Date of Award

5-1931

Degree Type

Bachelors Essay

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Literatures, Languages, and Cultures

First Advisor

Thomas P. Whelan

Abstract

Any one who has been intrigued by English lyrical poetry soon becomes aware of the fact that many English poems are of practically the same form, that they are fashioned according to various definite patterns. Naturally, the first question which occurs to the reader is ’’Why do many poems in one language exhibit such identity of construction?" The answer is that all are purposely cast in the for it immediately gives rise to many related questions: What are these forms? From what source do they come? Who is responsible for their appearance? How long have they been known in English literature? Do they show any signs of the same mould. But this answer is by no means satisfactory maining the favorites they have once been? Only after long and tedious research could one attempt to answer these questions correctly and in detail. Such procedure goes far beyond the compass of this simple work, which aims merely to discover something of the popularity that ’’French forms’’ gained when adapted to English verse during the nineteenth century. Truly enough, they were more or less in evidence at various earlier periods, but they were of no great consequence in the lighter, melodic literature until their reappearance at that period. Therefore, it cannot be amiss, at this time when they are still in vogue, to seek to learn something of their history and form, of the poets who introduced them again into the English language, and of the approximate date of such re-introduction. To present material in explanation of these three minor points of a more extensive subject, is the aim of this thesis. Each "form” will be discussed from these three standpoints, as well as from that of the poet who has given us a good example of the form.

Comments

A Thesis submitted, to the Faculty of the Liberal Arts College, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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