Wordsmith Talk |
About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | |||
Register Log In Wordsmith.org Forums General Topics Words and languages in schools caesura
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
It’s a great word, Bill. Perhaps the loveliest example I know occurs in William Butler Yeats’ poem ‘An Irish Airman Foresees His Death’:
I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country is Kiltartan's Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.
There is one great caesura in the fourth line from the end, with "all" held in the balance either side of the mid-line poise. In the final lines, the inversion of “waste of breath” either side of a rythmic line break forms a perfect caesura that encapsulates the sense of balance, summation, poise between life and death…”I balanced all…” ~ wonderful.
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted caesura wwh 01/11/04 01:05 AM Re: caesura maverick 01/11/04 04:00 AM Re: caesura Father Steve 01/11/04 04:30 AM Re: caesura wwh 01/11/04 01:32 PM Re: caesura maverick 01/11/04 10:38 PM Re: caesura wwh 01/11/04 11:03 PM
Moderated by Jackie
Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics Forums16Topics13,913Posts229,372Members9,182 Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now 0 members (), 381 guests, and 1 robot. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days) A C Bowden 25
Top Posters wwh 13,858Faldage 13,803Jackie 11,613wofahulicodoc 10,561tsuwm 10,542LukeJavan8 9,919Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210AnnaStrophic 6,511Wordwind 6,296of troy 5,400
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith.org