[Grammar] Using articles, prepositions, and semicolons with metaphors

[RobotJones]

I generally understand the grammatical rules governing the use of articles, prepositions, and semicolons. However, I'm currently having trouble constructing a sentence with a metaphor similar to this:

Life is, in fact, not life at all, but a prologue for eternal death.​

Unfortunately, spending so much time analyzing this sentence has made me start to questions a few things about it. Here are those questions:

1. The "a" before "prologue" implies that eternal death has many prologues, and that life is just one of them. Should I remove the article "a" in order to give the metaphor a more general, less specific feeling?

2. I'm also wondering whether it would be better to say "prologue to eternal death" rather than "prologue for eternal death." Is one of these correct and the other incorrect? Or if both are acceptable, what are the differences in meaning?

3. Should I replace the last comma in the sentence with a semicolon?

Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Grumpy]

1. I don't agree that the "a" implies that death has many prologues. It is completely neutral on that matter. If you want to assert that there is only one prologue, then change it to "...the prologue to eternal death."

2. As I did in 1. above, better to use "to" eternal death. One generally refers to a prologue "to" something.

3. No. Leave it as a comma.

 

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the forums, RobotJones.:-D

I was going to write exactly the same as Grumpy!

By the way, Grumpy, you're not a bit like I imagined you before you attached your photo. You are clearly much more affable than your soubriquet suggests.:-|

Rover

 

[Grumpy]

Welcome to the forums, RobotJones.:-D

I was going to write exactly the same as Grumpy!

By the way, Grumpy, you're not a bit like I imagined you before you attached your photo. You are clearly much more affable than your soubriquet suggests.:-|

Rover

Bah! Humbug!!!

The photo was taken during a very pleasant stop-over in Singapore. You wanna see me this morning in cold, grey Lincolnshire...

 

[ahmed2th]

Why don't you say "Life is, in fact, a prologue to eternal death." or "In fact, life is a prologue to eternal death." ?

I mean instead of saying "Life is, in fact, not life ....................."

 

[Raymott]

Why don't you say "Life is, in fact, a prologue to eternal death." or "In fact, life is a prologue to eternal death." ?

I mean instead of saying "Life is, in fact, not life ....................."

Because by doing that, he would be leaving out the [STRIKE]nonsense[/STRIKE] enigmatic phrase that life is not life.

 

[Rover_KE]

Why don't you say "Life is, in fact, a prologue to eternal death." or "In fact, life is a prologue to eternal death." ?

I mean instead of saying "Life is, in fact, not life ...."

ahmed, please read the Posting Guidelines, especially this part:

You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post.

Rover

 

[ahmed2th]

ahmed, please read the Posting Guidelines, especially this part:

You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post.

Rover

When I first posted on this forum, I wrote please state whether you are a teacher or student after answering my question. One of the administrators said that the name and profile of each member clearly shows whether he or she is a teacher or student.