Delphi Complete Works of Gerard Manley Hopkins

by Gerard Manley Hopkins

‘sprung rhythm’. Conventional poetic metre consists of a regulated number of poetic feet, which in turn regulate where syllables are stressed. By varying the number of poetic feet and the number of syllables within it, whilst ensuring that the stress is always placed on the first syllable of each foot, Hopkins created a rhythm much more akin to speech,

inscape to describe the particular pattern, cohesion or forms of beauty that a person either discovers in the natural world or thrusts upon it as a reflection of their own inner being.

Common English rhythm, called Running Rhythm above, is measured by feet of either two or three syllables and (putting aside the imperfect feet at the beginning and end of lines and also some unusual measures, in which feet seem to be paired together and double or composite feet to arise) never more or less. Every foot has one principal stress or accent, and this or the syllable it falls on may be called the Stress of the foot and the other part, the one or two unaccented syllables, the Slack.

Feet (and the rhythms made out of them) in which the stress comes first are called Falling Feet and Falling Rhythms, feet and rhythm in which the slack comes first are called Rising Feet and Rhythms, and if the stress is between two slacks there will be Rocking Feet and Rhythms.