Modifying Sievers [microform] : a Theory of Word Groups in Old English Meter

Résumé du livre

The solution proposed here is to allow all six possible Types in a simplified form. Examination of the grounds for rejecting the sixth Type reveals no sound basis for doing so. Having six Types provides a theoretical basis for composition: to use all possible varieties of two lifts and two drops. This allows the retention of the most enduring aspects of Sievers' theory: the concept of Types as a simple guide for poet and audience, and the basic four-part verse. To these are added the concept of the word-group made familiar by Geoffrey Russom. Allowing six Types leads to a radical revision of aspects of resolution and the role of the half-stress.