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Catttt Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary
were it not for ...
1.Does here "were it not for ..." structure imply that "if the piece were not accompanied by such magnificent music, it would become wryly amusing or intellectually deep because of its reference to the primacy of the Word in Judaeo-Christian doctrine"?
Does "though such irony" refer to "the fact that the artwork might be wryly amusing or intellectually deep..." or "the fact that the music carries associations for many British people of the Queen’s coronation,..."?
Context:
This might be wryly amusing or intellectually deep in terms of its reference to the primacy of the Word in Judaeo-Christian doctrine, were it not for the fact that the piece is accompanied by another piece of richly moving music of iconic status, Handel’s magnificent 1727 coronation anthem Zadok the Priest, which carries associations for many British people of the Queen’s coronation, establishment order, public ritual and so on, though such irony might well be lost in the sheer passion of the music, which starts quietly and then surreptitiously builds to a heart-stopping climax with an exclamatory burst of voices that must surely have a genuine physiological effect, whatever one’s cultural expectations.
Does "though such irony" refer to "the fact that the artwork might be wryly amusing or intellectually deep..." or "the fact that the music carries associations for many British people of the Queen’s coronation,..."?
Context:
This might be wryly amusing or intellectually deep in terms of its reference to the primacy of the Word in Judaeo-Christian doctrine, were it not for the fact that the piece is accompanied by another piece of richly moving music of iconic status, Handel’s magnificent 1727 coronation anthem Zadok the Priest, which carries associations for many British people of the Queen’s coronation, establishment order, public ritual and so on, though such irony might well be lost in the sheer passion of the music, which starts quietly and then surreptitiously builds to a heart-stopping climax with an exclamatory burst of voices that must surely have a genuine physiological effect, whatever one’s cultural expectations.
Top answer
1. Roughly yes, though in that paraphrase I would use the word "be" not "become", and also I think it is mainly the associations, not the the fact the music is magnificent, that prevent the stated things from happening. 2.
- 1.
- Roughly yes, though in that paraphrase I would use the word "be" not "become", and also I think it is mainly the associations, not the the fact the music is magnificent, that prevent the stated things from happening.
- 2.
- The supposed irony stems from the juxtapositon of the two pieces.
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1 Answers
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1. Roughly yes, though in that paraphrase I would use the word "be" not "become", and also I think it is mainly the associations, not the the fact the music is magnificent, that prevent the stated things from happening.
2. The supposed irony stems from the juxtapositon of the two pieces.
2. The supposed irony stems from the juxtapositon of the two pieces.
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