The Long and the Short of It: A Practical Guide to European Versification Systems - Softcover

Dane, Joseph A.

 
9780268026035: The Long and the Short of It: A Practical Guide to European Versification Systems
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0268026033 ISBN 13: 9780268026035
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press, 2010

Synopsis

Students of English literature now rarely receive instruction in versification (theory or practice) at either the undergraduate or the graduate level. The Long and the Short of It is a clear, straightforward account of versification that also functions as an argument for a renewed attention to the formal qualities of verse and for a renewed awareness of the forms and traditions that have shaped the way we think about English verse.

After an introduction and discussion of basic principles, Joseph A. Dane devotes a chapter to quantitative verse (Latin), syllabic or isosyllabic verse (French), and accentual verse (Old English/Germanic). In addition to basic versification systems, the book includes a chapter on musical forms, since verse was originally sung. Most serious studies of these systems in English have been designed for language students, and are not accessible to students of English literature or general readers. This book will enable the reader to scan verse in all three systems, and it will also provide a framework within which students can understand points of contention about particular verse forms. The guide includes a chapter addressed to teachers of English, an appendix with examples of verse types, and a glossary of commonly used terms.

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About the Author

Joseph A. Dane is professor of English at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He is the author of a number of books, including The Long and the Short of It: A Practical Guide to European Versification Systems (University of Notre Dame Press, 2010) and Out of Sorts: On Typography and Print Culture.

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Publisher
University of Notre Dame Press
Publication date
2010
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0268026033
ISBN 13 
9780268026035
Binding
Paperback
Edition number
1
Number of pages
132