Yes, Chaucer too. Chaucer is my favorite poet, and one of
the reasons for that—not the main reason, of course—is my
preference for enjambed narrative rather than ferociously end-stopped couplets.
I am somewhat surprised at the number of responses I seem to have
provoked. Is not a preference or dis-preference for heroic couplet
largely a matter of taste? Or maybe someone with expertise in Russian
verse might elucidate whether Shade’s practice is inherited via VN from
Russian precedents, especially Pushkin.
Eric Hyman
Professor of English,
Assistant Chair
Graduate Coordinator
Department of English
Fayetteville State University
1200 Murchison Rd.
Fayetteville, NC 28301
(910) 672-1901
ehyman@uncfsu.edu
From: Vladimir Nabokov
Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf Of G S Lipon
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 2:26 PM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] model poet
On Aug 25, 2010, at 11:40 AM, Hyman, Eric wrote:
Neither Browning nor
Shade’s verse is heroic couplets (as some say), because of that
enjambment,
and Chaucer too?
from the Knight's Portrait
Ful ofte tyme he hade the bord bigonne
Aboven alle nacions in Pruce;
...
In Gernade at
the seege eek hadde he be
Of Algezir,
and riden in Belmarye.
...
And foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene
In lystes thries,
and ay slayn his foo.
This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also
Somtyme with the lord of Palatye
Agayn another hethen in Turkye;
...
He nevere yet no vileynye
ne sayde
In al his lyf unto no maner wight.
...
Of fustian he wered a gypon
Al bismotered with
his habergeon,
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