English in Use 237
In a second interpretation, this tormented mind is the subject of the intransitive verb live and is parallel to me in the preceding sentence; only let is carried over. The grammatical oddity in this interpretation is that the subject is placed after the verb. If we repositioned the subject in the normal order, we would have [let] this tormented mind not live with this tormented mind tormenting yet. In the third interpretation, this tormented mind is the direct object of the transitive verb live, and let me is implied from the preceding context. The first part of the sentence might be rephrased ‘Let me not live this tormented mind’. But as a transitive verb, live is highly restricted in the direct objects it may take. We would normally expect a noun phrase with life as its main word (‘Let me not live this tormented life’), as in the expressions live a hard life, live a good life. The verb torment is ordinarily a transitive verb, but no direct object follows it in line 4. One interpretation is that this tormented mind is the object implied from line 3: With this tormented mind tormenting [this tormented mind] yet. The effect is to suggest an endless cycle of tormentor and tormented, with the poet as a selftormentor. Alternatively, torment is exceptionally here intransitive, and the sense is ‘This tormented mind is still experiencing torment’. Compare My leg is hurting. All the interpretations that I have offered for these four lines co-exist and, in doing so, enrich the poem. The dislocations in grammar mimic the psychological dislocations that the poet describes. The final example comes from the first eight lines of a sonnet by John Milton. The context of the sonnet is the onset of blindness in Milton and his reaction to his disability. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
When I consider how my light is spent, Ere half my days in this dark world and wide, And that one Talent which is death to hide Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest he returning chide, Doth God exact day labour, light denied, I fondly ask; . . .
There are various places where multiple interpretations are possible, but I will focus on the last three lines of the octet. In lines 4–6 Milton asserts his eagerness to present God with a ‘true account’ of his life, lest he returning chide (‘lest God when He returns – or when He replies – rebukes me’). On an initial reading the question in line 7 seems to be asked by God: Doth God exact day labour, light denied (‘Does God require casual labour when light is denied?’). The question then appears to be a rhetorical question that God asks in rebuking the poet, and as a rhetorical question it seeks no answer (cf. 6.2). It implies the strong assertion that of course God does not exact day labour when light is denied. However, when the reader reaches line 8, it becomes transparent that the fronting of the question before the