In a tantalizing footnote to The Name and Nature of Poetry (1933), A. E. Housman lists a number of prosodic matters which, in his opinion, constitute an important part of the Artifice of Versification—the “natural laws by which all versification is conditioned.” Unfortunately, Housman did not elaborate or publish his prosodic observations, but the range and penetration of the hints in his footnote suggest that at least one corner of the usually sterile field of metrics can be made to bring forth good fruit. Housman also noted the lack of serious efforts to discover the “latent base … by which all versification is conditioned.” The “natural laws” are unknown to most writers of verse, who succeed, when they do succeed, by virtue of “instinctive tact and a natural goodness of ear.” And in Housman's opinion, little of value has been written on such matters, and literary critics seldom explore the field.