Contributed by Anna Van Cleave
If a heading within a poem applies only to a particular <LG> (stanza or verse paragraph), you should attach the heading to the <LG>:
<LG>
<HEAD> ... </HEAD>
<L> ...
But if there are headings that apply to a group of <LG>s, look first to see whether the whole poem can readily be broken into comparable groups (with or without headings). If it can, then each such group is best tagged as a <DIV>. If it cannot, read on:
In some circumstances, a poem will contain a group of lines (often a moral, a coda, or conclusion, or in the case of a dramatic piece, a song or chorus) that includes more than one line group. These groups of lines cannot be tagged as DIVs, because comparable divisions, at the same level, with HEADs, do not exist. For groups of lines that occur at the end of the piece, there are two options:
1) A higher-level DIV can be inserted at the end of a division, even if there are no other DIVs at this level within the piece. This works only when the DIV is inserted at the very end of a poem.
Example
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<DIV2 TYPE="moral"><HEAD>MORAL.</HEAD>
<LG><L>Young ladies!—beware of hasty connections;</L>
<L>And don't marry suitors with swarthy complexions;</L>
<L>For though they may chance to be capital fellows,</L>
<L>Depend upon it, they're apt to be jealous!</L></LG>
<LG><L>Young gentlemen! pray recollect, if you can,</L>
<L>To give a wide berth to a meddlesome man;</L>
<L>And horsewhip the knave who would poison your life</L>
<L>By breeding distrust between you and your wife!</L></LG></DIV2></DIV1>
2) A LG can be used in place of the DIV.
Example
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<LG TYPE="moral"><HEAD>MORAL.</HEAD>
<LG><L>Young ladies!—beware of hasty connections;</L>
<L>And don't marry suitors with swarthy complexions;</L>
<L>For though they may chance to be capital fellows,</L>
<L>Depend upon it, they're apt to be jealous!</L></LG>
<LG><L>Young gentlemen! pray recollect, if you can,</L>
<L>To give a wide berth to a meddlesome man;</L>
<L>And horsewhip the knave who would poison your life</L>
<L>By breeding distrust between you and your
wife!</L></LG></LG>
For groups of lines that occur somewhere in the middle of a DIV, inserting a higher-level DIV is not allowed, so only the second option, the LG tags, will work. Since <LG> will work anywhere within the poem, not just at the end, it is therefore the most general, and consequently the preferable solution.
Example
<SP><SPEAKER>CRUZ.</SPEAKER>
<LG TYPE="stanza"><L>
<L>Hark! There comes her lover with his infernal serenade! Hark!</L></LG></SP>
<LG TYPE="song"> <HEAD>SONG.</HEAD>
<LG TYPE="stanza"><L>Good night! Good night, beloved!</L>
<L REND="ind">I come to watch o'er thee!</L>
<L>To be near thee,—to be near thee,</L>
<L REND="ind">Alone is peace for me.</L></LG>
<LG TYPE="stanza"><L>Thine eyes are stars of morning,</L>
<L REND="ind">Thy lips are crimson flowers!</L>
<L>Good night! Good night, beloved,</L>
<L REND="ind">While I count the weary hours.</L></LG></LG>