--- title: Nevertheless, if the language of Uncle Remus fails to give vivid hin… — Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings · tree and pragmatics description: Nevertheless, if the language of Uncle Remus fails to give vivid hints of the really poetic imagination of the negro; if it fails to embody the quaint and homely humor which was his most prominent characteristic; if it does not suggest a certain picturesque sensitiveness--a curious exaltation of min --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2306/1/29/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2306/) / [Dear Frost:](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2306/1/) / 29 # Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings, Dear Frost:, sentence 29 Nevertheless, if the language of Uncle Remus fails to give vivid hints of the really poetic imagination of the negro; if it fails to embody the quaint and homely humor which was his most prominent characteristic; if it does not suggest a certain picturesque sensitiveness--a curious exaltation of mind and temperament not to be defined by words--then I have reproduced the form of the dialect merely, and not the essence, and my attempt may be accounted a failure. **Who acts:** language, quaint humor, words, I, poetic imagination, my · **What happens:** fail, not give, not embody, be, not suggest, not define · **To what, where:** vivid hints, quaint humor, prominent characteristic, certain picturesque sensitiveness, form, attempt This is a sentence of «Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings» by Joel Chandler Harris, Dear Frost:. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (language, quaint humor, words, I), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree. **Parsed by Mova, not checked by a teacher.** This tree is Mova's own parse (the `en` model, on the CPU, when the site is built); it may be wrong. ## The tree {#tree} ```conllu # sent_id = book:pg2306:1:29 # text = Nevertheless, if the language of Uncle Remus fails to give vivid hints of the really poetic imagination of the negro; if it fails to embody the quaint and homely humor which was his most prominent characteristic; if it does not suggest a certain picturesque sensitiveness--a curious exaltation of mind and temperament not to be defined by words--then I have reproduced the form of the dialect merely, and not the essence, and my attempt may be accounted a failure. 1 Nevertheless nevertheless ADV RB _ 9 advmod _ SpaceAfter=No 2 , , PUNCT , _ 1 punct _ _ 3 if if SCONJ IN _ 9 mark _ _ 4 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 5 det _ _ 5 language language NOUN NN Number=Sing 9 nsubj _ _ 6 of of ADP IN _ 8 case _ _ 7 Uncle Uncle PROPN NNP Number=Sing 8 compound _ _ 8 Remus Remus PROPN NNP Number=Sing 5 nmod _ _ 9 fails fail VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 10 to to PART TO _ 11 mark _ _ 11 give give VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 9 xcomp _ _ 12 vivid vivid ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 13 amod _ _ 13 hints hint NOUN NNS Number=Plur 11 obj _ _ 14 of of ADP IN _ 18 case _ _ 15 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 18 det _ _ 16 really really ADV RB _ 17 advmod _ _ 17 poetic poetic ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 18 amod _ _ 18 imagination imagination NOUN NN Number=Sing 13 nmod _ _ 19 of of ADP IN _ 21 case _ _ 20 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 21 det _ _ 21 negro negro NOUN NN Number=Sing 18 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 22 ; ; PUNCT : _ 25 punct _ _ 23 if if SCONJ IN _ 25 mark _ _ 24 it it PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 25 nsubj _ _ 25 fails fail VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 9 conj _ _ 26 to to PART TO _ 27 mark _ _ 27 embody embody VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 25 xcomp _ _ 28 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 32 det _ _ 29 quaint quaint ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 32 amod _ _ 30 and and CCONJ CC _ 31 cc _ _ 31 homely homely ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 29 conj _ _ 32 humor humor NOUN NN Number=Sing 27 obj _ _ 33 which which PRON WDT PronType=Rel 38 nsubj _ _ 34 was be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 38 cop _ _ 35 his his PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 38 nmod:poss _ _ 36 most most ADV RBS Degree=Sup 37 advmod _ _ 37 prominent prominent ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 38 amod _ _ 38 characteristic characteristic NOUN NN Number=Sing 32 acl:relcl _ SpaceAfter=No 39 ; ; PUNCT : _ 44 punct _ _ 40 if if SCONJ IN _ 44 mark _ _ 41 it it PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 44 nsubj _ _ 42 does do AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 44 aux _ _ 43 not not PART RB Polarity=Neg 44 advmod _ _ 44 suggest suggest VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 9 conj _ _ 45 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 48 det _ _ 46 certain certain ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 48 amod _ _ 47 picturesque picturesque ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 48 amod _ _ 48 sensitiveness sensitiveness NOUN NN Number=Sing 44 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 49 -- -- PUNCT , _ 52 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 50 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 52 det _ _ 51 curious curious ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 52 amod _ _ 52 exaltation exaltation NOUN NN Number=Sing 48 appos _ _ 53 of of ADP IN _ 54 case _ _ 54 mind mind NOUN NN Number=Sing 52 nmod _ _ 55 and and CCONJ CC _ 56 cc _ _ 56 temperament temperament NOUN NN Number=Sing 52 conj _ _ 57 not not PART RB Polarity=Neg 60 advmod _ _ 58 to to PART TO _ 60 mark _ _ 59 be be AUX VB VerbForm=Inf 60 aux:pass _ _ 60 defined define VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 52 acl _ _ 61 by by ADP IN _ 62 case _ _ 62 words word NOUN NNS Number=Plur 60 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 63 -- -- PUNCT , _ 67 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 64 then then ADV RB PronType=Dem 67 advmod _ _ 65 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 67 nsubj _ _ 66 have have AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 67 aux _ _ 67 reproduced reproduce VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part 44 conj _ _ 68 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 69 det _ _ 69 form form NOUN NN Number=Sing 67 obj _ _ 70 of of ADP IN _ 72 case _ _ 71 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 72 det _ _ 72 dialect dialect NOUN NN Number=Sing 69 nmod _ _ 73 merely merely ADV RB _ 67 advmod _ SpaceAfter=No 74 , , PUNCT , _ 78 punct _ _ 75 and and CCONJ CC _ 78 cc _ _ 76 not not PART RB Polarity=Neg 78 advmod _ _ 77 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 78 det _ _ 78 essence essence NOUN NN Number=Sing 67 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 79 , , PUNCT , _ 85 punct _ _ 80 and and CCONJ CC _ 85 cc _ _ 81 my my PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 82 nmod:poss _ _ 82 attempt attempt NOUN NN Number=Sing 85 nsubj:pass _ _ 83 may may AUX MD VerbForm=Fin 85 aux _ _ 84 be be AUX VB VerbForm=Inf 85 aux:pass _ _ 85 accounted account VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 9 conj _ _ 86 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 87 det _ _ 87 failure failure NOUN NN Number=Sing 85 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 88 . . PUNCT . _ 9 punct _ _ ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **fail** | present | the language of Uncle Remus | | | | | nevertheless *property* | vn succeed-74-3-1-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality | | 2 | **not** **give** | to-infinitive | the language of Uncle Remus *not said here* | vivid hints of the poetic imagination of the negro | | | | | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent hint=Theme | | 3 | **fail** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | language | | | | | | vn succeed-74-3-1-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality | | 4 | **not** **embody** | to-infinitive | language *not said here* | the quaint humor | | | | | tree rules | | 5 | **is a** | past | the quaint humor | Remus's prominent characteristic | | | | | tree rules | | 6 | **not** **suggest** *speech: suggest* *a condition, not said to happen* | present · do-support | language | a certain picturesque sensitiveness | | | | | vn say-37.7-1-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent sensitiveness=Topic | | 7 | **not** **define** | to-infinitive · passive | words | | | | | | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent | | 8 | **reproduce** | present · perfect | I | the form of the dialect | | | then | the essence *obl*; merely *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent form=Patient | | 9 | **account** | may · passive | | my attempt | | | | | tree rules | | 10 | **hint** | | the poetic imagination of the negro | | | | | | nom hint «communication intransitive»: of=agent | | 11 | **imagine** | | | the negro | | | | | nom imagination «cognition transitive»: of=patient | | 12 | **exalt** | | | mind | | | | | nom exaltation «state transitive»: of=patient | | 13 | **form** | | | the dialect | | | | | nom form «communication transitive»: of=patient | | 14 | **attempt** | | my | | | | | | nom attempt «act transitive»: poss=agent | One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree. **Text:** «Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings» by Joel Chandler Harris, Project Gutenberg book 2306 (public domain in the USA). **Tree:** Mova's own parse, Elamur Cosmic License. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), the chapter read in order. - ← previous: [sentence 28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2306/1/28/) - next →: [sentence 30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2306/1/30/) - ↑ back to [Dear Frost:](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2306/1/)