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St. 35
Abraham Fraunce quotes these lines in full in Arcadian Rhetoric (1588, E3r) as an example of ‘conceited verses’ (D7r). The four passions on which the elaborate patterning of the syntax is based correspond to the four humors: wrath to choler, jealousy to phlegm, grief to black bile, and love to blood.
35.1 do thus expell: This and the verb phrases in lines 6-8 are to be construed as imperatives; cf. Col. 3:8: ‘But now put ye away even all these things, wrath, angre, maliciousnes’.
35.4-5 ‘The fire bred from sparks, the weed bred from a little seed, the flood bred from drops, and filth bred the Monster’. The lines employ the figure of syllepsis: three intransitive clauses are paralleled with a fourth transitive clause, all linked to the verb ‘breede’. The effect, in an episode concerned with reversals of sequence, is unsettling.
*35.5 filth: lust; sins of the flesh
*35.6 delay: allay; dilute or temper
*35.7 outweed: weed out
I would call this a tricolon, the classic example of which is "Veni, vidi, vici."Lanham's Handlist of Rhetorical Terms also identifies a sub-type calls tricolon crescens. The crescens may refer to the "show-stopper" part.Jean GoodrichEnglish DepartmentUniversity of ArizonaOn Thu, Apr 19, 2018 at 10:36 AM, David Miller <[log in to unmask]> wrote:Years ago I had an extended conversation about this passage (which I had been misconstruing) via email with Andrew Zurcher, and I think he told me then what that peculiar disposition of clauses is called. I should have a chance later to search through back emails to see if I can find it.In another matter entirely, I bet members of this list will be glad to know that Andrew's first novel, Twelve Nights, is out from Penguin Random House UK. I ordered my copy, which arrived today, from Amazon UK. I can hardly wait to dig in!On Thu, Apr 19, 2018 at 1:01 PM, Tuggle, Brad <[log in to unmask]> wrote:In discussing the rhetorical patterns of this stanza, I might want to talk about epanodos (in one definition of which individual items are subsequently and individually expanded upon) combined with a sort of delayed and ordered anadiplosis (which turns the last term into the first term). But I might just call it a “show-stopper interwoven list.”
From: Sidney-Spenser Discussion List <[log in to unmask]
> on behalf of "RACK, MELISSA" <[log in to unmask]>
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Date: Thursday, April 19, 2018 at 11:11 AM
To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask] >
Subject: Re: So shall wrath, gealosy, grief, love die and decay
~Melissa J. Rack
Assistant Professor of English
University of South Carolina, Salkehatchie
From: Sidney-Spenser Discussion List [[log in to unmask]
] on behalf of Vasiliauskas, Emily [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2018 11:24 AM
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Subject: So shall wrath, gealosy, grief, love die and decayHello all,
Is there a technical name for that show-stopper interwoven list form that Spenser uses from time to time? The example I have ready-to-hand is FQ II.iv.34:
"Wrath, gealosie, griefe, love do thus expel:
Wrath is a fire, and gealosie a weede,
Griefe is a flood, and love a monster fell;
The fire of sparkes, the weede of little seede,
The flood of drops, the Monster filth did breede:
But sparks, seed, drops, and filth do thus delay;
The sparks soone quench, the springing seed outweed
The drops dry up, and filth wipe cleane away:
So shall wrath, gealosy, grief, love die and decay."
I seem to remember a relationship between this and madrigal form? But I'm not sure at all.
Best wishes,
Emily
---------------------------
Emily Vasiliauskas
Assistant Professor of English
Williams College
--David Lee Miller
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
(803) 777-4256
FAX 777-9064
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