[Milton-L] Is this Milton allusion apt?

[Christine Gray]

Please-how does this nonsense relate to John Milton:

 

It struck me early on that "McCain" must be Scots for "son of Cain." Does
that make him sort of a Grendel? Will he tear off Obama's arm? More likely a
task for the only vice-prez candidate who dresses out moose. 

And if this election were a century ago when even Alaskans studied Latin,
someone in the DNC might have noted that "Obama" is "amabo" spelled
backwards. What a slogan: "Obama amabo," fits right in with his "bright
future" theme. On the other hand they did probably don't want the love of
Obama always to be in the future, even if it is active and indicative. But
"Obama amo" conjures up Rosanna Bannadanna, so that won't do, even though
it's the present (and still active indicative). After all, we wouldn't want
to say "Obama amavi." All of which is about as accurate as the claim that
"Si se puede" translates to "Yes we can." I can't resist the mild pedantic
observation that this is literally, 'yes, it is possible.' Not very catchy!

 

 

Christine Gray, a lurker

 

  _____  

From: milton-l-bounces at lists.richmond.edu
[mailto:milton-l-bounces at lists.richmond.edu] On Behalf Of Nancy Charlton
Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2008 2:31 AM
To: Milton-L at lists.richmond.edu
Subject: [Milton-L] Is this Milton allusion apt?

 


Did you all see this in the NY Times today? It's in the "comments" (#260
following an opinion piece titled "The Real John McCain" and singled out in
a sidebar:

The RNC has exposed John McCain's true face--he's Dorian Gray, he's Faust,
he's Satan in Paradise Lost. Except that Milton was a far superior
speechwriter to the hacks paid by the McCain campaign. Whoever said
Faust/Palin '08 above said it right--or maybe Faust/Stalin '08 is more
accurate. What a joke.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/05/opinion/05fri1.html

Obama's acceptance speech was almost but not quite a classical seven-part
oration. The best political speech, for my money, since John F. Kennedy's
"Ask not" and that was the best since Lincoln's Second Inaugural unless you
count Bryant's "Cross of Gold" or King's "I have a dream." None of the
convention speeches came close to "Areopagitica," but still there was some
engaging rhetoric in Obama's. 

It struck me early on that "McCain" must be Scots for "son of Cain." Does
that make him sort of a Grendel? Will he tear off Obama's arm? More likely a
task for the only vice-prez candidate who dresses out moose. 

And if this election were a century ago when even Alaskans studied Latin,
someone in the DNC might have noted that "Obama" is "amabo" spelled
backwards. What a slogan: "Obama amabo," fits right in with his "bright
future" theme. On the other hand they did probably don't want the love of
Obama always to be in the future, even if it is active and indicative. But
"Obama amo" conjures up Rosanna Bannadanna, so that won't do, even though
it's the present (and still active indicative). After all, we wouldn't want
to say "Obama amavi." All of which is about as accurate as the claim that
"Si se puede" translates to "Yes we can." I can't resist the mild pedantic
observation that this is literally, 'yes, it is possible.' Not very catchy!

Nancy Charlton
http://groups.google.com/group/paradiselostdaily

Heav'n is for thee too high
To know what passes there; be lowly wise:. . . (PL VIII.172-173)

 

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