---
title: But at last, finding that his efforts to move her were as vain as if… — The descent of the sun: A cycle of birth · tree and pragmatics
description: But at last, finding that his efforts to move her were as vain as if he were trying to pierce a diamond with a cotton thread, he exclaimed in dismay: Surely my crimes in a former birth were numerous and appalling, seeing that their fruit is a daughter, whose obstinate and unintelligible prejudice ag
---

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# The descent of the sun: A cycle of birth, A Sleep and a Dream., part 1, sentence 52

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But at last, finding that his efforts to move her were as vain as if he were trying to pierce a diamond with a cotton thread, he exclaimed in dismay: Surely my crimes in a former birth were numerous and appalling, seeing that their fruit is a daughter, whose obstinate and unintelligible prejudice against a husband runs counter to the nature of woman, and will be the means of destroying my salvation.

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**Who acts:** efforts, reason, crimes, appalling, daughter, the · **What happens:** find, move, be, try, pierce, exclaim · **To what, where:** last, daughter, diamond, dismay, fruit, counter · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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This is a sentence of «The descent of the sun: A cycle of birth» by Unknown, A Sleep and a Dream., part 1. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (efforts, reason, crimes, appalling), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree.

<!-- .note-en -->
**Mova's own parse.** This tree may be wrong.

## The tree {#tree}

```conllu
# sent_id = book:pg68641:3:52
# text = But at last, finding that his efforts to move her were as vain as if he were trying to pierce a diamond with a cotton thread, he exclaimed in dismay: Surely my crimes in a former birth were numerous and appalling, seeing that their fruit is a daughter, whose obstinate and unintelligible prejudice against a husband runs counter to the nature of woman, and will be the means of destroying my salvation.
1	But	but	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
2	at	at	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	finding	find	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
6	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
7	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	efforts	effort	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	move	move	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	acl	_	_
11	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
12	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
13	as	as	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	vain	vain	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	ccomp	_	_
15	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	19	mark	_	_
16	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	19	mark	_	_
17	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	_
18	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
19	trying	try	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	14	advcl	_	_
20	to	to	PART	TO	_	21	mark	_	_
21	pierce	pierce	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	19	xcomp	_	_
22	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	diamond	diamond	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obj	_	_
24	with	with	ADP	IN	_	27	case	_	_
25	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	27	det	_	_
26	cotton	cotton	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	27	compound	_	_
27	thread	thread	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
28	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	30	punct	_	_
29	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	30	nsubj	_	_
30	exclaimed	exclaim	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	conj	_	_
31	in	in	ADP	IN	_	32	case	_	_
32	dismay	dismay	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	42	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
33	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	36	punct	_	_
34	Surely	surely	ADV	RB	_	36	advmod	_	_
35	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	36	nmod:poss	_	_
36	crimes	crime	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	42	nsubj	_	_
37	in	in	ADP	IN	_	40	case	_	_
38	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	40	det	_	_
39	former	former	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	40	amod	_	_
40	birth	birth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	36	nmod	_	_
41	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	42	cop	_	_
42	numerous	numerous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	30	ccomp	_	_
43	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	44	cc	_	_
44	appalling	appal	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	52	csubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
45	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	46	punct	_	_
46	seeing	see	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	44	conj	_	_
47	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	49	mark	_	_
48	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	49	nmod:poss	_	_
49	fruit	fruit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	46	obj	_	_
50	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	52	cop	_	_
51	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	52	det	_	_
52	daughter	daughter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	62	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
53	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	58	punct	_	_
54	whose	whose	PRON	WP$	Poss=Yes|PronType=Rel	58	nmod:poss	_	_
55	obstinate	obstinate	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	58	amod	_	_
56	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	57	cc	_	_
57	unintelligible	unintelligible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	55	conj	_	_
58	prejudice	prejudice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	52	conj	_	_
59	against	against	ADP	IN	_	61	case	_	_
60	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	61	det	_	_
61	husband	husband	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	58	nmod	_	_
62	runs	run	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	42	parataxis	_	_
63	counter	counter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	62	obj	_	_
64	to	to	ADP	IN	_	66	case	_	_
65	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	66	det	_	_
66	nature	nature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	62	obl	_	_
67	of	of	ADP	IN	_	68	case	_	_
68	woman	woman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	66	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
69	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	74	punct	_	_
70	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	74	cc	_	_
71	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	74	aux	_	_
72	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	74	cop	_	_
73	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	74	nsubj	_	_
74	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	42	parataxis	_	_
75	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	76	mark	_	_
76	destroying	destroy	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	74	advcl	_	_
77	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	78	nmod:poss	_	_
78	salvation	salvation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	76	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
79	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | gerund |  |  |  | last |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **move** | to-infinitive | reason's efforts *not said here* | daughter |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V ADJ.result»: agent=Theme she=Result |
| 3 | **is** | past | reason's efforts |  |  |  |  | vain *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **try** | past · progressive | reason |  |  |  |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 5 | **pierce** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | reason *not said here* | a diamond |  |  |  | with a cotton thread | vn poke-19-1 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent diamond=Patient with thread=Instrument |
| 6 | **exclaim** *speech: express* | past | reason |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent |
| 7 | **is** | past | my crimes in a former birth |  |  | dismay |  | numerous *property* | tree rules |
| 8 | **appal** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 9 | **see** | gerund |  | crimes's fruit |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer fruit=Stimulus |
| 10 | **is a** | present | appalling | a daughter and a daughter and a daughter's obstinate prejudice against a husband's obstinate prejudice against a husband |  |  |  | a daughter and a daughter and obstinate prejudice's obstinate prejudice against a husband's obstinate prejudice against a husband *conj* | tree rules |
| 11 | **run** | present | a daughter and a daughter and a daughter's obstinate prejudice against a husband's obstinate prejudice against a husband | counter |  | the nature of woman |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V NP PP.trajectory»: agent=Agent counter=Theme to nature=Trajectory |
| 12 | **is** | future | the |  |  |  |  | mean *property* | tree rules |
| 13 | **destroy** | gerund | the *not said here* | my salvation |  |  |  |  | vn destroy-44 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent salvation=Patient |
| 14 | **incriminate** |  | my |  |  | a former birth |  |  | nom crime «act transitive»: poss=agent in=place |
| 15 | **prejudice** |  | a daughter and a daughter and obstinate prejudice against a husband's obstinate prejudice against a husband |  |  |  |  | against a husband | nom prejudice «cognition transitive»: poss=agent against=obl |
| 16 | **salve** |  | my |  |  |  |  |  | nom salvation «act transitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- .note -->
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.

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**Text:** «The descent of the sun: A cycle of birth» by Unknown, Project Gutenberg book 68641 (public domain in the USA). **Tree:** Mova's own parse, Elamur Cosmic License. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), the chapter read in order.

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