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Coloraday Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
A question about a poem by Samuel Daniel
Here is an excerpt from a poem by Samuel Daniel :
"Straight towards London in this heat of pride
The Duke sets forward as they had decreed,
with whom the captive king constrained must ride'
Most meanly mounted on a simple steed:
Degraded of all grace and ease beside,
thereby neglect of all respect to breed;
For th'over-spreading pomp of prouder might
Must darken weakness and debase his sight."
What do the coloured lines mean?
Thanks
"Straight towards London in this heat of pride
The Duke sets forward as they had decreed,
with whom the captive king constrained must ride'
Most meanly mounted on a simple steed:
Degraded of all grace and ease beside,
thereby neglect of all respect to breed;
For th'over-spreading pomp of prouder might
Must darken weakness and debase his sight."
What do the coloured lines mean?
Thanks
Top answer
Poems can be tough to understand -- especially ones that were written hundreds of years ago! My guesses: "Degraded of all grace and ease beside" -- means that the king had, due to his captivity, been stripped ("degraded") of all his grace and ease. I assume "grace" has the usual dictionary meaning.
- Poems can be tough to understand -- especially ones that were written hundreds of years ago!
- My guesses: "Degraded of all grace and ease beside" -- means that the king had, due to his captivity, been stripped ("degraded") of all his grace and ease.
- I assume "grace" has the usual dictionary meaning.
- I'm not entirely sure what "ease" means here.
- I'd guess it means something like "usual comforts".
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4 Answers
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Poems can be tough to understand -- especially ones that were written hundreds of years ago!
My guesses:
"Degraded of all grace and ease beside" -- means that the king had, due to his captivity, been stripped ("degraded") of all his grace and ease. I assume "grace" has the usual dictionary meaning. I'm not entirely sure what "ease" means here. I'd guess it means something like
My guesses:
"Degraded of all grace and ease beside" -- means that the king had, due to his captivity, been stripped ("degraded") of all his grace and ease. I assume "grace" has the usual dictionary meaning. I'm not entirely sure what "ease" means here. I'd guess it means something like
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I thought likewise of the first line.And I think your interpretation of the second one is correct and the usage of breed (in the meaning of rank) refers to the common belief (in that time) that a person is a king or a vassal(a citizen) from his birth and *** appoints Kings. So his race is being king not his rank.
Thanks
Thanks
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Yes, I believe that "breed" refers to his rank or status as a function of his ancestry. In modern English "breed" is used only of animals. You would not use it of a person except humorously or offensively, or in certain stock phrases such as "a breed apart".
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OK, to me the use of breed in the second line means 'to encourage', as in they want to encourage those who see him degraded to lose respect for him.
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