zippy Zurcher zingers zealously zap ze zone.
On Nov 10, 2011, at 11:41 PM, andrew zurcher wrote:
> Hi Paul,
>
> This alliterative collocation definitely has a Skeltonic attitude about it. See the opening of 'Colyn Cloute':
>
> What can it auayle
> To dryue forth a snayle
> Or to make a sayle
> Of an herynges tayle
> To ryme or to rayle...
>
> And see the 'Garlande or chapelet of laurell', at about line 1360 (I quote from the EEBO transcription of the 1523 printed edition):
>
> The nacyoun of folys he left not behynde
> Item apollo that whirllid vp his chare
> That made sum to surt and snuf in the wynde
> It made them to skip to stampe and to stare
> whiche if they be happy haue cause to be ware
> In ryming and raylyng with hym for to mell
> For drede that he lerne them there A. B. C. to spell
>
> These peerless passages prompted Puttenham to pass his famous sentence on Skelton:
>
> 'Such were the rimes of Skelton (vsurping the name of a Poet Laureat) being in deede but a rude rayling rimer & all his doings ridiculous, he vsed both short distaunces and short measures pleasing onely the popular eare: in our courtly maker we banish them vtterly.' (Arte of English Poesie, 1589, Book II, ch. ix)
>
> I've not done a proper search, though, and I'm sure others will provide better examples.
>
>
> andrew
>
>
> Andrew Zurcher
> Queens' College
> Cambridge CB3 9ET
> United Kingdom
> +44 1223 335 572
>
> hast hast post hast for lyfe
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