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Rpsh Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary

Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

This sentence is quoted from the poem of John·Keats- Ode to a Nightingal. I can understand the whole sentence and I figure "singest" has a similar meaning to "sing". But, could you tell me the precise meaning?
  

Top answer

That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease. " Middle English verb endings were different than todays. The -est changed to -s

— AlpheccaStars

  • That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease.
  • " Middle English verb endings were different than todays.
  • The -est changed to -s
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12 Answers
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That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees
In some melodious plot
Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,
Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

The subject of the verb is "Dryad" and the verb (in Modern English) is "sings."
Middle English verb endings were different than todays. The -est changed to -s
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I had thought it is an another word. So it is! Thank you!
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Thou singest is another of the thee/thou/thine forms like the thou tookest you found the other day.
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OK! I get the rule. Thank you!
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rpshOK! I get the rule. Thank you!
I don't think you have found all of the rules.

If you read Shakespeare and earlier texts, you have to recognize these old verb forms. The modal auxiliaries were inflected, too. Shakespeare himself was not consistent, and used both the old and new forms. Here are examples:

From Macbeth:
Methinks t
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AlpheccaStarsShakespeare himself was not consistent, and used both the old and new forms.
Yes. Shakespeare's inconsistency reflects the fact that in his time the usage was changing. Originally thou was the singular form of you, and ye was the plural. Both pronouns were replaced by you, and the 2nd person singula
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It will be added est or st in the second person or the third person In most conditions, right?
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rpshIt will be added est or st in the second person or the third person In most conditions, right?
No. Third person was -eth

Here is a rather complete ugly picture for Middle English. By Shakespeare's time, most of these inflections had disappeared. In Modern English, the -s on third person singular is a remnant.

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The letter "þ" that looks like a "p" is called thorn, and is pronounced "th" as in "thin". It is not used in modern English.
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I will review it. Thank you!
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