I’ve been revisiting this question
since my last tentative words on the subject.
What one’s interested in, of course, is what the poet was doing when he
put the poem together – how much of it is a function of the language and how
much is due to stylistic choices.
My latest thoughts and observations:
We need to distinguish eight metrical
types –
A, with 4 subtypes:
A as in line 3a ‘feor afysan’ – formula
/x/x
a as in line 4a ‘hicgan to handum’ –
formula /x(x)/x where (x) stands for one or more unaccented syllables)
A* as in line 52a ‘þe wile gealgean’ – formula x/x/x
a* as in line 7a ‘he let him þa of
handon’ – formula x/x(x)/x
B as in line 51a ‘þæt her stynt
unforcuð’ – formula x/x/ or x/x(x)/
C as in line 6a ‘þæt
se eorl nolde’ – formula x//x
D as in line 61a ‘grim
guðplega’ – formula //xx
E as in line 26a ‘wicinga
ar’ – formula /xx/
It will be understood that in all these formulas the
symbol / stands for an accented long syllable or an accented short syllable
followed by an unaccented syllable, that a long syllable under the first accent
can be read as short and a short syllable under the second accent as long, and
that an initial x can stand for an indeterminate number of unaccented syllables.
These are general conventions of the form.
In the 323 complete
lines of the poem, half the a-lines (160) are of the 4 A-types, the remainder
(163) are of non-A-types. The A-types can be described in terms of two
dichotomous features, as below:
tight
|
loose
|
|
strong
|
A
(28)
|
a
(73)
|
weak
|
A*
(16)
|
a*
(43)
|
The term ‘strong’ refers to subtypes
where the first syllable is accented, ‘weak’ to subtypes where the first
syllable is not; ‘tight’ refers to subtypes without additional internal
unaccented syllables (and note that the formula of subtype A* is symmetrical),
‘loose’ to subtypes with such syllables. The ratio of tight to loose subtypes approximates
1 : (5 - √5); the ratio of strong to weak approximates
1 : (√5 - 1)/2. If the ratios were
exact, and if A-types were exactly half the number of a-lines, the numbers
would be:
tight
|
loose
|
|
strong
|
A
(27)
|
a
(73)
|
weak
|
A*
(16)
|
a*
(45)
|
This has to be regarded as a good fit
to the observations.
The non-A-types can also be described
in terms of two dichotomies:
tight
|
loose
|
|
strong
|
E
(19)
|
D
(22)
|
weak
|
C
(52)
|
B
(72)
|
‘Tight’ here is interpreted as
symmetrical, ‘loose’ as non-symmetrical. ‘Strong’ and ‘weak’ have the same
signification as with the A-types. The ratio of tight to loose types
approximates 1 : (5 - √5)/2; the ratio of weak to strong types approximates
1: (√5 - 1)/4. Again, if the ratios
were exact and non-A-types made up exactly half the a-lines, the expected
numbers would be:
tight
|
loose
|
|
strong
|
E
(16)
|
D
(22)
|
weak
|
C
(52)
|
B
(72)
|
again, a remarkably good fit.
That all these proportions are related
as they are may well be a feature of the language; I don't know that anyone has
looked at the phrase structure of Old English from that point of view. Marjorie
Daunt might have done so – it’s a long-standing regret of mine that I never
sought out that Cassandra of Old English prosody when I was first in England
and she might well have still been alive.
The matching of a- and b-lines,
however, would seem to be something that has to be credited to the poet. The
rule is that strong a-lines preferentially select non-A-types in the b-line,
and that weak a-lines preferentially select A-types. In both cases the
preferred b-lines are those in which the features ‘strong’ and ‘tight’ have the
same sign – so either strong and tight or weak and loose. This means any strong
a-line is preferentially followed by E or B, and any weak a-line by A or a*. In
each case the preferred option accounts for 1/√5 of occurrences, with the other
possibilities being divided equally. So for strong a-lines we have:
b-line
|
||
A-types
|
non-A-types
|
|
strong a-line
|
A or a* (30)
|
B or E (62)
|
a or A* (25)
|
C or D (25)
|
|
weak a-line
|
A or a* (82)
|
B or E (30)
|
a or A* (34)
|
C or D (35)
|
|
Again, if all assumptions held good,
the expected numbers would be:
b-line
|
||
A-types
|
non-A-types
|
|
strong a-line
|
A or a* (27)
|
B or E (65)
|
a or A* (27)
|
C or D (27)
|
|
weak a-line
|
A or a* (80)
|
B or E (33)
|
a or A* (33)
|
C or D (33)
|
|
So here we have a list of lines of
preferred types (the symbol b stands for B with additional medial unaccented
syllable or syllables) – apologies for the straggling:
13 gar to guþe.
