In general the special accent may he said to be the climax of the verse movement. It is the crest of the wave, and, as noted above, the dynamic shading is not always made by an increase up to the accent, nor by a stress on a special accent, but by a sharp diminuendo immediately following the accent. A study of the phonograph record brings out these forms of shading, especially when the record is repeated slowly, exaggerating the dynamic variations and giving an opportunity for more careful observation.
Within the verse the general form of the syllable as it appears in the mass of closely written vibrations, often varies, but nearly always shows a square end. Several very common shapes are noticed and appear in the record as (1) 'truncated cones,' (2) 'boxes,' and (3) 'truncated spindles.' (See Fig. 7.)
With the particular syllable used, 'ta,' the beginning of curve form was usually square and abrupt (4), and not gradual (5), although a few of the latter type are found ('spindle').
One syllable form has an especial interest, because of its bearing on the problem of 'finality' feeling at the close of the verse. At the close of each verse, whether with or without rhyme, the syllable form is always a 'cone' (6) (cf. Fig. 8). Of about 600 verses measured not more than 15 are exceptions to this rule. Of these 15 exceptions 10 are under special conditions and confirm the hypothesis that this form is related to the finality process. The form very rarely occurs within the verse, and when it does it is usually before some cæsura, or under unusual conditions.
This 'cone' form of the closing syllable of the verse indicates a falling of the intensity of the voice. It is often, though not always, associated with a fall in the pitch, showing relaxation of the vocal cords. It seems to be an indication of the dying out of the intensity factor, a sinking of the tension, at the close of the verse. In the case of unrhymed verses, with long verse pause, the cone is often very much elongated, and it is quite impossible to say where the sound ceases.
Special accentuation of the long syllable of the foot increases the length of the sonant, of the accented element, and of the entire foot. There is probably a slight increase of the total length of an accented verse as compared with the similar unaccented, but no calculations were made to show that point. This is quite in accord with other results (Meumann, Ebhardt). This special accentuation is connected with an increased mean variation of the time values, as noted above. It is in that sense a 'disturbing factor.'
TABLE IX.
VERSE PAUSES (INCLUDING FINAL SONANT) TOGETHER WITH THE AVERAGE OF THE CORRESPONDING ELEMENT WITHIN THE VERSE.
| Average long element of first 3 feet. | Verse pause of 1st verse of stanza. | Verse pause of 2d verse of stanza. | Verse pause of 3d verse of stanza. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End Rhymes. | |||||
| Mc. | 26 | 34 | 104a | 35 | |
| 45 | 45a | 80b | 80a | ||
| 31 | 33 | 64a | 36 | ||
| 41 | 52a | 51b | 75a | ||
| Ha. | 41 | 44a | 44 | 45a | |
| 43 | 47a | 43b | 46a | ||
| 39 | 41a | 49b | 46a | ||
| 43 | 46a | 45b | 45a | ||
| 36 | 44 | 41a | 53 | ||
| 35 | 44a | 58a | 38b | ||
| 33 | 40 | 73a | ×30 | ||
| Hu. | 28 | ×25a | 50 | 28a | |
| Feminine Rhymes. | |||||
| Hu. | 18 | 21a | 37a | 19b | |
| 19 | 20a | 22a | 16b | ||
| 19 | 21a | 21a | 16b | ||
| Mc. | 36 | 72a | 64 | 51a | |
| 36 | ×32 | 41a | 40 | ||
| 22 | 22a | ×18 | 29a | ||
| Ha. | 27 | 31a | 44b | 28a | |
| 36 | 79 | ×30 | 40 | ||
| 30 | 36 | 79a | 30b | ||
| 31 | 38 | 50a | 36 | ||
| 32 | 39a | 42 | 40a | ||
| Am. | 34 | 70 | 95a | 85 | |
| 35 | 73a | 94 | 89a | ||
| 30 | 45 | 47a | 86 | ||
| 28 | 54 | 53a | 70 | ||
| G. | 19 | 64a | 64 | 79a | |
| 19 | 73a | 83b | 76a | ||
| 21 | 81 | 67a | — | ||
| 19 | 61 | 83a | 79 | ||
The rhymes are marked 'a' and 'b'; e.g., couplets a, a, b, b, etc. Verse pauses in italics are equal to the foot pause; those marked 'x' are less than the foot pause.