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b-hebrew - Re: Poetry a la Niccacci

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  • From: "Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Poetry a la Niccacci
  • Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 10:06:52 -0700


> Niccacci is saying, if I understand you correctly, that the rules are
> clearer and more often followed in prose than in poetry. Does he give any
> examples?

In this particular article, not really. He goes on to analyze the
poetic structure of some passages, but doesn't really comment on
the syntax to a great degree. I can't remember where, but I do
believe he has said before that poetry sort of suspends rules of
syntax (my phrasing, not his) for the sake of meter, effect, word
imagery, and a host of other causes. This is essentially the
position I take, as well.

> As a general observation, about any language, we can say that some rules
> are followed by prose but not by poetry, and some rules are followed by
> poetry but not by prose. It would seem to cut both ways.

Yes, but I would suggest that the rules followed by poetry are
frequently at odds with, or perhaps override, the syntactic rules of
prose.

Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
A Bible that's falling apart means a life that isn't.




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