Són - 01.01.2015, Síða 110

108 Þórður HelgAson
A B S T R A C T
Sounds of Poetry
This article studies the role of sounds in emphasizing meaning and emotion in
poetry, how the sounds of consonants and vowels can contribute to a poem‘s
effect.
In „the old days“, when poems were performed aloud for audiences by the
poets or others, it was certainly easier to hear what impact different sounds
had. Later, when poems were mostly read silently by individuals, the sounds
were hidden behind letters unless the reader had learned to put his „inner ear“
in use.
The effects of the sounds can be found in old Icelandic poetry, the scaldic
verses, and later on in „rímur“, the very popular main literary genre in Iceland for
centuries, expecially when the subject was battle and sailing in rough weather.
The romantic movement in literature was a turning point in this sense. Most
poets from the nineteenth century found in the sounds of words a new way
to express themselves and influence their readers. They seem to have studied
and analysed both euphony, the pleasing effect of sounds, and cacophony, the
harsh, discordant effect of sounds, and concentrated on certain Icelandic sounds
like ll [tl].
When the „modern poetry“ left behind rhyme, traditional rhythm and
alliteration and concentrated on striking symbols and metaphors, the sounds
of letters did not seem so important. However, the sound-stratum seems to
attract the attention of many modern poets and can add meaning to a poem.
Few critics and reviewers have shown this matter interest and it is hardly
mentioned in books on the history of Icelandic literature.
One section of this article is on onomatopoeia, the attemt to represent a
thing or action by words that imitate the sounds associated with it and how it
can be beneficial in poetry. The last chapter of the article concentrates on indi-
vidual words, how some words can be said to be fine or beautiful while others
seem dull or ugly.