Another and clearer example of rhythm imitating something funny is the line
about the goat-legged Satyrs trying to kneel: "Their backward bent knees
teach, her humbly to obey." (I.vi). Students assent enthusiastically to
this one. As a linguistics major put it, sound does not have intrinsic
qualities but in the right context it takes on "symbolism."
At 06:11 AM 3/5/2004 +0000, you wrote:
>Along the lines of the comparison Roger makes and the distinction Susanne
>makes, there is C S Lewis' comment on special power attributed to rhythm
>in the prose of the English Bible: he suggests comparing
>
>'And after the cocktails, a soup (but the soup was not very nice), and
>after the soup a small, cold pie.'
>
>and 'And out of the whirlwind, a fire (but the Lord was not in the fire),
>and out of the fire a still, small voice.'
>
>Do we have here, and in Roger's line about the murder of beeves, a
>subtopic within parody? perhaps relics of a Common Room game?
>
>Jon Quitslund
> > A long time ago I did an article on "mimetic and aesthetic" rhythms,
> > not an adequate pair of categories by a long shot, but an effort to
> > distinguish between those sounds and rhythms whose patterns are
> > complex and pleasing for whatever reason (usually some sort of
> > repetition and surprise), "aesthetic," and those that either sought
> > to reflect meaning or that we interpret as reflecting meaning,
> > "mimetic." Roger's "murder..." would be aesthetic (his example, not
> > the fact), while the "murmur..." would be mimetic. Language and
> > sound are wonderfully fun because so much hovers between sound and
> > meaning, and how we individually and as a community of readers hear
> > that interchange.
> >
> > By the way, I think Spenser wrote one of the few great "l" lines in
> > English, "Her long loose yellow locks lyke golden wyre."
> >
> > Susanne
> >
> > >In the vein of David's skepticism: who was it -- old age, you know --
> > >who said that Keats's "murmur of innumerable bees" worked just as
> > >well with the "murder of innumerable beeves"?
> > >
> > >Roger Kuin
> > >
> > >>At 02:31 PM 3/3/2004 -0500, Carol Kaske wrote:
> > >>>>>>
> > >>In view of some current skepticism about onomatopoeia etc., I'm delighted
> > >>to see that Frye believed in "imitative harmony . . . the sound being an
> > >>echo of the sense," which is a neglected dimension of Spenser's poetry.
> > >><<<<
> > >>
> > >>I am, in general, one of the skeptics. So, I might add, was Dr. Johnson.
> > >>But that is irrelevant. They -- meaning critics in the Renaissance --
> > >>believed in "imitative harmony," AND THERE'S AN END ON IT! (As the Great
> > >>Cham would say.) Virgil, in particular, was famous in this period for the
> > >>number and variety of his verbal sound effects. See María José Vega
> Ramos,
> > >>El secreto artificio: Qualitas sonorum, maronolatría y tradición
> pontaniana
> > >>en la poética del Renacimiento (Madrid, 1992).
> > >>
> > >>Did Virgil intend to produce the sound effects that the critics
> discovered?
> > >>In some cases, there is no question, because the effects are so obvious
> > >>(e.g., "taratantara," which is the sound that a trumpet makes in Virgil's
> > >>predecessor Ennius). With more subtle effects -- and Virgil's effects,
> > >>whatever they are, are more subtle -- it is hard to judge. We hear
> what we
> > >>expect to hear. "Dover Beach" is connected with the seaside, and so of
> > >>course the rhythm of the poem reminds us of the ebb and flow of the
> tides.
> > >>But is that really what the poem sounds like? Is it the sound of the
> words
> > >>that puts us in mind of the sea, or is it the meaning of the words?
> > >>
> > >>Frankly, I can't tell. With Spenser, though, I think we're on firmer
> > >>ground. If you believe that Homer is writing allegory, and you want to
> > >>imitate Homer, then you WILL write allegory. That's probably what Virgil
> > >>did. It's the same with imitative harmony. If you think that Virgil used
> > >>words to imitate sound, and you are trying to imitate Virgil, you will,
> > >>probably, use words to imitate sound. And if you have any talent, it will
> > >>probably work, too.
> > >>
> > >>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >>David Wilson-Okamura http://virgil.org [log in to unmask]
> > >>East Carolina University Virgil reception, discussion, documents, &c
> > >>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|