[§ 2.] METRE AND VERSIFICATION.
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As I mentioned before, the romance of Sir Torrent is composed in the well-known tail-rhymed twelve-line stanza, and belongs to that class of it in which the first and the second couplets have different rhyme-sounds (cf. Koelbing, Amis and Amiloun, p. xiv ff.). Only the incompleteness of many stanzas, and the many defects in reference to the rhyme, can excuse Halliwell for not apprehending the character of the metre. As to the structure of the eight lines of the four couplets, each contains (or at least ought to contain) four accents, the caudæ three; but as we, unfortunately, possess only one MS., a conclusive statement on this point is impossible. There is no doubt about the fact that neither the really incorrect rhymes nor the wanting of them can be due to the author of the poem: even when romance poetry was decaying, the poets were fairly perfect rhymers: with all deficiencies in this department, the copyists are to be charged.
Consonant rhymes (s. Schipper Altengl. Metrik, p. 299) are found in Torrent in the following passages: l. [141] rode—rode ags. rôd—râd. [450] the—the ags. þeón—þe. [1558] indede—dede. [2205] lay—lay, sg.—plr. prt.
Identical rhymes are frequent, especially in the caudæ: [81] stond—stond. [177] there—there. [500] he—hee. [1887] there—there. [2538] blithe—blithe. [39] take—take. [342] bold—bold, a. s. o.
Assonances: [195] bon)—Rome. [518] undyrstond—strong. [537] name—alone. [699] yod—fotte. [758] name—tane. [896] bryng—wynd. [1257] overcom)—Aragon). [1768] man)—cam). [2164] anon)—fome. [2544] sithe—hide.
Besides the rhymes we find abundant alliteration, as in most of the Middle English Romances. On alliteration, cf. Regel, Die alliteration in Laȝamon, Germ. Stud. I. 171; F. Lindner, The alliteration in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Essays on Chaucer, Pt. III., p. 197 ff. Koelbing, Sir Tristrem, p. xxxvii, and Amis and Amiloun, p. lxvi. Lindner as well as Koelbing has adopted Regel’s classification, and so shall I. The most frequent is two alliterative words in one verse; they can be classed in the following way:—
I. A. The same word is repeated in two succeeding lines; v. [456 f.]: Forthe sche browght a whyt sted, As whyt as the flowyr in) med; v. [618 f.]: In IV quarters he hym drowe, And euery quarter vppon a bowe. v. [2026 f.]: But ran into a wildernes Amongist beests that wyld wes. v. [2465 f.]: They axid hors and armes bryght, to horsbak went thay in ffere.
B. Alliterative combinations, one part of which is a proper name. Torrent is several times combined with the verb take; [26]: Towarde hym he takythe Torrayne; [224]: Torrent thether toke the way; [519]: Torrent toke a dulful wey; [2269]: Whan sir Torent was takyn) than); [91]: Now, be my trowthe, seyd Torent than); [1161]: Alas, said Desonell̴ the dere; [2523]: As was dame Desonell̴; [1906] = [1946] = [1969]: Mary myld. To send unto her Sathanas. v. [1091]: The castell̴ of Cardon).
II. A. Words of the same root are alliterative. [133]: Torrent, on kne knelyd he; [671]: That on hys kne he kneld; [2502]: And knelid on her kne; [205]: Torrent knelyd on hys kne = v. [528]; [881]: And knelyd vppon ys kne; [1883]: She knelid down) vppon) her kne; [2563]: Down) they knelid on) her kne; [512]: By dymmynge of the day; [1158]: For her love did I never no dede; [1801]: That ylke dede, that she hath done; [1943]: How she flew in a fflight; [2384]: Liffe and lyvelode, whill̴ I lyve; [233]: A lyon) & a lyonasse; [1671]: For to se that selly sight; [407]: For the talles thou hast me told; [1466]: And fals talis hym) told; [2578]: Euer we will̴ be at youre will̴.