At 03:45 PM 11/10/2006, you wrote:
>Mark, the original query came via me from a group in
>Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, and the brackets in question are ( ).
>Here in the UK we use the term brackets to refer to this sort, [ ]
>being known as square brackets. Parentheses is just a clever way of
>referring to brackets of either description, and indicates no
>particular distinction between them. At least, so I've always
>believed. I'm sure the Rodent will pitch in here and correct me if I'm wrong.
I can sense his whiskers twitching.
>If, as it would appear from your post, there is a specific
>distinction drawn in US, then I'm delighted to have learned yet
>another little snippet of fascinating knowledge.
>
>And Jon, where on earth did you find that naughty and rather splendid poem?
>
>joanna
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Weiss" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 8:20 PM
>Subject: Re: Pope also liked them
>
>
>>John: This isn't a replt to you per se, just a convenient place to
>>make a query. Am I wrong in assuming that the criticism was of use
>>of brackets [ ] and not parentheses ( )? Or have I been misusing
>>the terms all these years? If it is about [ ] then the criticism is
>>directed at self-proclaimed post-modernists. I don't mean to
>>criticize the poets in question myself by sayng "self-proclaimed,"
>>I just have very little use for the term.
>>
>>Mark
>>
>>At 03:06 PM 11/10/2006, you wrote:
>>>Fate urged the Sheers, and cut the Sylph in twain,
>>>(But Airy Substance soon unites again)
>>>
>>> -- The Rape of the Lock
>>>
>>>I've always thought someone should have made a movie of that poem. But it
>>>should have been made in the Thirties, with Clark Gable and Jean Harlow.
>>>Like so much else, too late, too late!
>>>
>>>Also I think it used to be common to put vocatives in parentheses, as in
>>>Jonson's:
>>>
>>> To draw no envy (Shakespeare) on thy name
>>>
>>>A pleasant orthographical convention the passing of which is regrettable.
>>>
>>>And I always enjoy seeing those right margin braces to set off triple rhymed
>>>lines in heroic couplets: "Hey look I'm using an extra rhyme!" Those were
>>>the days ...
|