[3] Elision
[l.5] Īn cāe-¦ l(o) ͜ ūt tēr- ¦ rīs fī- ¦ āt tŭ-ă ¦ clā-ră vŏ- ¦ lūn-tās [īn cāe-loūt]
[i] -V ͜ V- i.e. a vowel at the end of a word and a vowel at the beginning of the next word are usually elided; the term is elision, and you can see that the end vowel is not scanned as it is either generally omitted when speaking or spoken rapidly together with the next vowel so that it forms one syllable:
[l.8] Īn-nŭ-mĕ- ¦ r(a) ͜ īn-dūl- ¦ gēns ēr- ¦ rō- rīs ¦ dē-bĭ-tă ¦ prā-vī [-mĕ-¦ r’īn-dūl-]
[ii] Elision also occurs when the following letter is /h/ [V + hV]; /h/ is considered silent
[l.6] Vī-tā- ¦ līsqu(e) ͜ (h)ŏ- dĭ- ¦ ē sānc- ¦ tī sūb- ¦ stān-tĭ-ă ¦ pā-nĭs [līs qu’ŏ-dĭ-]
[4] Reciting the verse
It’s all very well talking about long and short syllables – but how are they actually said? Any poem in whatever language is open to interpretation, including the mood in which it is spoken, its pace and what the speaker wishes to emphasise. But you need to start somewhere to get the basic rhythms. The opening lyrics of “Paperback Writer” by the Beatles is comprised almost completely of crotchets (a single beat) and quavers (half a beat). Imagine you’re back in Primary Music class! Clap your hands, kids …
one q ¦ and a n ¦ two q ¦ and a n ¦ three q ¦ and a n ¦ four q
Omit the first and last words:
(Dear) ¦ Sir q or q Ma-dame n will-you n read q my q book-it n took-me n years q to q write q, will-you n take-a n (look)?
Image #2: The notation is from the sheet music; the Beatles ‘play around’ a little with some of the rhythms when they sing it, but you can hear the long and short beats in the same way that you can hear the long and short syllables of the Latin work. Don’t sing it – say it, while tapping a pencil on the table. Then keep tapping that pencil and say the Latin line, and you’ll be getting pretty close to a Roman.
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