Versification: A Short Introduction is written by one of Australia's most distinguished poets. The book discusses poetic meter, and may be the only source you need. McAuley devotes a short chapter to versification based on accent, syllable count, free verse and "classical" meters, but the book as a whole focuses on metrical verse and its constant reference back to stress in normal speech—it suceeds in showing meterical verse as a natural outgrowth of what we do naturally. This dispels quickly any sense of the esoteric—poetry is of and for people in general not for a special literati. After establishing meter in the normal sphere of speech, McAuley then discusses how abstract meterical patterns are actually applied and how variety is added to avoid a sing-song effect.
Preface
CONTENTS
I. From Stress to Metre
II. Metrical Variation
III. Metrical Accent and Speech Stress
IV. The Actual Line of Spoken Verse
V. Other Elements of Variety
VI. Other Systems of Versification
A Short Glossary
A Select List for Reading
James Phillip McAuley was at the University of Sydney and University of Tasmania. He became the first editor of Quadrant, the Australian organ of the anti-communist Association for Cultural Freedom.
