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Page 46
HIATUS.
Two sounded vowels coming together form a "hiatus." A hiatus between a
vowel at the end of a word and another at the beginning of the next, is
forbidden. Hence, l. 546, where the straightforward expression would
have been _lui �chappe_, Racine wrote the equivalent _nous �chappe_, in
order to avoid the hiatus.
Lastly, a sounded vowel, followed by an unelided 'mute e,' must be at
the end of the line. Thus the word _Mardoch�e_ must always be at the
end of the line, or else be followed by a word beginning with a vowel
or 'mute h,' so that its 'mute e' may be elided. Cf. ll. 44, 618, and
156, 459, etc. Such words as _arm�es_, _joies_, etc., whose 'mute e'
cannot be elided, can never occur in the body of the line. The only
exception is made in favor of the verb-endings in _-oient_ and
_-aient_. Cf. ll. 527, 1111.
In French poetry, as in French grammar, 'mute h' always = a vowel, and
'aspirate h' = a consonant.
The rules given above apply to classical French poetry only. The
modern poetical schools of the nineteenth century have been taking
liberties with them, especially with the caesura. The latest school of
French poets, the _symbolistes_ or _d�cadents_ as they style
themselves, are attempting to overthrow every one. At their hands the
caesura has finally disappeared, and the following form, called a
_ternaire_, has become possible:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
_O� je filai | pensivement | la blanche laine_. (Th. de Banville.)
Then the 'mute e's' are disregarded:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
_Avec les filles | du vieux seigneur | en robes blanches_.
(H. de R�gnier.)
The number of syllables is of little account:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
_Des mortes douces | qui moururent l� | quelque soir.
(H. de R�gnier).
The hiatus is no longer tabooed, and lastly, not only the artificial
rules of rhyme, but rhyme itself, is being done away with: assonance
may take its place. If the constitution of the French language did not
make it unlikely that these reforms should prove permanent, the vehicle
of French poetic thought would become mere harmonious prose.
APPENDIX II.
_THE PAST TENSES IN FRENCH_.
The English praeterite being the equivalent of three tenses in French,
it is of the utmost importance that a clear idea of the shades of
meaning conveyed by the latter should be firmly possessed.
i.
_WHENEVER REPETITION OF THE ACTION IS IMPLIED_ the IMPARFAIT is used.
The force, in English, is "used to . . .," "kept . . . -ing," etc.
E.g., Esth. l. 6: _m'aidais � soupirer_ . . . "wast wont to sigh with
me."
l. 83: . . . _disais-je_, . . . = "I would say"
ii.
_WHEN NO REPETITION OF THE ACTION IS IMPLIED_.
A. IF THE ACTION IS CONSIDERED AS BEING SIMPLY IN PROGRESS, WITHOUT
REFERENCE EITHER TO ITS BEGINNING OR TO ITS END, again the IMPARFAIT is
used.
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