spondee

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Spondee (also Spondäus ; plural spondees ; ancient Greek σπονδεῖος spondeios from σπονδή Sponde , German , libation ' , meter the Opferlied; latin spondee ) referred to in the Verslehre a metrical foot , Greek in quantitierenden and Latin meter of two long syllables is, in metric So notation :

- -

In the metric formula notation , the spondeus becomes withsp abbreviated.

The spondeus does not act as a figurative, that is, there is no meter consisting of spondae , but appears in the verse as a rhythmic variant especially of the dactylus and the anapest , less often in the iambus or trochaeus . In the hexameter , where it can enter the first four feet, it serves as a means of variety to avoid monotony. With the spondeus in the fifth foot, the hexameter is referred to as a spondiacus or spondeiazon , if it consists only of spondae, it is called the holospondeus .

German Spondeen

In German, in imitation of ancient occurs quantitierenden versification to replace the syllable length as the organizing principle syllabic stress . According to this principle, the Spondeus is difficult to reproduce in German, since two consecutive stressed syllables cause a pause between speaking ( lifting rebound ). If the meter allows or requires such a pause in speaking at the relevant point, for example at the main caesuras of the hexameter, a spondeus can be formed without any problems:

But when he came into the room, Grosser said: Well, mistress, what do you think?
—◡◡ˌ — ◡◡ˌ— ‖ —ˌ — ◡ | ◡ˌ — ◡◡ˌ — ◡

If a caesura is not admissible, you can instead let two long syllables follow one another (“blood moon”), of which the first usually bears the main emphasis, while the second is only secondary; the regular principle of replication (emphasis on length) is not thereby fulfilled. Words that correspond to this pattern, such as “storm night”, “bloody deed” or “full moon” can be described as spondical feet of words , the metrics also speak of a falling spondus ; With a rising Spondeus , the first syllable carries the secondary stress, the second syllable the main stress: "uphill", "join in!".

The strength of the east wind rolled the infinite abundance of the sea
—◡◡ˌ —— ˌ— ‖ ◡◡ˌ — ◡◡ˌ — ◡◡ˌ — ◡

The problem of the Spondeus in German, however, required a solution, since the expressiveness of the Hexameter is essentially due to the alternation of dactyls and Spondeen in the verse. Most effectively addresses so that the translator as the (written in hexameters) has Homeric epics known Johann Heinrich Voss . His solution was the so-called looped spondus . The syllable that is stronger in terms of stress is placed in the weaker position, i.e. in the position of (metric) lowering and is thus somewhat weakened; the syllable that is weaker in terms of stress occupies the accentuation and is thus somewhat strengthened; Overall, the two syllables are so similar that they are almost equally stressed.

Offering a small telescope to spot the dusty road,
—◡◡ˌ —— ˌ— ‖ ◡◡ˌ — ◡◡ˌ — ◡◡ˌ——

The following verse by Voss is also known, in which a spondeus instead of a dactylus is realized in all five possible places; only the fifth foot remains a dactyl.

As pitch black rose up around, a threatening storm night
- —ˌ— —ˌ— —ˌ— —ˌ — ◡◡ˌ— -

Another example from his translation of Virgil's Aeneid :

All 'now, happy competition swing, powerful all around, raise your arms

Voss has been criticized for such verses and accused of exaggerated rigor in the reproduction of ancient meters. Andreas Heusler branded Voss' looped spondes as "false spondes" and spoke of "spondial disease". Indeed, it is difficult to follow Voss when he is the verse

A gloomy storm night drew in, and the sea billowed with horror
—◡◡ˌ — ◡ˌ — ◡ˌ — ◡ˌ — ◡◡ˌ— -

"Artless naturalness" certifies, and on the other hand "nature refined by art" in the "overloaded with looped spondes" version

Storm night drew gloomier, and the sea billowed up all around
—◡◡ˌ— —ˌ— —ˌ— —ˌ — ◡◡ˌ— -

means to recognize. Even if the way in which Voss presented his looped spondes was recognized by contemporaries such as Wieland , Herder and Goethe , he was ultimately not followed, but opted for “artless naturalness” and rhythmic monotony through change in the hexameter avoided by dactylus and trochaeus, with the sparing interference of falling and rising spondes. Looped spondes are also found, albeit only as an exception, not as a rule; The aim is often the linguistic emphasis of certain content. The pentameter of the first distich of Emanuel Geibel's Charmion offers an example :

Daily flurry and storm and again storm and flurry!
Eternally cloudy, heavy as lead, the sky weighs down;
—◡◡ˌ —— ˌ— ‖ —◡◡ˌ — ◡◡ˌ—

The looped Spondeus "-wölkt, leadi- | heavy" supports the presented content with its three heavy syllables, which can be spoken evenly and with great emphasis.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ferdinand von Saar : Hermann and Dorothea V, 39
  2. ↑ Gotthard Ludwig Kosegarten : Jucunde III, 48
  3. ^ Johann Heinrich Voß : Luise III, 17
  4. ^ Voss: Time measurement of the German language. Königsberg 1802, p. 132 .
  5. ^ Virgil, Aeneid VIII, 452
  6. ^ Günter Häntzschel: Johann Heinrich Voss: his Homer translation as a linguistic creative achievement. Beck, Munich 1977, ISBN 3-406-05158-8 , p. 71
  7. ^ Voss: Time measurement of the German language. Königsberg 1802, p. 248 .