Many moons ago I attended a workshop with someone who declared himself a scholar on old Norse/Skaldic poetry. Alas, my affliction with CRS prevents me from citing the name or any published references, and I have not done sufficient study on my own to verify if what he said was correct. However one part of the discussion went something like this: 1. Although alliteration and internal rhyme predominate, end-rhyme IS used in (at least some forms of) Skaldic verse, 2. The first rhyme in a stanza should be perfect (i.e. sun/run) to honor the gods 3. the second rhyme in the stanza should be imperfect (i.e. shield/heel) acknowledging that men should not be honored at the same level as the gods. (Remember that much of Skaldic verse is poems of praise about a person). This perfect/imperfect rhyme pattern is continued throughout the piece. Comment re: the idea "perfection is impractical": A utilitarian item is "perfect" if it fills its intended purpose without fail. Generally, you're eyes are closed when you sleep, so a blanket that keeps you warm is perfect no matter what it looks like! And a song that entertains/educates/changes mood/etc in the intended manner is perfectly written and performed. It seems to me this notion of undeviating symmetry as a measure of perfection is an artifact of our fascination with abstractions such as mathematics. When you look at an object - ANY object - closely enough (let's say into the microscopic level, to say nothing of the atomic or sub-atomic) you will never find symmetry. Likewise in the largest scales - solar systems, galaxies, etc. The Universe (on both macro and micro scales) is a remarkably sloppy place - yet it is still perfectly itself. Maybe that's a perspective we can all keep in mind.
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