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Rhyme in the Odes of Horace

Blackett, Alfred Wilkinson; (1962) Rhyme in the Odes of Horace. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London). Green open access

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Abstract

In the Odes rhyme between two short syllables is not uncommon, but seems to be hardly felt and to be subject to no rules other than that certain types of neighbouring homoeoteleuton are avoided. The rhyme between two long syllables is commonly between a noun and its I attribute, and rarely between two syntactically unrelated words. For the most part this rhyme occurs, in each type of line, between the syllable immediately preceding the caesura and the final syllable of the line. Some differences exist between the different lines and, to a lesser extent, between the different books in the behaviour of rhyme; but between the Sapphics of the Carmen Saeculare and those o! the Odes there is a real contrast in the frequency of rhyme. The fact that unrelated endings are seldom found to rhyme in the positions where the rhyme of noun and attribute is most frequent is, in all probability a deliberate device of the poet. On the other hand, the frequent occurrence in those position of rhyming noun and attribute would appear to result, at any rate to some extent, from avoidance of rhyme between words in close proximity. Unrelated endings may be said never to rhyme in neighbouring words, but attributive rhyme also is exceedingly rare. The general avoidance of rhyme between unrelated words, as attested by other endings, proves that editorial practice in deciding between the alternative –es, is (third declen. acc. plur.) endings is, in many cases, either arbitrary or misguided. It is observed that where either –es, or -is rhymes, as frequently happens with unrelated endings, especially in 'sensitive, positions of the line, rhyme should be avoided by using the alternative form. The same observation regarding unrelated rhyme also shows some few emendations to the text of the Odes to be highly improbable.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: Ph.D
Title: Rhyme in the Odes of Horace
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Thesis digitised by ProQuest.
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10047704
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