High among my favourite elisions are those in the last two lines of Hopkins'
sonnet "In honour of St Alphonsus Rodriguez":
'Those years and years by of a world without event
That in Majorca Alfonso watched the door'
On 28 March 2010 23:20, Max Richards <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> ah yes elisions, thanks for helpful suggestions.
> Max
>
> Quoting Robin Hamilton <[log in to unmask]>:
>
> > > and this couplet disconcerts me, making me wonder if it has been
> > > transcribed
> > > correctly.
> > >
> > > Max
> >
> > I checked the original 1616 publication of the text, Max, and here's how
> the
> > relevant lines read there:
> >
> > They, then, that liuing where the matter is bred,
> > Dare for these poemes, yet, both aske, and read,
> > And like them too .
> >
> > ... so it looks as if the text dave originally posted is pretty accurate.
> >
> > For what it's worth, in line three there is a "the" elide marked: "If
> > workes (not th'authors) ."
> >
> > But there what's marked is an elided "the" followed by a vowel.
> >
> > One way or the other, it seems as if "the matter is bred" should be
> > pronounced with four rather than five syllables. But it's been suggested
> to
> > me that the elide may be on "matter is", which would then be have the
> phrase
> > pronounced something like, "the matt'ris bred" rather than the elide on
> "the
> > matter".
> >
> > Robin
> >
> > > Quoting David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]>:
> > >
> > >> Well I haven't yet unburied my Jonson, but pulling up the net, I like
> the
> > >> fittingness of this, accompanying Donne's Satires. Although the
> > >> enjambement
> > >> isn't as frequent as in the excerpt from the Horace translation, it's
> > >> distinct enough. And look at the caesuras and tempi.
> > >> It's not him at his best either, but typicality is better for examples
> > >> sake,
> > >> is it not?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> To Lucy, Countess of Bedford, with John Donne's Satires by Ben Jonson
> > >> Lucy, you brightness of our sphere, who are
> > >> Life of the Muses' day, their morning star!
> > >> If works, not th' author's, their own grace should look,
> > >> Whose poems would not wish to be your book?
> > >> But these, desir'd by you, the maker's ends
> > >> Crown with their own. Rare poems ask rare friends.
> > >> Yet satires, since the most of mankind be
> > >> Their unavoided subject, fewest see;
> > >> For none e'er took that pleasure in sin's sense
> > >> But, when they heard it tax'd, took more offence.
> > >> They, then, that living where the matter is bred,
> > >> Dare for these poems, yet, both ask and read
> > >> And like them too, must needfully, though few,
> > >> Be of the best; and 'mongst those best are you,
> > >> Lucy, you brightness of our sphere, who are
> > >> The Muses' evening, as their morning star.
> >
>
>
>
>
>
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--
David Bircumshaw
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You say are poems" - DMeltzer
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