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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a sentence
The protagonist recalls going the church in his childhood.
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I look up at the monumental tablets on the wall, and try to think of Mr. Bodgers late of this parish, and what the feelings of Mrs. Bodgers must have been, when affliction sore, long time Mr.Bodgers bore, and physicians were in vain.
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
I'd like to know what "late of this parish" means.
And I'd like to know if the underlined phrases means "when affliction was sore, which long time Mr. Bodgers bore."
Thank you in advance for your help.
...........................
I look up at the monumental tablets on the wall, and try to think of Mr. Bodgers late of this parish, and what the feelings of Mrs. Bodgers must have been, when affliction sore, long time Mr.Bodgers bore, and physicians were in vain.
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
I'd like to know what "late of this parish" means.
And I'd like to know if the underlined phrases means "when affliction was sore, which long time Mr. Bodgers bore."
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
"late of this parish" is a stock phrase. "late" means "deceased", and "of this parish" means that he lived within the parish served by this church. The next part is not written in a standard prose style.
- "late of this parish" is a stock phrase.
- "late" means "deceased", and "of this parish" means that he lived within the parish served by this church.
- The next part is not written in a standard prose style.
- It seems to be a poetic flourish, which I understand to mean "when, for a long time, Mr Bodgers bore a sore affliction".
- park sang joon The protagonist In this case you can say "the narrator".
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5 Answers
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"late of this parish" is a stock phrase. "late" means "deceased", and "of this parish" means that he lived within the parish served by this church.
The next part is not written in a standard prose style. It seems to be a poetic flourish, which I understand to mean "when, for a long time, Mr Bodgers bore a sore affliction".
The next part is not written in a standard prose style. It seems to be a poetic flourish, which I understand to mean "when, for a long time, Mr Bodgers bore a sore affliction".
park sang joonThe protagonist
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park sang joonI'd like to know what "late of this parish" means.A member of this parish (a sort of political or governmental unit of the church) who died.
the late Mr. Smith = Mr. Smith, who died
park sang joonAnd I'd like to know if the underlined phrases means "when affliction was sore, which long time Mr. Bodg
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Thank you, GPY and Mr.Jim, for your so very helpful answer. 
Then I was wondering why it is "affliction sore," not "sore afflict
Then I was wondering why it is "affliction sore," not "sore afflict
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park sang joonThank you, GPY and Mr.Jim, for your so very helpful answer. Then I was wondering why it is "affliction sore," not "sore affliction" in my quotation.It is a poetic inversion, adopted (I assume) in order to create the "sore ... bore" rhyme.
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GPYIt is a poetic inversion, adopted (I assume) in order to create the "sore ... bore" rhyme.It's not uncommon to see this style in poems, e.g. "a maiden fair", "a victory sweet", etc. I guess it is often helpful for the meter and the rhyme!
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