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Taka Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

To

We never know the value of our own work, and everything reasonable leads us to doubt it: for we can be certain that few contemporaries will be read in a hundred years. To write poems that endure—we undertake such a goal certain of two things: that in all likelihood we will fail, and that if we succeed we will never know it.

Does the underlined sentence work?
  

Top answer

The combination of m-dash and colon (which have the same function) leaves the sentence structure a little muddy for the reader. I suggest recasting. To write poems that endure, we should be certain of two things: that in all likelihood we will fail, and that if we succeed we will never know it.

— Mister Micawber

  • The combination of m-dash and colon (which have the same function) leaves the sentence structure a little muddy for the reader.
  • I suggest recasting.
  • To write poems that endure, we should be certain of two things: that in all likelihood we will fail, and that if we succeed we will never know it.
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8 Answers
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The combination of m-dash and colon (which have the same function) leaves the sentence structure a little muddy for the reader. I suggest recasting.

To write poems that endure, we should be certain of two things: that in all likelihood we will fail, and that if we succeed we will never know it.
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Mister Micawberm-dash and colon (which have the same function)
Right. They have the same function; a paraphrase comes after/before them.

So the infinitive 'to write poems that endure' is nominal and the same as 'such a goal', right MM?
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In your original, yes. I think I turned it into an adverbial in my rendition.
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So the infinitive is nominal. Good.

Now, actually, the original was this below.

To desire to write poems that endure—we undertake such a goal certain of two things: that in all likelihood we will fail, and that if we succeed we will never know it.

Grammatically, is it still safe to say that the infinitive 'to desire...' is a paraphrase of 'such a goal'? Or
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TakaGrammatically, is it still safe to say that the infinitive 'to desire...' is a paraphrase of 'such a goal'?
I think we must.
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?? We must?

Do you mean that we must say that 'to desire...' is a paraphrase of 'such a goal'?
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I don't see any strong rationale for any other interpretation.
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I see. So 'to desire..' is nominal and 'such a goal' refers to it. Great!

Thanks, MM!
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