Poetic meter and the arboreal grid

POETIC METER AND THE ARBOREAL GRID Michael Hammond University ofArizona This paper is concerned with the representation of stress that poetic meter refers to. Hayes 1983 argues that meter is sensitive to the metrical grid of Liberman & Prince 1977; here it is argued that meter is sensitive to the arboreal grid of Hammond 1988. This argument is made on the basis of two constraints that hold for the meter of James Thomson . These constraints are unstatable in terms of the metrical grid or metrical tree.* 1.Introduction. The goal of generative metrics is to characterize metrical styles in terms of principles and constraints which are taken to be part of poets' unconscious knowledge of language and meter. Conceived of in this way, generative meter provides the foundations of a critical theory of meter. In this paper the meter of James Thomson (1700-1748) is considered. At first glance, Thomson's metrical style appears rather simple; however, its proper characterization presents interesting challenges for metrical theory. Specifically , I argue that Thomson's metrical practice cannot be characterized adequately in terms of the usual representations that have been used for theories of meter—the metrical tree and the metrical grid—and I propose an alternative representation of stress for describing Thomson's meter. I do not offer a theory of poetic meter here, but I do provide the underpinnings for such a theory by establishing what representation of stress a theory of meter must refer to. 2.Generative approaches to meter. Generative approaches to English poetic meter have focussed on the distribution of stressed syllables in iambic pentameter, which can be characterized in terms of lines made up of ten syllables . Odd-numbered syllables are termed 'weak'; even-numbered syllables are 'strong': (l)wswswswsw Stressless syllables can occur in strong or weak position. Stressed syllables usually occur in strong position but may, under special circumstances, occur in weak position. These circumstances differ from poet to poet. Generative metrical studies attempt to determine the range of variation exhibited by poets in the distribution of stressed syllables in weak position, and ultimately to explain that variation. Within the metrical theory of stress (Liberman & Prince 1977, McCarthy 1985, Hayes 1981, Selkirk 1984, Halle & Vergnaud 1987, Hammond 1988, etc.), two basic approaches have been taken to meter: the tree-based theory of meter (Kiparsky 1977) and the grid-based theory of meter (Hayes 1983, 1989). These theories differ in their identification of the representation of stress that is relevant for determining (poetic) metricality. * Thanks to Diana Archangeli, Ti Chang, Mike Darnell, Bruce Hayes, Lisa Jensen. Linda Karlen. Lyn Kramer, Shaun O'Connor, Dick Oehrle, Jon Polek, the editor, and three anonymous reviewers for useful comments. All errors of data or analysis are the author's. 240 POETIC METER AND THE ARBOREAL GRID 241 The tree-based theory maintains that the metrical tree of Liberman & Prince 1977 is the appropriate representation of stress for meter. Metrical trees are binary-branching structures where sister nodes are labelled 'strong' and 'weak'. Stressless syllables can be labelled only with a terminal 'w', but stressed syllables can be labelled with V or 'w'.1 The tree-based theory of meter claims that the distinctions encoded in the tree are those that are relevant for meter; constituency and the distinction between strong nodes and weak nodes should thus be relevant for determining metricality. The metrical tree representation for the first line of Shakespeare's first sonnet is given in 2. (2) ? ? WSW SWwwsws From fairest creatures we desire increase wsw swSWSWS VVVVV The grid-based theory of meter maintains that the metrical grid of Liberman & Prince, revised by Hayes (1983), is the appropriate representation of stress. Metrical grids are columns of exes or asterisks associated with a string where the relative heights of the columns indicate degree of stress. Whether a syllable bears any stress at all is indicated by whether there is any column associated with it; stressless syllables are marked with a dot. The grid-based theory claims that the distinctions encoded by the grid are those that are relevant for meter. These include the indication of whether a syllable bears stress and the relative level of stress. The grid...