The Alcaic stanza is a Greeklyricalmeter, an Aeolic verse form traditionally believed to have been invented by Alcaeus, a lyric poet from Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, about 600 BC. The Alcaic stanza and the Sapphic stanza named for Alcaeus' contemporary, Sappho, are two important forms of Classical poetry. The Alcaic stanza consists of two Alcaic hendecasyllables, followed by an Alcaic enneasyllable and an Alcaic decasyllable.
In Sappho's and Alcaeus' poetry
The Alcaic stanza as used by Sappho and Alcaeus has the scheme : × – u – × – u u – u – || × – u – × – u u – u – || × – u – × – u – – || – u u – u u – u – – |||
One stanza consists of four lines; the first two lines are divided into two parts by a caesura after the fifth syllable. The metrical pattern of an Alcaic stanza would look like this: – – u – – : – u u – u – – – u – – : – u u – u – – – u – – – u – – – u u – u u – u – – Horace frequently used the Alcaic stanza in his Odes, as can be seen from this example : – – u – – – u u – u – Antehac nefas, depromere Caecubum – – u – – : – u u – u– cellis avitis, dum Capitolio – – u – – – u– – Regina dementis ruinas – u u – u u– u – – funus et Imperio parabat. An English translation, which suggests the metre, is : –– u – – : – u u – u – Prior to this, 'twas | irreligious to waste – – u – – : – u u – u – Old Caecuban wine | whilst, for the Capitol – –u – – – u – – Mad ruination plotsthe Queen, and – u u – u u – u – – Even a funeral for the Empire.
Imitations in other languages
A famous example of English Alcaics is Tennyson's "Milton": O mighty-mouth'd inventor of harmonies, O skill'd to sing of Time or Eternity, God-gifted organ-voice of England, Milton, a name to resound for ages!
The Alcaic stanza was adapted to use in English and French during the Renaissance. It was very frequently used in Italian poetry of the 19th century, especially by Giosuè Carducci. As in English, the meter is accentual rather than quantitative. Poi che un sereno vapor d’ambrosia da la tua còppa diffuso avvolsemi, o Ebe con passo di dea trasvolata sorridendo via;
It was an historically important form in Hungarian poetry. In Polish poetry Alcaics were used very rarely. Even in translation Horace's Alcaic stanzas were usually turned into different forms. An example of an Alcaic stanza in Polish original literature is Stanisław Trembecki's Ode to Adam Naruszewicz: O ty, kapłanie Delijskiego świętny, Przeszłego wiadom, przyszłości pojętny Wieńcz twe skronie, wieszczą bierz laskę, Śnieżny ubiór i złotą przepaskę.
