Ellipsis Exercise
Arms and the Boy
Let the boy try along this bayonet-blade, How cold steel is, and keen with hunger of blood; Blue with all malice, like a madman’s flash; And thinly drawn with famishing for flesh. Lend him to stroke these blind, blunt bullet-heads Which long to muzzle in the hearts of lads. Or give him cartridges of fine zinc teeth, Sharp with the sharpness of grief and death. For his teeth seem for laughing round an apple. There lurk no claws behind his fingers supple; And God will grow no talons at his heels, Nor antlers through the thickness of his curls. By Wilfred Owen |
Part I.
INSTRUCTIONS: As you know, as semi-colon requires an independent clause both before and after it. In order to achieve the condensation—not abbreviation—of thought in verse, poets often use ellipsis to achieve the desired poetic effect. As an exercise in grammar, please “fill-in” the likely missing words in brackets below. There is one instance of anastrophe in the following: please likewise identify it using brackets immediately following.
Part II.
INSTRUCTIONS: After you have “filled-in” the “missing” words, write a short paragraph comparing and contrasting the effect of these passages. Do no forget to discuss the effectiveness or ineffective needs of both figures of speech mentioned in the instructions to part one.
INSTRUCTIONS: As you know, as semi-colon requires an independent clause both before and after it. In order to achieve the condensation—not abbreviation—of thought in verse, poets often use ellipsis to achieve the desired poetic effect. As an exercise in grammar, please “fill-in” the likely missing words in brackets below. There is one instance of anastrophe in the following: please likewise identify it using brackets immediately following.
Part II.
INSTRUCTIONS: After you have “filled-in” the “missing” words, write a short paragraph comparing and contrasting the effect of these passages. Do no forget to discuss the effectiveness or ineffective needs of both figures of speech mentioned in the instructions to part one.