The Estonian Sonnet

You know how, occasionally, you read some piece of information you already knew and suddenly you make a connection you hadn't made previously? So that it's almost like reading old information has somehow magically provided you with new information?

The other day I read a description about the pronunciation of Estonian that mentioned the fact that the stress falls on the first syllable of the word. All subsequent syllables are, apparently, unstressed.

I have read this previously, and previously I have asked myself: "But what about secondary stresses? After all, they have really long words in Estonian." Well, most of the things I've read have neglected to go into that sort of detail (don't they know there are nerds and geeks trying to learn their language?), except to mention that compound words have stresses on the first syllable of each component of the compound. They don't mention if these stresses are equal to the primary stress or secondary in nature. Losers.

Anyway, that's old stuff. The connection I suddenly made was: "But that means they'd never be able to write a sonnet in their native language!"

Iambic pentameter relies entirely on having the stresses fall on every second syllable in the line. The entire iambic rhythm structure would be an artificial imposition on the Estonian language which would preclude sonnets from ever developing in that language.

You might be able to get away with trochaic meter, as long as you only ever used words of two syllables in length...

Then again, there may be words that are always unstressed in a sentence which may either help or hinder as the case may be. I really don't know enough about about the patterns of the spoken language to understand these implications. Does anyone write books or essays dealing with the stress of spoken Estonian and it's relation to rhythmic feet?

All I know is, sonnets are out. And quite possibly blank verse as well.

I am not sure I can accept this truth.

Well, actually, I can, I just felt writing a sentence in iambic pentameter. I'm nothing if not an annoying show-off.

It makes me wonder, though, whether or not Estonians would feel more naturally inclined towards English poetry in a trochaic or dactylic meter than one written in iambic or anapestic meter.

Or, maybe I should just remember that the only reason why I care so much about classic verse forms is because I'm a time travelling immortal and, back when I was young, poetry was cool and knowing about poetry made you attractive. Most people today probably wouldn't know an iambic foot if it kicked them.