0
Vsuresh Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Comma
Hi
Here is a line from the poem Snake by D H Lawrence.
A snake came to my water-trough
On a hot, hot day,and I in pyjamas for the heat,
To drink there.
Here due to the comma after heat I am not able to tell whether it is the snake or the poet who comes there to drink.
Please help.
Here is a line from the poem Snake by D H Lawrence.
A snake came to my water-trough
On a hot, hot day,and I in pyjamas for the heat,
To drink there.
Here due to the comma after heat I am not able to tell whether it is the snake or the poet who comes there to drink.
Please help.
Top answer
vsuresh I am not able to tell whether it is the snake or the poet who comes there to drink. Hi, On a hot, hot day - This part indicates that the heat was unbearable. To drink there - This part indicates that the speaker tried to find a way to relieve the heat, and was therefore looking out for water.
- vsuresh I am not able to tell whether it is the snake or the poet who comes there to drink.
- Hi, On a hot, hot day - This part indicates that the heat was unbearable.
- To drink there - This part indicates that the speaker tried to find a way to relieve the heat, and was therefore looking out for water.
- Regards
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
6 Answers
0
vsureshI am not able to tell whether it is the snake or the poet who comes there to drink.Hi,
On a hot, hot day - This part indicates that the heat was unbearable.
To drink there - This part indicates that the speaker tried to find a way to relieve the heat, and
was therefore looking out for water.
Regards
00
Hi
I think the sentence is deliberately ambiguous - both Lawrence and the snake have gone to the water-trough to drink
The rest of the poem continues with the same mood: can Lawrence and the snake identify with each other, since they are both doing what creatures typically do - search out water when they are thirsty?
Or can Lawrence only describe the snake from a human p
I think the sentence is deliberately ambiguous - both Lawrence and the snake have gone to the water-trough to drink
The rest of the poem continues with the same mood: can Lawrence and the snake identify with each other, since they are both doing what creatures typically do - search out water when they are thirsty?
Or can Lawrence only describe the snake from a human p
00
A snake came to my water-trough
On a hot, hot day,and I in pyjamas for the heat,
To drink there.
In my opinion, this reverts back into normal word order like this:
On a hot, hot day, a snake and I, in pyjamas for the he
On a hot, hot day,and I in pyjamas for the heat,
To drink there.
In my opinion, this reverts back into normal word order like this:
On a hot, hot day, a snake and I, in pyjamas for the he
00
Thanks to you all.
Hi CalifJim
Thank you very much for the way you explained.
Actually I do know that both came there to drink. My doubt was with the comma being there, who does it refer to considering I am not looking at the context. I just wanted to use that as a sample to learn how I should understand similar structures where the context and setting are unknown to me
Hi CalifJim
Thank you very much for the way you explained.
Actually I do know that both came there to drink. My doubt was with the comma being there, who does it refer to considering I am not looking at the context. I just wanted to use that as a sample to learn how I should understand similar structures where the context and setting are unknown to me
00
It seems to me that every poet has his own idiosyncratic way of punctuating, so I don't believe any general punctuation principles can be stated that would necessarily apply to other situations.
00
Related Questions