Didst thou ever see a white bear? cried my father, turning his head round to Trim, who stood at the back of his chair:——No, an' please your honor, replied the corporal.——But thou could'st discourse about one, Trim, said my father, in case of need?——How is it possible, brother, quoth my uncle Toby, if the corporal never saw one?——'Tis the fact I want, said my father—and the possibility of it, is as follows.
(Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy V:xlii.
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Monday, April 4, 2011

The Readings for Wednesday (Literary Forgery)

Three of the four readings for Wednesday are now over there in the sidebar: two "Fragments" from MacPherson's Poems of Ossian and a poem by Chatterton.  The fourth reading is in your poetry anthology: Chatterton's "Mynstrelles Song."  You should print out the readings (they are very short!) and bring your anthology to class on Wednesday.

A word of advice about making sense of Chatterton's poetry: read it aloud.  Don't try to muscle through to understanding it, just say the words aloud--declaim them to your cat or your housemate if you need to.  All those strange clusters of consonants and arbitrary vowels will resolve themselves into meaning (and your cat/housemate will be edified).