The divorce of poetry and music was first reflected by the 
printed page.

*     Commenting on the melodic line of the Troubadours in 
Music and Society  (p. 29) Wilfred Mellers provides a 
counterpoint from which to observe the precipitate forward 
drive of Marlowe:

     The immense length and arching plasticity of line in all 
     these musics is evidence of the advantages, 
     counterbalancing the obvious limitations, of music 
     conceived in terms of a single line; if one sacrifices the 
     possibilities of harmony and sonorous contrast, one gains 
     the possibility of creating melody free of the inhibitions of 
     mensuration. There is no limit to the subtleties of phrase, 
     intonation and nuance one may use, except the limits