John Alexander Blyth wrote:
<snip (anaesthetic optional) some interesting observations>
> I don't know if Blake was a Cockney, but I'm fairly sure that oye and
> symmetroy, or ei and symmetrei (or ee and symmetree) were perfectly decent
> rhymes to him.
What I was wondering was how you came to the decision that it was the
last syllable of "symmetry" that had changed its pronunciation since
then, rather than the vowel on "eye"? I don't know which it was. Do you
see a couple of Olde Englishmen in a tavern poring over some diagram and
saying "there's a certain symmeTRYE about this"?
Yes, it is interesting. There are lots of pairs of words which look from
their context as though they should rhyme, and one wonders which one has
changed since then. In the madrigal "All creatures no" there are three
such pairs:
All creatures now are merry MINDED
The shepherds' daughters PLAYING
The nymphs are FA-LA-LA-ING
Yond bugle was well WINDED
At Oriana's presence each thing smileth
The flowers themselves DISCOVER
Birds over her do HOVER
Music the time beguileth
See where she comes with flow'ry garlands crown-ed
Queen of all queens renown-ed
Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana
Long live fair Oriana!
Last time we did this we sang winded to rhyme with minded, fa-la-laying
(much coarse laughter there from one or two lads...) and left discover
and hover to fend for themselves, after some wit had suggested discoover
and hoover.
cheers,
Linda
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