I.

Introduction

Versification, art of making verses, or the theory of the phonetic structure of verse. This theory considers the phonetic characteristics of verse both as absolute elements and as relative to the other, nonphonetic elements of verse.

Theoretically, any phonetic characteristics of a language, such as the number of syllables in an utterance, the degrees of energy or lengths of time taken to utter them, or even their pitch, may be organized into an orderly and symmetrical pattern. The study of versification in the poetry of different languages and periods must take account of these possibilities.