Sri Aurobindo

Letters on Poetry and Art

SABCL - Volume 27

Part 2. On His Own and Others’ Poetry
Section 3. Practical Guidance for Aspiring Writers
Guidance in Writing Poetry

Some Metrical Matters [2]

After scanning this poem I showed it to Nolini. He has scanned some lines differently, I am quoting only three lines because I want to know which scansion is right:

My scansion: Flame of | a time|less Sun

Nolini’s: Flame | of a time|less Sun

Mine: Recoil | from the | least spark

Nolini’s: Recoil | from the least | spark

Mine: Of her | great lu|minou s Bliss

Nolini: Of her great | lumi|nous Bliss

As the poem is intended to be in the orthodox iambic metre, your scansions are quite correct. At the present time there are many who write in less even metres and to this kind of writing Nolini’s scansion would apply. But it is better for you to learn the regular scansion and metre first so as to have a firm base.

14 April 1936