A is a curve in which B is the relaxation phase.  At C the tensions are rapidly increasing in anticipation of the next limiting sensation at A.  But if the objective factor appears too early, the tensions will be discharged prematurely, and the second accent will be weakened.  Exactly the obverse of these phenomena is often noticed, when a slight retardation of the second accent produces a slight increase in its intensity.  When, finally, the second accent has been moved so near the first accent that it occurs within the phase of the first, it disappears as an independent accent.  At the same time the objective stimuli immediately following now appear at quite irregular intervals in the cycle, the cooerdination is broken up, and chaos without accentuation for some distance is the result.  Occasionally the process does not right itself before the close of the verse.  As this process eliminates the verse pause, the two verses become one, as the accents approach each other.  In cases where the first accent is lost, one may suppose that the first accent functions as an anticipatory stimulus, while the second simply increases the effect (cf.  Hofbauer and Cleghorn), and marks the culmination.  The fact that the second accent is only lost at very close range favors this idea.

TABLE III.

  Dactylic, catalectic couplet of the general form: 
  III III III I / III III III I (with rhyme).

  Each dactyl (III) is, in terms of spaces between the pegs, 324;
  or, in seconds, .25, .17, .33.

  The pause between the two verses was gradually lessened.

  B.

    At 4 (.33 sec.) Normal.
       2 (.17 sec.) First accent of II. is weakening.
       1.3(.21 sec.) Amalgamation.  Rhyme retains the accent. 
    Mc.
       5 (.42 sec.) Normal.
       4 II. has become anapaestic.
       2 (.17 sec.) Rhyme is lost.  Amalgamation. 
    J.
       3 (.25 sec.) Normal.
       2 (.17 sec.) Accent of rhyme is lost.  Amalgamation. 
    L.
       4 (.33 sec.) Normal.
       1.6(.18 sec.) Rhyme retains accent, first accent of II.
                        is lost.  Amalgamation. 
    G.
       4 (.33 sec.) Normal.
       2 (.17 sec.) Accent of rhyme retained.  Amalgamation. 
    Mi.
       2 (.17 sec.) Normal.
       1.6 First foot of II. amphibrachic.
        .4(.03 sec.) Accent of rhyme retained.  Accent of first foot
                         of II. lost.  Amalgamation.

When the qualitatively different click representing the rhyme is introduced, its most striking effect is decidedly to shorten the possible distance between the two accents.  This is in accord with the notion suggested of the function of rhyme at the verse end.  The rhyme seems greatly to hasten the relaxation phase, as compared with the time required in the ordinary foot.