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Colons in Poetry

Essorant
Member Elite

since 2002-08-10

Posts 4769
Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada

0 posted 2003-09-22 01:28 PM

I have never found in grammarbooks or websites
a regard to the poetic use of the semi colon and colon and how they differ.

Consider how they are used in the passages from Scott's Marmion below:

"The shepherd shifts his mantle's fold,
And wraps him closer from the cold:
His dogs no merry circles wheel,
But shivering follow at his heel;
A cowering glance they often cast,
As deeper moans the gathering blast."

"Though not unmarked from northern clime,
Ye heard the Border Minstrel's rhyme:
His Gothic harp has o'er you rung;
The Bard you deigned to praise, your deathless names has sung."

Is there specific difference you ken?
As the colon is used here it seems to mark a more definite shifting to something different that accompanies the subject. And the with the semi-colon just shifting to anything different. See I am ill at ease about the use of these marks. Many definitions of of the colon are very vague as well.
How do you know for sure which one to use?

[This message has been edited by Essorant (09-22-2003 01:42 PM).]

Nan

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-20

Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA

1 posted 2003-09-22 09:35 PM

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/colons.htm

Here's a good explanation of the use of both colons and semi-colons. While the colon has several uses, the semi-colon is used in place of a comma and subsequent conjunction; it joins two closely related independent clauses which would normally be combined with a comma to make one subordinate to the other. It is used especially in cases where one of the clauses contains parenthetical phrases set off by commas....

Essorant
Member Elite

since 2002-08-10

Posts 4769
Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada

2 posted 2003-09-24 02:39 PM

Thank'ee Nan.

greco
Member

since 2003-09-27

Posts 85
buffalo ny

3 posted 2003-10-17 09:29 PM

My english teacher told me that after every Colon there is always a gush of information waiting to be explored
hope this helps

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