Chaucer's Prosody: A Study of the Middle English Verse Tradition

Description: Explores what can and cannot be known about the meter and rhythm of Chaucer's verse and that of his contemporaries and followers, arguing that Chaucer employed a lively "balanced parameter" that is not heavily restricted by regularity and that should be read with sensitivity to variation. Comments on metrical history and traditional analyses, the status of final "-e," variable stress, and manuscript punctuation. Recommends that readers use manuscripts (or facsimiles) for reading Chaucer and that they aim for liveliness in aural presentation, whether silent or aloud.