Physics Contra Metaphysics

Abstract

When reading the term "metre" many will be reminded of the time spent at school when they were taught in the art of scansion. Although the study of metre is hardly part of the curriculum in Dutch schools today, the practice of scanning lines of verse used to be a favourite pastime at secondary schools. The art consisted of having to indicate by curves and dashes which syllables were long and short and how the long and short syllables combined into "feet''. These lessons were given solid background by the use of textbooks which were meant to illustrate the various terms, such as iamb, trochee, dactyl or anapest.