Quotation from a poem

[helen12]

In which poem would you find the words water water everywhere and not a drop to drink

[jenky]

The Ancient Mariner.

[Quizmonster]

No poem contains these words! 'The Ancient Mariner', by Samuel T Coleridge contains the lines "Water water everywhere nor any drop to drink."

[Wraith]

Click here to read the poem.

[Quizmonster]

And, if you do consult Wraith's link-page, scroll down to Part 2 Verse 9 and read the last two lines.

[beale]

Whoa, if we're going to get that picky then surely we should say there is no such poem as "The Ancient Mariner" at all as it is "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by said Samuel Taylor Coleridge. But we shouldn't be that fussy.

[Quizmonster]

Dear Beale, that's not at all the same thing. The titles of literary works are very frequently shortened. For example, Shakespeare wrote plays entitled 'Hamlet, Prince of Denmark' and 'Othello, the Moor of Venice'. They are virtually always simply called 'Hamlet' and 'Othello'.

This "and not a drop" business is a longstanding error and the fact remains that Coleridge simply did not write it...it's a mis quotation that really should not be allowed to go unchecked in my opinion.

[beale]

More than fair enough QM, my point was though that we could tell what the quotation was and the poem in this case with or without shortenings and misquotations.

[Cetti]

We've been down this road before QM, haven't we - and I tend to agree that any quotation should be correct. It's not being pedantic it's just common sense and especially helpful for any posters in the future. http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Search/Question22600-2.asp?Pa ge=1&SearchText=water%20water%20everywhere

[Quizmonster]

Hello, ma'am! Where on earth have you been? Haven't seen you in ages.

There are some misquotes that I would happily let go. "All that glitters is not gold" is fine, despite the fact that Shakespeare wrote "All that glisters is not gold." That's because 'glisters' doesn't exist any more. I'd certainly draw the line at "To be or not to be...that is the conundrum." Or 'quandary' or 'dilemma' or whatever.

I quite take your point, Beale that the misquote was easily recognisable. It's just that - as a retired English teacher - it sets my teeth on edge every time I see it. Sorry.

[Sludge]

Come down to earth, Quizmonster, you are merely a Scot who used to teach English. Your claim to the elevated and very much superior status of that of an English teacher is baseless and totally false, and something to which you can never aspire.

[Quizmonster]

Come on...who are you really, Sludge? Strangely enough, my major 'clients' as an English teacher were the offspring of English parents! You lot need us Jocks for just about everything! As you say, however, I can - happily - not claim to be of English descent.

[Sludge]

Again a very bad use by you of the English language, Quizmonster. There is absolutely no need for Scottish persons to teach the English language or do anything else whatsoever for the English. It is just that if a Scot is the only one in sight when an English person wants a job done he is likely to be employed, that is all. But anyone would do in point of fact. Also, did you really teach English? For many separate English words and phrases such as "hello, goodbye, thank you, farewell, I agree, good point" etc etc you quite wrongly use the simple single childish word "cheers" which, when coupled to the fact that you addressed an AB correspondent as "mate" the other day, gives rise to very grave doubts.

[Quizmonster]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!

[Ember]

you'll do for me QM. I love your posts

[Quizmonster]

Thank you so much, Ember; you're very kind.

[Cetti]

Gracious QM, where did all that come from???? Pay no attention I still love you ;-)

[Sludge]

"I love your ""lengths of wood, metal, etc fixed upright in the ground to serve as a support, marker, point of attachment, etc"". "Thank you so much, you're very kind". What utter, utter, rubbish!!! You speak Scottish Gibberish, Quizmonster, not English.

[Please try not to lower the tone of your argument to personal abuse. - AB Editor]

[Quizmonster]

Dear, sweet Cetti, this sort of thing is just a fact of life on AnswerBank. Every time it arises, I think "Can it really be 'Bash Quizmonster Week' again already? Doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself."

You need never fear that such things will amount to more than a gnat's bite on a rhino's rump! Cheers, ma'am.

[AB Editor]

A quick message to helen12, who asked the question and gets an email every time someone contributes to this increasingly bizarre conversation: sorry, helen12, for the filling up of your Inbox, but I hope you can enjoy the banter between regulars on the site!

[gillyflower]

POEM??? these are the words of a Tommy Steele song!!!!

water water everywhere not a drop to drink so tell me now what else does a poor fellow do but sit right down and think.Think about the girls,think about the times we had,..lalalalal...Tina