A History of English Versification

by J. Schipper

with trisyllabic thesis, ×–́×××–́×–́×, as

hȳ twḗgen sceolon tǣ́fle ymbsíttan. Gnom. Ex. 182;

the initial thesis or anacrusis is rarely disyllabic.

Type B B, ×.–́×...–́×.–́, about nine times and mostly in the first hemistichs, as

gebī́dan þæs hē gebǣ́dan ne mǣ́g. Gnom. Ex. 105;

with resolution of two of the accented syllables,

ofercúmen bið hē ǣ́r hē ācwéle. Gnom. Ex. 114.

Type B C, × . . –́× . . . –́–́ ×, nearly as common as the last and nearly always in the first hemistich, as

and nā́hte éaldfḗondum.Dan. 454,

begóten of þæs gúman sī́dan.Cross 49.