He hæfde god geþanc A B
39 feoh wið freode,
and niman frið æt us, A B
161 reaf and hringas
and gerenod swurd. A B
163 brad and brunecg,
and on þa byrnan sloh. A B
168 wæpnes wealdan.
þa gyt þæt word gecwæð A B
204 heorðgeneatas
þæt hyra heorra læg. A B
214 hæleð on healle,
ymbe heard gewinn; A B
222 eard gesecan,
nu min ealdor ligeð A B
233 eorl on eorðan.
Us is eallum þearf A B
235 wigan to wige,
þa hwile þe he wæpen mæge A B
237 gar and godswurd.
Us Godric hæfð, A B
253 ord and iren.”
He ful yrre wod, A B
139 wlancne wicing,
þe him þa wunde forgeaf. A b
208 lif forlætan
oððe leofne gewrecan. A b
324 heow and hynde,
oðþæt he on hilde gecranc. A b
94 guman to guþe;
god ana wat A E
113 Wund wearð Wulfmær,
wælræste geceas, A E
274 gearo and geornful,
gylpwordum spræc A E
8 hafoc wið þæs holtes,
and to þære hilde stop; a B
10 wacian æt þam wige,
þa he to wæpnum feng. a B
28 ærænde to þam eorle,
þær he on ofre stod: a B
30 heton ðe secgan
þæt þu most sendan raðe a B
31 beagas wið gebeorge;
and eow betere is a B
50 sege þinum leodum
miccle laþre spell, a B
76 cafne mid his cynne,
þæt wæs Ceolan sunu, a B
101 Byrhtnoð mid beornum;
he mid bordum het a B
103 fæste wið feondum.
þa wæs feohte neh, a B
131 bord to gebeorge,
and wið þæs beornes stop. a B
140 Frod wæs se fyrdrinc;
he let his francan wadan a B
150 fleogan of folman,
þæt se to forð gewat a B
227 flotan on þam folce,
þæt se on foldan læg a B
232 þegenas to þearfe,
nu ure þeoden lið, a B
239 Wende þæs formoni man,
þa he on meare rad, a B
250 wordum ætwitan,
nu min wine gecranc, a B
252 wende fram wige,
ac me sceal wæpen niman, a B
299 he wæs on geþrange
hyra þreora bana, a B
321 Godric to guþe.
Oft he gar forlet, a B
187 Godric fram guþe,
and þone godan forlet a b
244 Leofsunu gemælde
and his linde ahof, a b
245 bord to gebeorge;
he þam beorne oncwæð: a b
110 bogan wæron bysige,
bord ord onfeng. a E
134 Sende ða se særinc
suþerne gar, a E
151 þurh ðone æþelan
Æþelredes þegen. a E
154 bræd of þam beorne
blodigne gar, a E
166 Feoll þa to foldan
fealohilte swurd; a E
230 Offa gemælde,
æscholt asceoc: a E
296 guðe gegremode;
gar oft þurhwod a E
38 syllan sæmannum
on hyra sylfra dom D B
107 earn æses georn;
wæs on eorþan cyrm. D B
157 ord in gewod,
þæt se on eorþan læg D B
247 fleon fotes trym,
ac wille furðor gan, D B
284 bærst bordes lærig,
and seo byrne sang D B
47 ættrynne ord
and ealde swurd, E B
114 Byrhtnoðes mæg;
he mid billum wearð, E B
211 Ælfwine þa cwæð,
he on ellen spræc: E B
267 Ecglafes bearn,
him wæs Æscferð nama. E B
285 gryreleoða sum.
