Alcaic Stanza - in Latin Poetry

In Latin Poetry

One stanza consists of four lines; the first two lines are divided into two parts by a caesura after the fifth syllable. The metrical pattern of an Alcaic stanza would look like this:

_ _ u _ _ : _ u u _ u _ _ _ u _ _ : _ u u _ u _ _ _ u _ _ _ u _ _ _ u u _ u u _ u _ _

(An "_" denotes a long syllable, "u" a short one, and ":" is the caesura.)


Horace used the Alcaic stanza in his Odes, as can be seen from this example :

_ _ u _ _ :_ u u _ u _ Antehac nefas, depromere Caecubum _ _ u _ _ : _ u u _ u_ cellis avitis, dum Capitolio _ _ u _ _ _ u_ _ Regina dementis ruinas _ u u _ u u_ u _ _ funus et Imperio parabat.

An English translation, which still fits the metre, is :

_ _ u _ _ : _ u u _ u _ Prior to this, 'twas | irreligious to waste _ _ u _ _ : _ u u _ u _ Old Caecuban wine | whilst, for the Capitol _ _u _ _ _ u _ _ Mad ruination plots the Queen, and _ u u _ u u _ u _ _ Even a funeral for the Empire.

A famous example of English Alcaics is Tennyson's "Milton:"

O mighty-mouth'd inventor of harmonies, O skill'd to sing of Time or Eternity, God-gifted organ-voice of England, Milton, a name to resound for ages!

The Alcaic stanza was adapted to use in English and French during the Renaissance. It was historically an important form in Hungarian poetry .

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