|
Jean Racine - Esther
Between the two hemistiches of an hexameter there must be a pause, called la césure, or 'caesura.'
RHYME.
French poetry being less rhythmical than English, owing to the absence of strong word-accents, makes
up the deficiency by much greater stress on rhyme. In French verse, rhyme not only is almost
indispensable, but must, in a measure, satisfy the eye as well as the ear. For instance, words ending in 's'
'x' or 'z' can only rhyme with words also ending in one of these three letters. Hence, the use of such
obsolete forms as voi for vois (ll. 890, 947); the latter could not rhyme with moi
or roi.
French rhymes are called "feminine" when they have a 'mute e' in or after their last sounded syllable;
e.g., descendue, mémoire, armées, coururent, cabales,
assassinaient are feminine rhymes. In all other cases they are called 'masculine' rhymes.
In heroic verse the masculine and feminine rhymes are generally found in alternating pairs. In lyrics,
however, they are freely crossed, but with this restriction, that one rhyme of either kind is never found
next to a different one of the same kind, i.e., two different masculines or feminines are never
found in juxtaposition.
HIATUS.
Two sounded vowels coming together form a "hiatus." A hiatus between a vowel at the end of a word
and another at the beginning of the next, is forbidden. Hence, l. 546, where the straightforward
expression would have been lui échappe, Racine wrote the equivalent nous échappe, in
order to avoid the hiatus.
Lastly, a sounded vowel, followed by an unelided 'mute e,' must be at the end of the line. Thus the
word Mardochée must always be at the end of the line, or else be followed by a word beginning
with a vowel or 'mute h,' so that its 'mute e' may be elided. Cf. ll. 44, 618, and 156, 459, etc. Such words
as armées, joies, etc., whose 'mute e' cannot be elided, can never occur in the body of the
line. The only exception is made in favor of the verb-endings in - oient and - aient. Cf. ll. 527, 1111.
In French poetry, as in French grammar, 'mute h' always = a vowel, and 'aspirate h' = a consonant.
The rules given above apply to classical French poetry only. The modern poetical schools of the
nineteenth century have been taking liberties with them, especially with the caesura. The latest school of
French poets, the symbolistes or décadents as they style themselves, are attempting to
overthrow every one. At their hands the caesura has finally disappeared, and the following form, called
a ternaire, has become possible:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Où je filai | pensivement | la blanche laine. (Th. de Banville.)
Then the 'mute e's' are disregarded:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Avec les filles | du vieux seigneur | en robes blanches.
(H. de Régnier.)
|
