David, did Greene Argue that the ambiguous pronouns are purposeful--or
deliberate? I don't have the book to hand, and it sounds as though you
might.
Judith
-----Original Message-----
From: Sidney-Spenser Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of David Wilson-Okamura
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2012 12:11 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: your mail
I don't have anything to add about this particular case. I think it
was Thomas Greene (Descent from Heaven, p. 328) who first commented on
the ambiguous pronoun references in Spenser. But Mr. Ambiguity
himself, William Empson, averred that what ambiguity there was in
Spenser has been "diffused" over large areas of text (7 Types, 33-34);
though the grammar might be wrong, the meaning of individual sentences
was never in question (208). I don't know who is right here, and
Empson wasn't infallible (even about his own subject). But he was so
smart that I never like to dismiss him either.
--
Dr. David Wilson-Okamura http://virgil.org [log in to unmask]
English Department Virgil reception, discussion, documents, &c
East Carolina University Sparsa et neglecta coegi. -- Claude Fauchet
|