[Hardy-l] A Grammatical Question

[wharmon03 at mindspring.com]

also:
 minori e maggi
lumi 
(Paradiso)

-----Original Message-----
>From: Patrick Roper <patrick at prassociates.co.uk>
>Sent: Oct 11, 2007 7:21 AM
>To: "'R BUCKLE (E-mail)'" <erb at segr.demon.co.uk>, hardy-l at coyote.csusm.edu
>Subject: RE: [Hardy-l] A Grammatical Question
>
>Surely 'The Less and Greater Bear' is an homage to Drydens lines in his
>translation of Virgils Aeneid:
>
>My sire, my son, our less and greater gods, 
>All sail at once, and cleave the briny floods.
>
>Patrick Roper 
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: hardy-l-bounces at coyote.csusm.edu
>[mailto:hardy-l-bounces at coyote.csusm.edu] On Behalf Of Roy Buckle
>Sent: 11 October 2007 00:49
>To: hardylist (E-mail)
>Subject: FW: [Hardy-l] A Grammatical Question
>Importance: High
>
>I suppose this is a matter that would be better raised on POTM
>but I won't delay it until Betty decides to drop it in my lap.
>
>It concerns the poem "Shut Out That Moon" in 'Time's LaughingStocks'.
>No!: it's not the lack of a hyphen in that long word but the omission of an
>apostrophe in line 10 of the poem.
>This reads
>                           The Less and Greater Bear:
>
>I do not recall ever hearing Hardy criticised for bad grammar but I have
>always baulked a little at the poet's licentiousness in using Less for
>Lesser even though the poem reads (and a song setting of mine sings)
>better this way, building as it does the urgency I assume in the next line:
>
>                            Stay in;
>
>I much regret not having got round to asking Jim Gibson about this, for
>he had a very high regard for the poem and like Hynes records in his
>variorum
>Hardy's previous use of 'small' in the ms. which would have been an inferior
>choice.
>
>So I don't know if I am quarrelling with Hardy or not.   In case I should be
>taken to be
>unduly (=overly) critical let me just add:
>how could one not but admire the sheer poignancy of the final couplet: the
>brevity
>and simplicity of that poetic comment leaves a lasting reminder of the
>Hardys'
>sad history.
>
>                            Too fragrant was Life's early bloom,
>                            Too tart the fruit it brought!
>
>Woe betide anyone who attempts to be 'clever' and overemphasises the
>alliteration there.
>
>Regards to all.
>RB.
>
>
>
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