Chapter II: The Alliterative Verse in Old English

§ 14. General remarks 15
15. Theories on the metrical form of the alliterative line 15
16. The four-beat theory 16
17. The two-beat theory 19
18. Accentuation of Old English 24
19. The secondary accent 28
20. Division and metrical value of syllables 29
21. Structure of the whole alliterative line 30
22. The structure of the hemistich in the normal alliterative
line 31
23. Number of unaccented syllables of the thesis 33
24. Order of the verse-members in the hemistich 35

ANALYSIS OF THE VERSE TYPES.

I. _Hemistichs of four members._

25. Type A, with sub-types A 1-3 36
26. Type B, with sub-types B 1, 2 41
27. Type C, with sub-types C 1-3 42
28. Type D, with sub-types D 1-4 42
29. Type E, with sub-types E 1, 2 43

II. _Hemistichs of five members._

30. Type A*, with sub-types A* 1, 2; Type B*; Type C*; Type D*,
with sub-types D* 1-3 44
31. Principles adopted in classification 45
32. Combination of hemistichs by means of alliteration 45

PRINCIPLES OF ALLITERATION.

33. Quality of the alliteration 46
34. Position of the alliterative words 48
35. Alliteration in relation to the parts of speech and to
the order of words 50
36. Arrangement and relationship of verse and sentence 54

THE LENGTHENED VERSE.

37. The lengthened line; alliteration 55
38. The origin and structure of the lengthened verse 57
39. Examples of commonly occurring forms of the lengthened
hemistich 59

FORMATION OF STANZAS AND RHYME.

40. Classification and examples 62