Polish alexandrine (Polish: trzynastozgłoskowiec) is a common metrical line in Polish poetry. It is similar to the French alexandrine. Each line is composed of thirteen syllables with a caesura after the seventh syllable. The main stresses are placed on the sixth and twelfth syllables. Rhymes are feminine.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 o o o o o S x | o o o o S x Moja wdzięczna Orszulo, bodaj ty mnie była S=stressed syllable; x=unstressed syllable; o=any syllable.
The Polish alexandrine was introduced in the 15th century. It was borrowed from Latin poetry.[1] It was widely used by Jan Kochanowski,[2] the first great Polish poet, as exemplified in the first two lines of his "Lament 13", with a formal paraphrase in English:
Moja wdzięczna Orszulo, bodaj ty mnie była Albo nie umierała lub się nie rodziła![3]
My Ursula, so charming, I brood in my sighing: Better never born, dearest, than live, so soon dying.
S’amor non è, che dunque è quel ch’io sento? Ma s’egli è amor, perdio, che cosa et quale? Se bona, onde l’effecto aspro mortale? Se ria, onde sí dolce ogni tormento?
Jeśli nie masz miłości, cóż jest, co ja czuję? Jeśli miłość jest, co to przebóg takowego? Jeśli dobra, skąd skutku nabywa tak złego? Jeśli zła, czemu sobie mękę tak smakuję?
—Petrach (endecasillabos)
—Daniel Naborowski
Adam Mickiewicz composed his famous Crimean Sonnets[5] in 13-syllable lines:
Wpłynąłem na suchego przestwór oceanu, Wóz nurza się w zieloność i jak łódka brodzi, Śród fali łąk szumiących, śród kwiatów powodzi, Omijam koralowe ostrowy burzanu.
Across sea-meadows measureless I go, My wagon sinking under grass so tall The flowery petals in foam on me fall, And blossom-isles float by I do not know.
^Homer, Iliad, lines 1-2, translated by Franciszek Ksawery Dmochowski.
^Lucylla Pszczołowska, Wiersz polski. Zarys historyczny, Wrocław 1997, p. 384 (in Polish).
October 15, 2023
polish, alexandrine, polish, trzynastozgłoskowiec, common, metrical, line, polish, poetry, similar, french, alexandrine, each, line, composed, thirteen, syllables, with, caesura, after, seventh, syllable, main, stresses, placed, sixth, twelfth, syllables, rhym. Polish alexandrine Polish trzynastozgloskowiec is a common metrical line in Polish poetry It is similar to the French alexandrine Each line is composed of thirteen syllables with a caesura after the seventh syllable The main stresses are placed on the sixth and twelfth syllables Rhymes are feminine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 o o o o o S x o o o o S x Moja wdzieczna Orszulo bodaj ty mnie byla S stressed syllable x unstressed syllable o any syllable The Polish alexandrine was introduced in the 15th century It was borrowed from Latin poetry 1 It was widely used by Jan Kochanowski 2 the first great Polish poet as exemplified in the first two lines of his Lament 13 with a formal paraphrase in English Moja wdzieczna Orszulo bodaj ty mnie byla Albo nie umierala lub sie nie rodzila 3 My Ursula so charming I brood in my sighing Better never born dearest than live so soon dying The Polish national epic Pan Tadeusz by Adam Mickiewicz is written in this measure 4 Polish alexandrines replaced hendecasyllables in sonnets in the 16th century poets like Sebastian Grabowiecki and Mikolaj Sep Szarzynski wrote sonnets using 11 syllable metre but in the 17th century Daniel Naborowski translated one of Petrarch s sonnets using 13 syllable lines S amor non e che dunque e quel ch io sento Ma s egli e amor perdio che cosa et quale Se bona onde l effecto aspro mortale Se ria onde si dolce ogni tormento Jesli nie masz milosci coz jest co ja czuje Jesli milosc jest co to przebog takowego Jesli dobra skad skutku nabywa tak zlego Jesli zla czemu sobie meke tak smakuje Petrach endecasillabos Daniel NaborowskiAdam Mickiewicz composed his famous Crimean Sonnets 5 in 13 syllable lines Wplynalem na suchego przestwor oceanu Woz nurza sie w zielonosc i jak lodka brodzi Srod fali lak szumiacych srod kwiatow powodzi Omijam koralowe ostrowy burzanu Across sea meadows measureless I go My wagon sinking under grass so tall The flowery petals in foam on me fall And blossom isles float by I do not know Edna Worthley Underwood translated into iambic pentameter The Polish alexandrine was used by many translators among others Franciszek Ksawery Dmochowski as an equivalent of ancient Greek and Roman dactylic hexameter Achilla spiewaj Muzo gniew obfity w szkody Ktory sciagnal klesk tyle na Greckie narody 6 As Polish words are longer than English ones the 13 syllable line is good for translating English iambic pentameter Nowadays Polish alexandrine lines are often mixed with hendecasyllable ones in one poem 7 See also EditFrench alexandrine Czech alexandrineNotes Edit Wiktor Jaroslaw Darasz Maly przewodnik po wierszu polskim Krakow 2003 p 81 In Polish Summary in Lucylla Pszczolowska Wiersz polski Zarys historyczny Wroclaw 1997 p 398 Jan Kochanowski Tren 13 Lament 13 lines 1 2 Adam Mickiewicz Facts information pictures Encyclopedia com articles about Adam Mickiewicz encyclopedia com Retrieved 2016 07 10 http www sonnets org mickiewicz htm Archived 2016 11 08 at the Wayback Machine Homer Iliad lines 1 2 translated by Franciszek Ksawery Dmochowski Lucylla Pszczolowska Wiersz polski Zarys historyczny Wroclaw 1997 p 384 in Polish Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Polish alexandrine amp oldid 1098394107, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
