Le poeme 72 de Catulle: problemes de rythme

Abstract

Theexistence of clitic words which escape standard rules of accentuation is one of the main obstacles when one studies rhythm in Latin poetry. However, the poetry specialist Henri Meschonnic takes into account not only syntactic accents but also the emphatic effect of repeated sounds in his analuses of the rhythm of French texts. His example is often followed in order to find practica! solutions to a certain number of accentuation problems. This practice brings into light rhythmic devices ("counter­accentuation," i.e. adjacent syllabes which are stressed), and allows the art of the poet to be more fully appreciated. Thus, in carmen 72, which is a fictitious conversation, the play on sounds and rhythms is -beyond mere rhetoric-a further means to conjure up a most convincing scene of love making.