RHYTHM (Gr. rhythmns, any motion, especially a regulated, recurring motion; hence, measured motion, time. number), in its widest sense, may be defined as measured or timed movement., regulated succession. It seems to be a necessity for man, if move .nents of any kind are to be sustained for a length of time, that some more or less strict law of interchange should regulate the succession of the parts. It is even believed that the ground of this necessity may be discovered in the structure and functions of the human body. See Bain, Pie Senses and the Intellect. Moro particularly: in order that a number of parts may constitute a whole. or, at all events, a pleasing, whole, a certain relation or proportion must be felt to pervade them. When exemplified in the arrangement of matter into visible objects, as in sculpture, architecture, and other plastic arts, rhythm is usually called symmetry. Rhythm applied to the movements of the body produces the dance. "The rhythmical arrangement of sounds not articulated produces music, while from the like arrangement of articulate sounds we get the cadences of prose and the measures of verse. Verse may be defined as a succession of artic
ulate sounds, regulated by a rhythm so definite that we can readily foresee the results which follow from its application. Rhythm is also met with in prose; but in the latter its range is so wide that we never can anticipate its tlow, while the pleasure we derive from verse is founded on this very anticipation." The rhythm of verse is marked in various ways. In Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin, during their classic periods. quantity, or the regulated succession of long and short syllables, was the distinguishing mark of verse. In the languages descended from these three ancient tongues, as well as in all the other Aryan languages, the rhythm depends upon accent. See METER. The recurrence of similar sounds, or thyme, is also Used, along with accent, to render certain points of the rhythm more distinct, as well as to embellish it. See Rum:.