The Metres of English Poetry

First published in 1930, The Metres of English Poetry is an insightful study of English prosody, designed to cater to both the general poetry enthusiast and the advanced scholar or university student. The opening chapter offers a lucid explanation of the principles of English metre, challenging and refining traditional views in light of modern research. Subsequent chapters delve into the historical evolution of various metres, tracing their development from their earliest appearances to the present day, accompanied by extensive examples illustrating each form. In addition to comprehensive analyses of blank verse and couplet forms, the book features dedicated chapters on stanza forms, the sonnet, the ode, as well as French and classical metres in English. This seminal work is an essential read for scholars and researchers of English poetry and literature.

1. The Principles of English Metre 2. The Four-Foot Couplet 3. The Five- Foot Couplet 4. Blank Verse from the Beginnings to the Restoration 5. Non-Dramatic Blank Verse: Milton to Cowper 6. Dramatic Blank Verse from the Reopening of the Theatres to the End of the Eighteenth Century 7. Blank Verse in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries 8. Iambic Stanza Forms 9. The Sonnet 10. The English Ode 11. Trochaic Verse 12. Trisyllabic Metres 13. Paeonic Verse 14. French Forms in English Verse 15. Classical Metres in English List of Texts and Editions Index