Exercises

Statement  (lines1,2)

The English language is the richest for poetry

Qualification of statement (lines 3-10)

This doesn't mean that English has produced the greatest poets or amount of poetry

Clarification (lines 11-14)

English is the richest language for poetry because it has the largest vocabulary

Supporting statement + examples ( lines 14-29)

This richness is due to the variety of elements of which English is made of:

•·        Germanic foundation

•·        Scandinavian (Danish conquest)

•·        Norman-French ( Norman conquest)

•·        French

•·        Latin

•·        Celtic

Further clarification + examples (lines 29-40)

THE English language is also rich in its rhythmic variety. The elements are:

•·        Saxon verse

•·        Norman-French

•·        Welsh

•·        Latin

•·        Greek

First statement (lines 41-44)

English is a good language for poetry because it is derived from so many linguistic sources.

Second statement ( lines 44-48)

England has not necessarily produced the greatest poets.

Statements + examples (lines 29-51)

It is generally thought that the greatest peoples excel in one art. Examples:

•·        Italian and French painting

•·        German music

•·        English poetry

Refutation + examples (lines 52-68)

This is not correct because:

•·        No art is possession of one country

•·        In some periods other country are better than England poetry

Example: second half of 19^th century is dominated by French poets (Baudelaire)

Further refutation + example (lines 68-76)

A nation which leads in a particular art form in a particular period does not necessarily produce the greatest artists. Example: romantic movement in England was great but no English poet is comparable with Goethe.

Statement (lines 77-86)

No European nation would have accomplished what it has, as far as culture is concerned, if other countries had not developed the same art forms.

Statement (lines 86-99)

The ability of European literature to renew itself depends on two facts:

•·        Its ability to receive and assimilate from abroad

•·        Its ability to go back and learn from its own sources.

Consider the personal pronouns you have ringed in the text:

•·        "I" refers to the poet/writer T. S. Eliot

•·        "you" refers to German audience people

Verbs used in the text to express opinion:

•·        To think

•·        In my opinion

•·        To say

•·        To venture to say

•·        To refer

•·        To tend to think

•·        To assume

•·        To be concerned to

•a)   Who is the essayist addressing?

He is addressing to German audience people

•b)   Whose opinions are put forward in the essay?

Eliot supports that English language is the richest for poetry this because it has the largest vocabulary and music. He provides a lot of examples to explain his thesis.

•c)   What is the writer's main intention?

The writer main intention is to convince the listener that English language is the richest for poetry: this thanks to the influences of the neighboring countries and thanks to the Roman, Greek, and Israel sources.

•d)   How does the essayist substantiate his statements?

He uses a lot of examples referring to the variety of elements of which English is made of; referring to its rhythmic variety. He goes on saying that England has not necessarily produced the greatest poets,  no one reaches the greatness of Goethe.

He concludes saying that in Europe poetry renew itself by assimilating influences from neighboring countries and sharing in common sources from Roman, Greek, Istraelian literature.