þa æt guðe sloh E B
298 Þurstanes sunu,
wið þas secgas feaht; E B
46 Hi willað eow to gafole
garas syllan, A* A
52 þe wile gealgean
eþel þysne, A* A
165 þa he þæs eorles
earm amyrde. A* A
200 þæt þær modiglice
manega spræcon A* A
201 þe eft æt þearfe
þolian noldon. A* A
213 þonne we on bence
beot ahofon, A* A
241 forþan wearð her on felda
folc totwæmed, A* A
264 and on hyra feondum
fyl gewyrcan. A* A
275 þæt he nolde fleogan
fotmæl landes, A* A
307 þæt hi þær æt ðearfe
þolian sceoldon, A* A
7 he let him þa of handon
leofne fleogan a* A
14 þa hwile þe he mid handum
healdan mihte a* A
20 and bæd þæt hyra randas
rihte heoldon a* A
37 þæt þu þine leoda
lysan wille, a* A
70 Ne mihte hyra ænig
oþrum derian, a* A
81 þa noldon æt þam forda
fleam gewyrcan, a* A
83 þa hwile þe hi wæpna
wealdan moston. a* A
117 Gehyrde ic þæt Eadweard
anne sloge a* A
167 ne mihte he gehealdan
heardne mece, a* A
191 and his broðru mid him
begen ærndon, a* A
207 hi woldon þa ealle
oðer twega, a* A
217 þæt ic wæs on Myrcon
miccles cynnes; a* A
221 þæt ic of ðisse fyrde
feran wille, a* A
272 þa hwile ðe he wæpna
wealdan moste. a* A
323 swa he on þam folce
fyrmest eode, a* A
32 þæt ge þisne garræs
mid gafole forgyldon, a* a*
84 Þa hi þæt ongeaton
and georne gesawon a* a*
240 on wlancan þam wicge,
þæt wære hit ure hlaford; a* a*
2 Het þa hyssa hwæne
hors forlætan, B A
16 þa he ætforan his frean
feohtan sceolde. B A
58 on urne eard
in becomon. B A
60 us sceal ord and ecg
ær geseman, B A
71 buton hwa þurh flanes flyht
fyl gename. B A
105 þæt þær fæge men
feallan sceoldon. B A
106 Þær wearð hream ahafen,
hremmas wundon, B A
112 on gehwæðere hand,
hyssas lagon. B A
119 þæt him æt fotum feoll
fæge cempa; B A
125 on fægean men
feorh gewinnan, B A
135 þæt gewundod wearð
wigena hlaford; B A
149 Forlet þa drenga sum
daroð of handa, B A
162 Þa Byrhtnoð bræd
bill of sceðe, B A
175 Nu ic ah, milde metod,
mæste þearfe B A
178 on þin geweald,
þeoden engla, B A
188 þe him mænigne oft
mearh gesealde; B A
205 Þa ðær wendon forð
wlance þegenas, B A
218 wæs min ealda fæder
Ealhelm haten, B A
269 ac he fysde forð
flan genehe; B A
287 and ðær Gaddes mæg
grund gesohte. B A
301 Þær wæs stið gemot;
stodon fæste B A
310 (se wæs eald geneat),
æsc acwehte; B A
319 be swa leofan men,
licgan þence.” B A
68 Hi þær Pantan stream
mid prasse bestodon, B a*
17 Ða þær Byrhtnoð ongan
beornas trymian, b A
29 “Me sendon to þe
sæmen snelle, b A
86 ongunnon lytegian þa
laðe gystas, b A
173 “Geþancie þe,
ðeoda waldend, b A
184 ða onemn hyra frean
feorh gesealdon. b A
198 Swa him Offa on dæg
ær asæde b A
257 bæd þæt beorna gehwylc
Byrhtnoð wræce: b A
295 Ða wearð borda gebræc.
Brimmen wodon, b A
320 Swa hi Æþelgares bearn
ealle bylde, b A
72 Se flod ut gewat;
þa flotan stodon gearowe, b a*
189 he gehleop þone eoh
þe ahte his hlaford, b a*
24 þær he his heorðwerod
holdost wiste. C A
33 þon we swa hearde
hilde dælon. C A
59 Ne sceole ge swa softe
sinc gegangan; C A
62 Het þa bord beran,
beornas gangan, C A
63 þæt hi on þam easteðe
ealle stodon. C A
85 þæt hi þær bricgweardas
bitere fundon, C A
88 ofer þone ford faran,
feþan lædan. C A
95 hwa þære wælstowe
wealdan mote.” C A
98 ofer scir wæter
scyldas wegon, C A
100 Þær ongean gramum
gearowe stodon C A
129 þe on Denon wolde
dom gefeohtan. C A
142 þæt he on þam færsceaðan
feorh geræhte. C A
243 þæt he her swa manigne
man aflymde!” C A
266 he wæs on Norðhymbron
heardes cynnes, C A
293 on wælstowe
wundum sweltan; C A
306 hyra winemagas
wordon bædon C A
311 he ful baldlice
beornas lærde: C A
316 se ðe nu fram þis wigplegan
wendan þenceð. C A
96 Wodon þa wælwulfas
(for wætere ne murnon), C a*
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