;` | `⏑ ⏑ – – \ | ⏑ ⏑ – – \ | ⏑ ⏑ – ⏑ \ | – ⏑ – –` |
3. Cretic rhythms, in which paeons occur by resolution of long syllables (– ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ or ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ – for – ⏑ –): -
| Example | Scheme | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `οὐκ ἀνα\ | σχήσομαι· \ | μηδὲ λέγε \ | μοι σὺ λόγον.` | `– ⏑ – \ | – ⏑ – \ | – ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ \ | – ⏑ ⏑ ⏑` |
| `κατατεμῶ \ | τοῖσιν ἱπ\ | πεῦσι κατ\ | τύματα.` | `⏑ ⏑ ⏑ – \ | – ⏑ – \ | – ⏑ – \ | – ⏑ –` |
4. Bacchic rhythms, with the bacchius ⏑ – – as the fundamental foot: –
| Example | Scheme | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `τίς ἀχὼ, \ | τίς ὀδμὰ \ | προσέπτα \ | μ᾽ ἀφεγγής;` | `⏑ – – \ | ⏑ – – \ | ⏑ – – \ | ⏑ – –` |
DOCHMIACS
Dochmiac verses, which are used chiefly in tragedy to express great excitement, are based upon a foot compounded of the bacchius and the iambus, ⏑ – – | ⏑ –, called the dochmius. This peculiar foot appears in nineteen different forms, by resolving the long syllables and admitting irrational longs in place of the two shorts. Its most common forms are ⏑ – – | ⏑ – and ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ – | ⏑ –. As examples may be given
| Example | Scheme | Equivalent regular form | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
δυσαλγεῖ τύχᾳ. | `⏑ – – \ | ⏑ –` | ||
πτεροφόρον δέμας. | `⏑ ⏑ ⏑ – \ | ⏑ –` | ||
μισόθεον μὲν οὖν. | `> ⏑ ⏑ – \ | ⏑ –` | `> – – \ | ⏑ –` |
μεγάλα μεγάλα καί. | `⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ \ | ⏑ –` | `⏑ – – \ | ⏑ –` |
φεροίμαν βοσκάν. | `⏑ – – \ | > –` | `⏑ – – \ | ⏑ –` |
| `προπέμψας ἄχη, \ | τίνα θροεῖς λόγον;` | `⏑ – – ⏑ – \ | ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ – ⏑ –` |