The Moral Qualities of Speech-Rhythms Martin Georg Martens*
Poetry , gesture, and vowel placement choice (on page 2), by Katherine Rudolph
- Anapaest (short short long)The capacity for devotion
- Dactylus (long short short)The strength to take hold of oneself; the strength to form and shape one’s life.
- Iambic (short long)The strength of motivation.
- Trochee (long short) Overview.
- Kreticus (long short long)To unite oneself with the life-stream of something.
- Choriambus (long short short long) Wakeful dreaming.
- Epitrit 2 (long short long long) I take hold of myself in my individuality-Sense of the I.
- Paon 3 short short long short) I ‘swing’ myself into the cosmos.
- Amphibrachus (short long short) To live in the measure of nature and spirit.
- Ionicus 2 (short short long long) let the spiritual work within me.
- Ionicus 1 ( long long short short) I let the spirit working in myself stream gently into the world.
- Antispast (short long long short) I take hold of the spiritual, and transform it into an impulse for deeds.
- Bacchius (short long long) the strength to cope and grapple with something. (Confrontation)
Translated by Katherine Rudolph
- Die Griechischen Sprach-Rhythmen Martin Georg Martens
Verlag am Goetheanum, CH 4143 Dornach (Switzerland.) p.184
- ( Working with these moral qualities in vowel placement rhythm and gesture, may offer a wide scope for speech and poetic experimentation…)
Formative Speech Voice Placements for the Vowels ( As given in Rudolf Steiner’s ‘The Mystery of Ephesus EASTER’) is recommended. Dramatic gestures are included
Some Poetic Examples of the ‘Moral Rhythms’ in English
( These texts are given for experimentation. The attempt should be:
- to master the placements and gestures, and
- be open to the possibility of changing points of view. Many interpretations may be possible
…………………………..
Ah Timorous to Sympathy
- 1. Anapaest (short short long)- The capacity for devotion
In the hours of my trial, I was saved by my faith.
And it carried me over the threshold to light.
Now I praise and pay homage to all that’s divine.
U or I Pulling back into oneself to Pointing
- 2. Dactylus (long short short)- the strength to take hold of oneself – to form and shape one’s life – . .
Give me the strength to behold my own destiny :
Then to accept and begin with the task of transforming it.
Never to tire of the changes that I need to contemplate.
……………………….
EE Pointing
- 3. Iambic .. (short long)– The strength of motivation . –
The guides to search out ways to find
The goal: the aims that spark
The impetus to keep the will
Directed to the source.
……………….
O Thoughtful
- 4. Trochee..(long short) – Overview – …Thoughtful gesture
Gazing from above the plan, one can begin to see it.
It is one perspective of the minutes that are passing.
All is comprehended then, the pictures show the wholeness.
Slowly comes the overview, seen from a wider timespan.
…………….
U Beseeching-Sympathy to Pointing
- 5. Kreticus..long short long – to unite oneself with the stream of something – . –
Help us now, To become
One with all, Who believe
In the good, And the just:
Gather now, Let’s link hands.
We can win, And we must!
AE (German A umlaut) to Ah Thoughtful to Sympathy
- 6. Choriambus..(long short short long) – wakeful dreaming – . .
What is a dream? – What is awake?
Images live – Deep in the mind.
Although they’re not – consciously formed,
They come awake – changed into Art.
…………………..
A to Ah… Antipathy to Sympathy
- 7. Epitrit 2.. (long short long long) – I take hold of myself in my individuality
On the day that it was proclaimed
That the young men would be soldiers,
Grant insisted that he would not
Kill or injure any person…
‘I have willed to love my neighbor.’
……………………..
EE Pointing and O Thoughtful
- 8. Paon 3 (short short long short)– I ‘swing’ myself into the cosmos . . – .
In the endless permutations – of the cosmos,
There are moments – that are meant to
Coincide with – crossing over.
But the only – one to do it.
Is the one who – knows the right time.
O Thoughtful to Sympathy
- 9. Amphibrachus ..(short long short)-To live in the measure (dimension) of nature and spirit . – .
As nature emerged from the glory of God,
The joyous creation was made to be cared for.
How wondrous the task to rejoice in the kingdom,
To never use nature for selfish fulfilment –
Or plunder resources for greed and corruption.
Embrace the design of the Spirit Almighty!
…………………….
U Pulling back into oneself to Pointing
- 10. Ionicus 2 (short short long long)– I let the spirit work within me
I am always feeling ready to explore things.
I am seeking for the spirit in the human.
And if grace wills,I’ll fulfil my aspirations.
To discover what to offer to the wide world!
I (AhAEE) Timorous to Sympathy
- 11. Ionicus 1.. (long long short short) – I let the spirit working within myself gently stream into the world – – . .
Unconsciously I sought for it; created an ability
By opening my heart to it.
Desire for it encouraged me to hope for it.
Enlivening each thought of it.
‘Spirit in me, now stream into society!’
…………………………..
Ah to E Sympathy to Pointing
- 12. Antispast.. (short long long short) – I take hold of the spirit and transform it into an impulse for deeds . – – .
The following conversation will inspire the awakening
To deeds that are the fulfilment of spirit thought.
‘Our one strength is : the sacrifice of cowardice!’
‘So let us be together in the courage… uniting us!’
Ah. to .A Timorous to Pointing
- 13. Bacchius.. (short long long) – the strength to cope and grapple with something – confrontation . – –
A close call : I won’t try to avoid this moment.
‘Be thankful to offer assistance. The whole world
In crisis! From where does the strength come?
To grapple with circumstance bravely ?
In fact I am hoping to do that.