JOURNAL ARTICLE

How Joseph Ritson Scanned Piers Plowman.

  • Published In: Notes & Queries, 2024, v. 71, n. 2. P. 230 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Weiskott, Eric 3 of 3

Abstract

This article discusses Joseph Ritson's interpretation of the meter used in the poem "Piers Plowman." Ritson believed that the poem was written in a Gothic alliterative meter of 9 and 11 syllables, based on Thomas Percy's essay on alliterative verse. However, this interpretation is now considered incorrect, as the poem is actually composed in an accentual meter that does not count syllables in a straightforward way. Despite this, Ritson's scansions of the poem represent an early attempt to understand its metrical system. Percy's essay, although influential, also had its limitations in providing a comprehensive understanding of alliterative verse. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Notes & Queries. 2024/06, Vol. 71, Issue 2, p230
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:0029-3970
  • DOI:10.1093/notesj/gjae040
  • Accession Number:178562312
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Notes & Queries is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.