| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Cratylus by Plato: philologians; and partly also because the traces of onomatopea in separate
words become almost obliterated in the course of ages. The poet of
language cannot put in and pull out letters, as a painter might insert or
blot out a shade of colour to give effect to his picture. It would be
ridiculous for him to alter any received form of a word in order to render
it more expressive of the sense. He can only select, perhaps out of some
dialect, the form which is already best adapted to his purpose. The true
onomatopea is not a creative, but a formative principle, which in the later
stage of the history of language ceases to act upon individual words; but
still works through the collocation of them in the sentence or paragraph,
and the adaptation of every word, syllable, letter to one another and to
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: "What! you do not remember it?"
"I never read the dispatches I send. My duty being to
forget them, the shortest way is not to know them."
This reply showed Nicholas Pigassof's character. In
the meanwhile the kibitka pursued its way, at a pace which
Michael longed to render more rapid. But Nicholas and
his horse were accustomed to a pace which neither of them
would like to alter. The horse went for two hours and
rested one -- so on, day and night. During the halts the
horse grazed, the travelers ate in company with the faithful
Serko. The kibitka was provisioned for at least twenty
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Richard III by William Shakespeare: Off with his head! Now by Saint Paul I swear
I will not dine until I see the same.
Lovel and Ratcliff, look that it be done.
The rest that love me, rise and follow me.
Exeunt all but HASTINGS, LOVEL, and RATCLIFF
HASTINGS. Woe, woe, for England! not a whit for me;
For I, too fond, might have prevented this.
STANLEY did dream the boar did raze our helms,
And I did scorn it and disdain to fly.
Three times to-day my foot-cloth horse did stumble,
And started when he look'd upon the Tower,
Richard III |
