Spondee
Encyclopedia
In poetry
, a spondee is a metrical foot consisting of two long syllables, as determined by syllable weight
in classical meters, or two stressed syllables, as determined by stress
in modern meters. This makes it unique in English verse as all other feet (excepting molossus
, which has three stressed syllables, and dispondee, which has four stressed syllables) contain at least one unstressed syllable. The word comes from the Greek
σπονδή, spondē, "libation
".
It is unrealistic to construct a whole, serious poem with spondees - consequently, spondees mainly occur as variants within an anapaest
ic structure. The spondee is a very important poetic device that poets can use to emphasize meaning within their writing style.
For example (from G. K. Chesterton
, "Lepanto"):
The following is a possible analysis, and shows the role of the spondee.
A simpler version of the first line might be:
Two short syllables are added at the beginning, and "founts" is lengthened to "fountains." These extra syllables add "filler," so that when the poem is read stress no longer naturally falls on the syllable "fount" (or, does so to a lesser degree). As a result there are unstressed syllables just before the "fall," so that naturally becomes an anapaest ("fountains fall-," duh-duh-DAH), and the "ing" slips into the following anapaest. Chesterton's version changes all this; it is less intuitive to write and has a more unusual sound. The spondee effects this.
Tennyson often made use of spondaic and pyrrhic
substitutions in his work. Here are some examples:
Spondees above are "Well-loved," "This la-," "slow pru-," and "make mild."
There are two spondees in this excerpt: "blood creeps," and "nerves prick."
Another example of a poem using spondee is Gerard Manley Hopkins
' Pied Beauty. He marks the 6th line in this way to indicate the spondee: "And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim." The poem also ends with the short spondee line "Praise Him."
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, a spondee is a metrical foot consisting of two long syllables, as determined by syllable weight
Syllable weight
In linguistics, syllable weight is the concept that syllables pattern together according to the number and/or duration of segments in the rime. In classical poetry, both Greek and Latin, distinctions of syllable weight were fundamental to the meter of the line....
in classical meters, or two stressed syllables, as determined by stress
Stress (linguistics)
In linguistics, stress is the relative emphasis that may be given to certain syllables in a word, or to certain words in a phrase or sentence. The term is also used for similar patterns of phonetic prominence inside syllables. The word accent is sometimes also used with this sense.The stress placed...
in modern meters. This makes it unique in English verse as all other feet (excepting molossus
Molossus (poetry)
A molossus is a metrical foot used in Greek and Latin poetry. It consists of three long syllables. Examples of Latin words constituting molossi are audiri, cantabant, virtutem....
, which has three stressed syllables, and dispondee, which has four stressed syllables) contain at least one unstressed syllable. The word comes from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
σπονδή, spondē, "libation
Libation
A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit or in memory of those who have died. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in various cultures today....
".
It is unrealistic to construct a whole, serious poem with spondees - consequently, spondees mainly occur as variants within an anapaest
Anapaest
An anapaest is a metrical foot used in formal poetry. In classical quantitative meters it consists of two short syllables followed by a long one; in accentual stress meters it consists of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable. It may be seen as a reversed dactyl...
ic structure. The spondee is a very important poetic device that poets can use to emphasize meaning within their writing style.
For example (from G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
, "Lepanto"):
- White founts falling in the courts of the sun
- And the Soldan of Byzantium is smiling as they run;
The following is a possible analysis, and shows the role of the spondee.
- The basic template for both lines is anapaestAnapaestAn anapaest is a metrical foot used in formal poetry. In classical quantitative meters it consists of two short syllables followed by a long one; in accentual stress meters it consists of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable. It may be seen as a reversed dactyl...
ic tetrameterTetrameterTetrameter: [ti'tramitə]; te·tram·e·ter; a verse of four measuresOrigin: early 17th century : from late Latin tetrametrus, originally neuter from Greek tetrametros 'having four measures,' from tetra- 'four' + metron 'measure'....
: four feet, each consisting of two short syllables then a long syllable (duh-duh-DAH, duh-duh-DAH, duh-duh-DAH, duh-duh-DAH). It is then heavily modified: - The second, third and fourth feet in the second line each have three instead of two short syllables (duh-duh-duh-DAH).
- The first anapaest in the first line is replaced with a spondee ("White founts," DAH-DAH)
- The second anapaest in the first line is replaced with a trocheeTrocheeA trochee or choree, choreus, is a metrical foot used in formal poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one...
(DAH-duh).
A simpler version of the first line might be:
- There are white fountains falling in the courts of the sun .
Two short syllables are added at the beginning, and "founts" is lengthened to "fountains." These extra syllables add "filler," so that when the poem is read stress no longer naturally falls on the syllable "fount" (or, does so to a lesser degree). As a result there are unstressed syllables just before the "fall," so that naturally becomes an anapaest ("fountains fall-," duh-duh-DAH), and the "ing" slips into the following anapaest. Chesterton's version changes all this; it is less intuitive to write and has a more unusual sound. The spondee effects this.
Tennyson often made use of spondaic and pyrrhic
Pyrrhic
A pyrrhic is a metrical foot used in formal poetry. It consists of two unaccented, short syllables. It is also known as a dibrach.Tennyson used pyrrhics and spondees quite frequently, for example, in In Memoriam: "When the blood creeps and the nerves prick." "When the" and "and the" in the second...
substitutions in his work. Here are some examples:
-
- This is my son, mine own Telemachus
- To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,
- Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfill
- This labour, by slow prudence to make mild
- A rugged people, and through soft degrees
- Subdue them to the useful and the good.
- -from "Ulysses"
Spondees above are "Well-loved," "This la-," "slow pru-," and "make mild."
-
- Be near me when my light is low,
- When the blood creeps and the nerves prick
- And tingle; and the heart is sick,
- And all the wheels of Being slow.
- -from "In Memoriam"
- Be near me when my light is low,
There are two spondees in this excerpt: "blood creeps," and "nerves prick."
Another example of a poem using spondee is Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J. was an English poet, Roman Catholic convert, and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous 20th-century fame established him among the leading Victorian poets...
' Pied Beauty. He marks the 6th line in this way to indicate the spondee: "And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim." The poem also ends with the short spondee line "Praise Him."