Robert Bridges's theory of elision is a theory of

elision In linguistics, an elision or deletion is the omission of one or more sounds (such as a vowel, a consonant, or a whole syllable) in a word or phrase. However, these terms are also used to refer more narrowly to cases where two words are run toget ...

developed by the poet

Robert Bridges Robert Seymour Bridges (23 October 1844 – 21 April 1930) was an English poet who was Poet Laureate from 1913 to 1930. A doctor by training, he achieved literary fame only late in life. His poems reflect a deep Christian faith, and he is ...

, while he was working on a prosodic analysis of

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

's poems ''

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse (poetry), verse. A second edition fo ...

Paradise Regained ''Paradise Regained'' is a poem by English poet John Milton, first published in 1671. The volume in which it appeared also contained the poet's closet drama ''Samson Agonistes''. ''Paradise Regained'' is connected by name to his earlier and m ...

, and

Samson Agonistes ''Samson Agonistes'' (from Greek Σαμσών ἀγωνιστής, "Samson the champion") is a tragic closet drama by John Milton. It appeared with the publication of Milton's '' Paradise Regained'' in 1671, as the title page of that volume sta ...

.'' Bridges describes his theory in thorough detail in his 1921 book ''

Milton's Prosody ''Milton's Prosody, with a chapter on Accentual Verse and Notes'' is a book by Robert Bridges. It was first published by Oxford University Press in 1889, and a final revised edition was published in 1921. Bridges begins with a detailed empirical ...

''. With his definition of poetic elision, Bridges is able to demonstrate that no line in ''Paradise Lost'' contains an extra unmetrical syllable mid-line; that is, any apparent extra mid-line syllable can be explained as an example of Bridges's elision.

Milton's elision in ''Paradise Lost''

Bridges identifies the following kinds of elision: # vowel elisions # elision through H # poetic elision of semi-vowels # elision through R # elision through L # elision through N

Vowel elisions

Bridges identifies two basic types of vowel elision # the y-glide #the w-glide

The y-glide

Bridges identifies three situations where this could occur: #where the first syllable is stressed, such as in ''riot'' #where the second syllable is stressed, such as in ''humiliation'' #where neither vowel is stressed, such as in ''Michael''

The w-glide

Bridges identifies three situations where this could occur: #where the first syllable is stressed, such as in ''ruin'' #where the second syllable is stressed; he finds no indisputable example of this in ''Paradise Lost'' but suggests ''fluctuats'' in IX.668 may be an example. #where neither vowel is stressed, such as in ''virtuous''

Elision through H

Bridges identifies several places where Milton apparently glides through a consonantal H. For example: : For still they knew, and ought ''to have'' still remembered (X.12) :In Gems and wanton dress; to ''the Harp'' they sing (XI.579)

Poetic elision of semi-vowels

Bridges identifies that words such as ''schism, prism, chasm, spasm'' are usually counted as monosyllables, despite the fact that in spoken language we vocalize the ''m'' separately; that is, as though ''prism'' were written ''pris'm''.

Elision through R

Bridges states that if two unstressed syllables are separated by an ''r'' then there may be elision.

Elision through L

Bridges states that if two unstressed syllables are separated by an ''l'' then there may be elision.

Elision through N

Bridges states that if two unstressed syllables are separated by an ''n'' then there may be elision.

Milton's later relaxation of the rules of elision

Bridges notes that the Milton's concept of elision is broadened in ''

'' and ''

''. Specifically, he observes the following types of elision: *through an ''M'' (where preceding and succeeding syllables are unstressed) *via

synaloepha A synalepha or synaloepha is the merging of two syllables into one, especially when it causes two words to be pronounced as one. The original meaning in Ancient Greek is more general than modern usage and includes coalescence of vowels within a w ...

of a final vocalic ''y'' with an initial consonantal ''y'' *from a short unaccented ''i'', where the following vowel is unstressed, through the following consonants: **through a ''T'' (4 instances) **through a ''M'' (1 instance) **through a ''F'' (1 instance) **through a ''D'' (1 instance) **through a ''SH'' (1 instance) **through a ''ST'' (1 instance) These last two, Bridges describes as "quite abhorrent to the style of ''Paradise Lost''"

Notes

#{{note, page47 See page 47 of ''Milton's Prosody.'' Poetic rhythm John Milton