szaroczek
Junior Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2011
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Polish
- Home Country
- Poland
- Current Location
- Iceland
Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance":
"And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not pinched in a corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but redeemers and benefactors, pious aspirants to be noble clay plastic under the Almighty effort, let us advance and advance on Chaos and the Dark. What pretty oracles nature yields us on this text in the face and behavior of children, babes and even brutes."...
Longer excerpt but in order to bring more of the context. Now, what's going on in the bold-faced fragment...? I believe I understand the meanings of all the words (unless I'm wrong about it :roll and it looks to me like there are two subjects: 1. "oracles" (in plural) and 2. "nature" (in singular). It also seems that the second one counts because the verb - yields - comes with "-s" (3rd person sing.). If so, what that "oracles" does there, and then what that whole sentence would precisely mean, if said in other words? :-|
Thank you
"And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not pinched in a corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but redeemers and benefactors, pious aspirants to be noble clay plastic under the Almighty effort, let us advance and advance on Chaos and the Dark. What pretty oracles nature yields us on this text in the face and behavior of children, babes and even brutes."...
Longer excerpt but in order to bring more of the context. Now, what's going on in the bold-faced fragment...? I believe I understand the meanings of all the words (unless I'm wrong about it :roll and it looks to me like there are two subjects: 1. "oracles" (in plural) and 2. "nature" (in singular). It also seems that the second one counts because the verb - yields - comes with "-s" (3rd person sing.). If so, what that "oracles" does there, and then what that whole sentence would precisely mean, if said in other words? :-|
Thank you