Failed to understand "History is now and England"

Forums: English, Esl, Grammar
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Does it mean "(Just look at this moment) England sets a typical pattern for History - England is History (and so we England people are proud and carry our heads high)"?

Context:
A People without history
Is Not redeemed from time,
for history is a pattern
Of timeless moments.
So, while the light fails,
On a winter's afternoon, in a secluded chapel,
History is now and England.

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Type: Question • Score: 3 • Views: 981 • Replies: 10

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View best answer, chosen by oristarA

@oristarA,

All except one dislike this question?

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@oristarA,

O England,
You're more a Mystery,
Than History?
O people,
Land your hand,
Not your land.
So for what
Are you hesitating?

1 Reply

@oristarA,

Quote:

history is a pattern
Of timeless moments.
So, while the light fails,
On a winter's afternoon, in a secluded chapel,
History is now and England.

It's not a very good poem in my opinion.

However if you want to know what the poet means, it's probably that, in an old building (a secluded chapel, somewhere in England, as night falls) he could imagine himself to be part of history- the time could be the present, or some time long ago. Time has no meaning.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Thanks.
The author sounds rather proud of himself.

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@oristarA,

oristarA wrote:

O England,
You're more a Mystery,
Than History?
O people,
Land your hand,
Not your land.
So for what
Are you hesitating?

First edit:

O England,
More Mystery,
Than History?
O people,
Land hand,
Not land!
So for what
You hesitate?

1 Reply

@oristarA,

I can't really comment on the merits of artistic verse, or any attempt at such. I can only say what works for me, and what doesn't.
This doesn't.

However grammatically, the bit on the end "So for what
You hesitate? " has to be "So for what do you hesitate?", if you want to change the original "So for what are you hesitating?" (which is grammatically okay).

examples:
Why do you hesitate?
Why are you hesitating?
What are you hesitating for?
For what are you hesitating?

2 Replies

@McTag,

McTag wrote:

I can't really comment on the merits of artistic verse, or any attempt at such. I can only say what works for me, and what doesn't.
This doesn't.

However grammatically, the bit on the end "So for what
You hesitate? " has to be "So for what do you hesitate?", if you want to change the original "So for what are you hesitating?" (which is grammatically okay).

examples:
Why do you hesitate?
Why are you hesitating?
What are you hesitating for?
For what are you hesitating?

Thanks for correcting.

0 Replies

@McTag,

McTag wrote:

However grammatically, the bit on the end "So for what
You hesitate? " has to be "So for what do you hesitate?", if you want to change the original "So for what are you hesitating?" (which is grammatically okay).

I must make the point that poetry is immune form the rules of grammar that prose is (more or less) subject to. A poet has absolute freedom to arrange words into any order they like.

1 Reply

@contrex,

Absolutely. No argument. Since however our correspondent is studying ordinary grammar I thought it useful to make the point.

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Yes gentlemen, both of you are appreciated.

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Failed to understand "History is now and England"

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