Danila Gomulkin An Easy Introduction to Comparative Metrics

Cluster-Moraic Verse
In general, long and short syllables can be treated as durations and be grouped in feet depending on
what we take for a “straight” rhythm:

(1) descending rhythm of fragmentation (division) of durations in accentuated tact (dactyl), or

(2) rising rhythm of aggregation (grouping) of shorter durations into larger ones (anapest), or
(3) reciprocal combination of the two rhythmical principles (anapestic dipodia)

Here I suggest to consider the rhythm of “quantitative meters” not as an alteration of one- and two-
mora syllables ( ˘ / ˉ ), but an alternation of larger moraic groups, resulting from segmentation of
moraic continuum by consonant clusters (syllable “lengths”):

ˉ /˘ˉ /˘˘ˉ/˘˘˘ˉ/˘˘˘˘ˉ
2 3 4 5 6 ...moras

In contrast to cluster-syllabic verse (see 2.1 of Easy Introduction to comparative metrics) where
syllabic clusters “do not count” metrically, in cluster-moraic verse clusters not only divide, but add
a measure to the preceding syllable, thus turning a syllabic line into moraic.

Notation. Along with traditional metrical notation (a), I use modified “Arabic” notation (from left
to right) in syllabic (b), and moraic (c) versions, along with a kind of phonetic notation (d):

(a) ˘ ˟ ˉ Traditional metrical notation

“Arabic” notation (syllabic): the “length” (|) does not have metrical
(b) O O| O|| weight, but divides syllables (OOOO) into rhythmical groups (O|O|OO||)
“Arabic” notation (moraic): the “length” (o|) has metrical weight and
(c) o o(o|) oo| divides moras (oooooooo) into rhythmical groups (oo|oo|oooo|)
Phonetic notation: “M” lengthens a syllable and/or interrupts the syllable
(d) ta ta(M) taM
flow

Moraic dipodia

For a 8-mora dipodia (cf. fixed 8- and 16-mora meters of classical Sanskrit verse), the following
rhythmic patterns conform with the straight rising rhythm:

(a) ˉ ˉ ˉ ˉ ˉ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ ˉ ˘˘ ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˘˘ ˘˘ ˉ
(c) oo|oo|oo|oo| oo|oo|oooo| oooo|oooo| oo|oooooo| oooooooo|
(d) taMtaMtaMtaM taMtaMtatataM tatataMtatataM taMtatatatataM tatatatatatataM

Their rhythmical counterparts in syllabic verse are:

(a) ˉ ˉ ˉ ˉ ˉ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˉ ˘ ˘ ˉ ˘ ˘ ˘ ˉ
(b) О||O||O||O|| О||O||OO|| OO||OO|| O||OOO|| OOOO||
(d) taMtaMtaMtaM taMtaMtataM tataMtataM taMtatataM tatatataM

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Danila Gomulkin An Easy Introduction to Comparative Metrics

Macro-syncopation
Macro-syncopation: shifting the expected foot border by even number of moras to the left due to
resolution of a long syllable expected at the even biceps ( ˘˘ ) of an 8-mora dipodia.

“Intra-dipodic” syncopation:

(a) ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ ˉ ˘˘ ˘˘ ˉ
(c) oooo|oooo| > oo|oooooo|
(d) tatataM-tatataM taMtata-tatataM

Compare with “intra-dipodic” syncopation in cluster-syllabics:

(a) ˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ
(b) ОO|OO|| > О|OOO||
(d) tataMtataM taMtatataM

"Inter-dipodic" syncopation ():

(a) ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ ˉ ˘˘ ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ
(c) oooo|oooo|oooo|oooo| oooo|oo|oooooo|oooo|
(d) tatataM-tatataM-tatataM-tatataM tatataM-taMtata-tatataM-tatataM

Compare with “inter-dipodic” syncopation in cluster-syllabics:

(a) ˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˘ˉ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ
(b) ОO|OO||ОO|OO|| > ОO|O||OОO|OO||
(d) tataMtataM-tataMtataM tataMtaMta-tataMtataM

Micro-syncopation
Micro-syncopation: shifting of the expected foot border on one mora to the left (“anaclasis”) that
changes the internal structure of dipodia from 4+4 to 3+5.

(a) ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˘ ˘˘ ˉ
(c) oooo|oooo| > ooo|ooooo|
(d) tatataM-tatataM tataMta-tatataM

The syncope is represented in Greek-Roman meters by dochmiac and anaclastic ionics

(Galliiambus, Sotadic verse). Here is the meter of Galliambus in the most frequent for Catullus
rhythmical variation:

(a) ˘˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˉ || ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˘˘ ˉ
(c) oooo|ooo|ooo|oo|, oooo|oooooo|
(d) tatataM-tataMta-taM-taM, tatataM-tatatata-taM

Its characteristic syncopated rhythm was reproduced by Dmitry Kabalevsky in his song for children
(“Nash Kraj”, 1955)

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 Danila Gomulkin An Easy Introduction to Comparative Metrics

Indian meters
The following three groups of meters can be distinguished in the classical Indian poetry:

1. Meters preserving constant number of syllables (isosyllabic meters) that I describe as

cluster-syllabic (sloka, tristubh, jagati...);
2. Meters preserving constant number of moras (isomoraic meters) that I describe as cluster-
moraic. These include partially metricized matrachandas (“mora-counting”) meters, and
fully metricized ganachandas (“feet-counting”) meters (e.g. arya);
3. A numerous group of akshara-chandas (“syllable-counting”) meters that technically
preserve both number of syllables and number of moras, that is, do not allow any variation.
Some of them represent fixed rhythmical variants of syllabic meters from the group 1, some
– fixed rhythmical variants of moraic meters from the group 2, and some do not
unambiguously suggest a prosody for there interpretation (e.g. a group of “cumulative”
meters consisting of repeating cretics)

The feet-counting (as well as the mora-counting) moraic meters are based on alternation of 4-mora
feet consisting of two biceps ( ˘˘ ˘˘ ) that allow or do not allow for an “amphibrach” ( ˘ ˉ ˘ ), which
makes for a 8-mora dipodia of straight rhythms with all legitimate syncopes.

Same 8-more dipodia of the straight rising rhythm in fixed moraic meters of the group 3 (the so
called “syllable-counting” meters) is realized by the following syncopated pattern:

(a) ˘ ˉ ˘ ˘˘ ˉ
(c) ooo|ooooo| (3+5)
(d) tataMta-tatataM

Seldom:

(a) ˘ˉ˘ ˉˉ
(c) ooo|ooo|oo| (3+3+2)
(d) tataMta-taMtaM

In some cadences it takes shape of dochmiac (two consecutive ties would be used in the Western
sheet music for such protracted syncope):

(a) ˘ˉ ˉ˘ˉ
(c) ooo|oo|ooo| (3+2+3)
(d) tataM-taM-tataM

There is striking correspondence between certain fixed syllabic and fixed moraic meters as if
syllabic rhythmical patterns were stretched in moraic grid by adding the outstanding brevi:

(a) ˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˘˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ ˘˘ ˉ .˘˘ ˘˘ ˘˘ ˉ

(b/c) OO|OO||OOOO|| > oooo|oooo|oooooooo|

Indian meters may represent an interesting case of “metrization” of syllabic meters where consonant
clusters play equal rhythmical role both in syllabic and moraic prosodies.

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