Cadence - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Cadence, an elusive rhythm that dances within prose poetry, defies simple categorization, representing an inherent musicality and pacing within the written word that transcends simple structure. It's a quality often mistaken for meter or rhyme, yet it relies instead on the euphonious arrangement of sounds, stresses, and pauses to create a unique pulse, distinct from the systematic beats of traditional verse. Its presence is often most noticed in its absence, leading to a misperception that prose poetry exists merely as "unrhythmical" work.
The pursuit of cadence can be traced back to late 19th-century France, coinciding with the rise of Symbolism and a growing dissatisfaction with the constraints of traditional poetic forms. Although cadence was never formally defined at the time, Charles Baudelaire's Petits Poèmes en Prose (published posthumously in 1869) is considered the most crucial example of prose poetry’s emergent use of cadence, showcasing a deliberate manipulation of linguistic sounds to evoke specific emotional responses. As Europe wrestled with industrialization and spiritual uncertainty, Baudelaire explored new poetic territories, using prose to capture the fragmented, fleeting experiences of modern life.
As poets experimented, cadence became less a set of rules and more an art—a means of amplifying prose’s inherent lyricism. Figures like Arthur Rimbaud, with Illuminations (1886), pushed against fixed syntax, crafting prose rife with unexpected rhythms and musical phrases, and marking a significant period of experimentation with cadence through the early 20th century. The impact rippled through the English-speaking world, influencing Modernist writers who sought to reinvent poetic expression, though the precise mechanisms of cadence remained largely unspoken, something felt rather than systematically analyzed. Cadence became synonymous with prose poetry achieving its maximum artistic effect.
Cadence’s enduring legacy lies in its ability to resist definition while simultaneously shaping artistic expression. Today, prose poems continue to appear in journals and collections, each offering a fresh interpretation of what cadence can achieve. Its very ambiguity challenges us to listen more intently to the subtle music of language, the spaces between words, and ask: what unseen energies are unlocked when prose finds its song?