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Afewminuteslate Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Is this an ellipsis?
Oh! strophe b
In my desolation, I have
Learned! Then, then, some god
Leapt with all his heavy
Weight and struck me in the 1360
Head and sent me spinning
Down savage roads, over-
Turning my joy to be trampled on
Ah me, how all too late thou seemest to see the right!
CREON Ah me, I have learned the bitter lesson! But then, methinks, oh then, some god smote me from above with crushing weight, and hurled me into ways of cruelty, woe is me,-overthrowing and trampling on my joy! Woe, woe, for the troublous toils of men!
I think the author meant overturning my joy that is to be trampled on. I think it's an ellipsis, but a very poor one.
In my desolation, I have
Learned! Then, then, some god
Leapt with all his heavy
Weight and struck me in the 1360
Head and sent me spinning
Down savage roads, over-
Turning my joy to be trampled on
Ah me, how all too late thou seemest to see the right!
CREON Ah me, I have learned the bitter lesson! But then, methinks, oh then, some god smote me from above with crushing weight, and hurled me into ways of cruelty, woe is me,-overthrowing and trampling on my joy! Woe, woe, for the troublous toils of men!
I think the author meant overturning my joy that is to be trampled on. I think it's an ellipsis, but a very poor one.
Top answer
I agree that "overturning my joy to be trampled on" would seem slightly suspect in plain modern prose, but in context it seems OK to me. We need to allow poetic licence, and make additional allowance if this was written a long time ago. "overthrowing and trampling on my joy" seems OK to me.
- I agree that "overturning my joy to be trampled on" would seem slightly suspect in plain modern prose, but in context it seems OK to me.
- We need to allow poetic licence, and make additional allowance if this was written a long time ago.
- "overthrowing and trampling on my joy" seems OK to me.
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2 Answers
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I agree that "overturning my joy to be trampled on" would seem slightly suspect in plain modern prose, but in context it seems OK to me. We need to allow poetic licence, and make additional allowance if this was written a long time ago.
"overthrowing and trampling on my joy" seems OK to me.
"overthrowing and trampling on my joy" seems OK to me.
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