Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Poetry and capitalisation
Hi,
Why is it that in certain poems - below is Omar Khayyam - one sees words such as 'Cock' or 'Tavern' capitalised. Or, for instance, in the second stanza, 'Tower of Darkness'. Again, why are these capitalised?
And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before
The Tavern shouted - "Open then the Door!
You know how little time we have to stay,
And once departed, may return no more."
Alike for those who for TO-DAY prepare,
And that after a TO-MORROW stare,
A Muezzin from the Tower of Darkness cries
"Fools! your reward is neither Here nor There!"
Why, all the Saints and Sages who discuss'd
Of the Two Worlds so learnedly, are thrust
Like foolish Prophets forth; their Words to Scorn
Are scatter'd, and their mouths are stopt with Dust.
Why is it that in certain poems - below is Omar Khayyam - one sees words such as 'Cock' or 'Tavern' capitalised. Or, for instance, in the second stanza, 'Tower of Darkness'. Again, why are these capitalised?
And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before
The Tavern shouted - "Open then the Door!
You know how little time we have to stay,
And once departed, may return no more."
Alike for those who for TO-DAY prepare,
And that after a TO-MORROW stare,
A Muezzin from the Tower of Darkness cries
"Fools! your reward is neither Here nor There!"
Why, all the Saints and Sages who discuss'd
Of the Two Worlds so learnedly, are thrust
Like foolish Prophets forth; their Words to Scorn
Are scatter'd, and their mouths are stopt with Dust.
Top answer
Various reasons. Once long ago it was the practice to capitalize all English nouns. Here, It may be the style of the period, or imitative of the style of the period in which the poem's tale takes place, which is probably why FitzGerald capitalized Tavern, Muezzin, Saints and Sages , etc.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
0
Various reasons. Once long ago it was the practice to capitalize all English nouns. Here, It may be the style of the period, or imitative of the style of the period in which the poem's tale takes place, which is probably why FitzGerald capitalized Tavern, Muezzin, Saints and Sages, etc. Tower of Darkness may be a proper noun, the name of the tower.
0