[Avodah] A unit for poetic purposes

[Jay F. Shachter]

>
> A sh'va (or, perhaps better, shva :)) is not a syllable unto itself
> (that said, poets can consider it a unit for poetic purposes, e.g. the
> 8 units in each phrase of "Y'did Nefesh"),
>

This is true, but misleading, because it implies, incorrectly, that
the poet considers a schwa to be interchangeable with a non-schwa
vowel, for the purposes of his rhythm scheme.  This may be true in
Y'did Nefesh but it is not, in general, true.  Typically a poet uses a
schwa intentionally, when his rhythm scheme demands one, and not
otherwise, as in Adon `Olam, and as in D'ror Yiqra, where each phrase
begins with exactly one schwa, followed by exactly three non-schwa
vowels (following similar forms in Arabic poetry).


                Jay F. ("Yaakov") Shachter
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