8 oct 2003

I.15a "Hic jacet John Shorthose"

A macaronic epitaph:

"Hic jacet John Shorthose
Sine hose, sine shoes, sine breeches;
Qui fuit, dum vixit
Sine goods, sine lands, sine riches."

[For those sine Latin: Here lies ... without ... who was, when he lived ... without....]

This is delightful. I'm guessing anonymous for the author. A+

15b "As lightning or a taper's light"

The speaker of this poem rejects similes, concluding with the couplet: "I must confesse, it could not choose but be / Profane to think thee anything but thee." I have no clue who wrote this. It is ok, but with a Worsdworthian diffuseness in the language I can't get down with. A poem like this needs to be sharper, wittier. B

15c "Hang all officers, we cry"

I'm missing the context that would make this meaningful: "When the subsidy's increased / We are not a penny sessed." I also lack any clue as to authorship. It's probably not John Donne! B+ for vigor of language.

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