Researches on the rhythm of speech. 
141 
( d) No, I hardly think there are. My opinion is that a person working under the 
influence of the soul-forces in a subconscious state, simply follows the rhythmic fall of his 
thought as accentuated by the underlying mood-waves, and the suitable words fall into 
the place demanded either by a musical force in subconsciousness, or are called forth simul¬ 
taneously with the thought. The result is : accented-tone syllables and stress-points. 
Meter and rhyme are secondary results due to conscious effort toward art-form. 
(II. ) When the writer is unconscious of imitation and uninfluenced by mood-associa¬ 
tion, “measure’’’ in poetry must be subordinate in degree and secondary in time, and is 
rather an art-effect than a factor. As the “motif” in original inspired production is 
“ emotion of soul fused into thought ”—eine Regung der Seele durch Gesinnung bewutz 
und im Gedanken fliezend gemacht—the desire for the materialization of which demands 
from the soul a conscious effort in language production, and as, furthermore, language 
follows the most rigid laws, just as lines do in painting and sculpture, I cannot quite see 
how there can exist any direct relation between the creative and conceiving mood and the 
outward art-form that the complete poetical thought finally assumes. That some relation 
may exist, it were rash to deny. The natural steps in the development of a poetical 
thought would then, it seems to me, be as follows : Underlying emotion, or inspiration, 
moving towards and shaping itself into a “ motif” that rises through subconscious effort 
and determines “rhythm” or “tone-accent,” and flowing into word-expression, follow¬ 
ing in the form it finally assumes, the laws of prosody as to meter, and of rhetoric as to 
choice of words. 
(III. ) Yes. It springs partly, at least, from the nature of the language used. How¬ 
ever, language itself has been influenced by this demand, indicating that the demand for 
meter may follow from the first the steps in the above scheme of development, although 
not consciously sought for till the last. 
(IV.) I think I have written (a) mostly without predetermined measure, (b) far 
more easily and naturally then, and (c) with better results, metrically and poetically. 
(Swedish) 
Jakob Bonggren: While sitting, walking, or, though rarely, lying down, some 
thought or, offener, picture flashes into my mind, which I conclude will make a good 
poem. Sometimes I hear a meter or some line of poetry in connection with it, and that 
is the nucleus of the poem about to be begun. 
(I.) If the mind, only begets a thought or picture, I try to find a meter ; this is usually 
an easy matter. I think I can hear what is the proper meter, so I seldom have difficulty 
in selecting a form. I very seldom, if ever, decide from the beginning the number of 
lines in the poem ; it grows until it is full-grown. If I have one verse, it is easy to get 
all the following or preceding ones molded in the same form. I read through the poem, 
correcting and changing the words here and there, but very seldom the meter. 
If I have a thought as a nucleus, I sometimes study out some of the strongest points 
and stress-words, select a meter, and work out the poem. Poems worked out in this way 
(from pictures or thoughts) I have found to be the best. 
(II.) Whenever I am called upon to write a poem on a certain subject I slowly and 
carefully work it out ; select a suitable meter and think out all I want to include in the 
poem. After handling my subject for a while, I sometimes feel warmed up, and then 
everything is easy. There seems to be an unconscious cerebration working along with 
conscious thought and will, when something worthy the name of a poem is created. The 
“poems ” written to order I have found to be generally poor, unless I have warmed up 
in the act of composing. 
(IV.) Answers as above (I.) and (II-J-