Some timing studies of prose, poetry and music

Prosodie relations in prose, poetry and music are discussed with an emphasis on durational properties. In order to gain a deeper understanding of speech prosody, we are presently engaged in a comparison of the timing relations in such activities as the reading of poetry and music performance, where there usually is a strong and obvious rhythmic patteming of the produced sound sequences. Also there are interesting parallels to be drawn by comparing the formal notations of prose, poetry and music. Generally, there are no simple relations between abstract notations and performance, and moreover, notations have varied with tradition and particular needs. However, it is a challenge to tie descriptive systems closer to common human constraints in production and perception.