Christopher Aruffo, MFA, MBA, MSc, PhD
A line may have too many syllables to fit the available space. To resolve this problem, you need to reduce length. You can shorten syllables to make them fit the space, or you can rearrange lines to take syllables away.
Syllables aren't always on the line where they belong. Grammatical phrase boundaries often don't match up with foot divisions. Whenever this happens, a foot may be split across lines, leaving extra syllables dangling at either end.
A split foot must be repaired or it will create inequality. When an extra syllable is left dangling, its foot is naturally finished by a pause. Unrepaired, a split foot thereby becomes an extra foot-- making its line unequally long.
, 2
, ,
, ,
Heaven is | my judge, | not I | for love | or du|ty ** (six feet)
, ,
, , 2 ,
But seem|ing so | for my | pecu|liar end. (five feet)
Split feet can be repaired by marking the rhythmical line boundary. The boundary can be marked with a double vertical line, and an arrow can indicate on which rhythmical line the dangling syllable belongs.
,
, ,
,
Jack and | Jill went | up the | hill
<- ,
, ,
to || fetch a | pail of | water. | **
**Pause
Here are some examples from William Shakespeare. In the second example, 2-> indicates the short syllables are quickened. If you read each of these examples out loud, without pausing, you will feel how the rhythm flows from line to line.
,
, ,
, , ->
Or, with | the rest, | where is | your dar|ling Rut||land?
, ,
, ,
2 ,
Look, | York: I | stained this | napkin | with the blood
, 2
, ,
, , 2->
Heaven is | my judge, | not I | for love | or du||ty
, ,
, , 2 ,
But seem|ing so | for my | pecu|liar end.
Split feet are a normal part of verse. They are an inevitable artifact of English grammar. Whenever you find a stray syllable at either end of a line, it may be part of a split foot.
| , , , , ,
My for|mer speech|es have | but hit | your thoughts, , , , , 2 , Which can | inter|pret fur|ther: on|ly, I say, , , , , , 2-> *** Things have | been strange|ly borne. | The gra|cious Dun||can , , , , 2 , Was pit|ied of | Macbeth: | marry, | he was dead: 2 , , 2 , , , And the right|valiant | Banquo | walked too | late; XXX , , 2 , , , Whom, you | may say, | if it please | you, Fle|ance killed, , , , , , For Fle|ance fled: | men must | not walk | too late. , , , , , Who can|not want | the thought | how mon|strous XXX , , , , , It was | for Mal|colm and | for Don|albain , , , , , To kill | their gra|cious fa|ther? damn|ed fact! , , , , , How^it | did grieve | Macbeth! | did he | not straight , , , , , In pi|ous rage | the two | delin|quents tear, , , , , , That were | the slaves | of drink | and thralls | of sleep? , , , 2 , , Was not | that nob|ly done? | Ay, and wise|ly too; , , , , , For 'twould | have an|gered an|y heart | alive , , , 2 , , To hear | the men | deny | it. So that, | I say, 2 , , , , , , He has borne | all things | well: and | I do think XXX , , , , , That had | he Dunc|an's sons | under | his key-- , , , 2 , 2 , As, and | it please | heaven, | he shall not--| they should find , , , , , 2-> *** What 'twere | to kill | a fa|ther; so | should Fle||ance. , , , , , But, peace! | For from | broad words, | and 'cause | he failed XXX , , , , His pres|ence at the ty|rant's feast, | I hear XXX , , , , , Macduff | lives in | disgrace. | Sir, can | you tell , , , Where he | bestows | himself? XXX *** line has been changed XXX line is still unequal 18 out of 24 lines are now equal. |
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