Abstract
tent. This view is far from my sense of poetry. is distinguishable from content.1 My own sense of poetry accords with Steele's, but many critics take a diametrically opposed view. Mary Kinzie, for example, confidently declares that Form should follow theme and enshrines the Follows Theme doctrine as a key concept in her analysis of poetry.2 It may, however, be possible to analyze a formal element like meter without always turning it into a species of rhythmical onomatopoeia. This essay attempts to demonstrate that the idea of meter as slave to meaning is untenable and that recognizing how meter can be and usually is unbound from content can facilitate a much richer appreciation of the contribution meter makes to our experience of verse. After addressing the general issue of meter's relationship to meaning, I will focus on an analysis of Shakespeare's blank verse rhythms and explore how they make the experience of his plays more complex and more engaging. Jurij Lotman states emphatically that all the systems of sound patterning in poetic language are too inextricably linked to the content of a poem to have any independent function. Thus, he says, such sound patterns should always be treated as semiotic, as message-bearing signs. According to Lotman:
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
