File spoon-archives/phillitcrit.archive/phillitcrit_1997/phillitcrit.9709, message 104


From: Saicho-AT-aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 00:19:49 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: PLC: Poetry vs. Prose


In a message dated 97-09-10 16:47:47 EDT, Reg Lilly writes:

<< enjambement, a disjunction between
 the meterical limit (the line) and the syntactic unit (the statement).   >>

How does Gerard Manley Hopkins stack up in terms of enjambement?

"How to keep -- is there any, any, is there none such, nowhere known, some
bow or
   brooch or braid or brace, lace, latch or catch or key to keep
Back beauty, keep it, beauthy, beauty, beauty .  .   . from vanishing away?
Oh, is there no frowing of these wrinkles, ranked wrinkles deep,
Down? no wahing-off of these most mournful messengers, still messengers, sad
and
   stealing messengers of gray?"  Etc.

Of course Hopkins used little marks to indicate his rhythmic intentions,
which I cannot include here.. I know he is probably not read much these days,
but I happen to like some of his poetry -- he worked so hard at it.  Anyway,
Reg, how about enjambement in Hopkins??  (In transmitting the above section
the line structure may be changed by the gremlin at AOL or elsewhere.)

Regards,
Saicho

   

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