---
title: On thy bosom, Royal River, silent sped the birch canoe, Bearing brav… — Legends of the Northwest · tree and pragmatics
description: On thy bosom, Royal River, silent sped the birch canoe, Bearing brave with bow and quiver, on his way to war or woo; Now with flaunting flags and streamers--mighty monsters of the deep-- Lo the puffing, panting steamers, through thy foaming waters sweep; And behold the grain-fields golden, where the
---

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# Legends of the Northwest, The Mississippi., sentence 14

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
On thy bosom, Royal River, silent sped the birch canoe, Bearing brave with bow and quiver, on his way to war or woo; Now with flaunting flags and streamers--mighty monsters of the deep-- Lo the puffing, panting steamers, through thy foaming waters sweep; And behold the grain-fields golden, where the bison grazed of eld; See the fanes of forests olden by the ruthless Saxon felled,-- Pluméd pines that spread their shadows ere Columbus spread his sails.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Royal River, foaming waters, bison, fanes, Pluméd pines, shadows · **What happens:** speed, bear, woo, flaunt, pant, sweep · **To what, where:** birch canoe, bosom, way, steamers, fanes, sails

<!-- .vabout -->
This is a sentence of «Legends of the Northwest» by Hanford Lennox Gordon, The Mississippi.. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (Royal River, foaming waters, bison, fanes), 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:pg8122:4:14
# text = On thy bosom, Royal River, silent sped the birch canoe, Bearing brave with bow and quiver, on his way to war or woo; Now with flaunting flags and streamers--mighty monsters of the deep-- Lo the puffing, panting steamers, through thy foaming waters sweep; And behold the grain-fields golden, where the bison grazed of eld; See the fanes of forests olden by the ruthless Saxon felled,-- Pluméd pines that spread their shadows ere Columbus spread his sails.
1	On	on	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	thy	thy	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	bosom	bosom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	Royal	Royal	ADJ	NNP	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	River	River	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	silent	silent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
9	sped	speed	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	birch	birch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	compound	_	_
12	canoe	canoe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	Bearing	bear	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	advcl	_	_
15	brave	brave	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	xcomp	_	_
16	with	with	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	bow	bow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
18	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
19	quiver	quiver	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	23	punct	_	_
21	on	on	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	23	nmod:poss	_	_
23	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
24	to	to	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
25	war	war	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	nmod	_	_
26	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	27	cc	_	_
27	woo	woo	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	25	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
28	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	32	punct	_	_
29	Now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	32	advmod	_	_
30	with	with	ADP	IN	_	32	case	_	_
31	flaunting	flaunt	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	32	amod	_	_
32	flags	flag	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl	_	_
33	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	34	cc	_	_
34	streamers	streamer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	32	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
35	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	37	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
36	mighty	mighty	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	37	amod	_	_
37	monsters	monster	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	32	conj	_	_
38	of	of	ADP	IN	_	40	case	_	_
39	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	40	det	_	_
40	deep	deep	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	37	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
41	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	44	punct	_	_
42	Lo	lo	INTJ	UH	_	44	discourse	_	_
43	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	44	det	_	_
44	puffing	puffing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	32	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
45	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	46	punct	_	_
46	panting	pant	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	advcl	_	_
47	steamers	steamer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	46	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
48	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	53	punct	_	_
49	through	through	SCONJ	IN	_	53	mark	_	_
50	thy	thy	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	52	nmod:poss	_	_
51	foaming	foaming	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	52	compound	_	_
52	waters	water	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	53	nsubj	_	_
53	sweep	sweep	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	46	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
54	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	61	punct	_	_
55	And	and	CCONJ	CC	_	61	cc	_	_
56	behold	behold	INTJ	UH	_	61	discourse	_	_
57	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	60	det	_	_
58	grain	grain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	60	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
59	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	58	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
60	fields	field	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	61	nsubj	_	_
61	golden	golden	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
62	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	66	punct	_	_
63	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	66	advmod	_	_
64	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	65	det	_	_
65	bison	bison	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	66	nsubj	_	_
66	grazed	graze	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	61	conj	_	_
67	of	of	ADP	IN	_	68	case	_	_
68	eld	eld	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	66	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
69	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	70	punct	_	_
70	See	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	61	conj	_	_
71	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	72	det	_	_
72	fanes	fane	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	70	obj	_	_
73	of	of	ADP	IN	_	74	case	_	_
74	forests	forest	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	72	nmod	_	_
75	olden	olden	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	80	parataxis	_	_
76	by	by	ADP	IN	_	79	case	_	_
77	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	79	det	_	_
78	ruthless	ruthless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	79	amod	_	_
79	Saxon	Saxon	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	75	obl	_	_
80	felled	fell	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	72	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
81	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	84	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
82	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	84	punct	_	_
83	Pluméd	Pluméd	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	84	compound	_	_
84	pines	pine	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	70	obl	_	_
85	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	86	nsubj	_	_
86	spread	spread	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	84	acl:relcl	_	_
87	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	88	nmod:poss	_	_
88	shadows	shadow	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	89	nsubj	_	_
89	ere	ere	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	86	ccomp	_	_
90	Columbus	Columbus	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	91	nsubj	_	_
91	spread	spread	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	89	ccomp	_	_
92	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	93	nmod:poss	_	_
93	sails	sail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	91	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
94	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **speed** | past | Royal River | the birch canoe |  | thy bosom |  | with flaunting flags and streamers and mighty monsters of the deep and the puffing | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V NP PP.trajectory»: agent=Agent canoe=Theme on bosom=Trajectory |
| 2 | **bear** | gerund | Royal River *not said here* |  |  | River's way to war |  | with bow and quiver; brave *property* | vn admire-31.2 «NP V that S»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **woo** | infinitive | Royal River *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **flaunt** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **pant** | gerund | Royal River *not said here* | steamers |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent steamer=Topic |
| 6 | **sweep** | present | thy foaming waters |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 7 | **graze** | past | the bison |  |  |  |  | of eld | vn dine-39.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 8 | **see** | infinitive | Royal River *not said here* | the fanes of forests |  |  |  | Pluméd pines *obl* | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer fane=Stimulus |
| 9 | **fell** | past | the fanes of forests *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 10 | **spread** | present | Pluméd pines |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 11 | **ere** | past | Fields's shadows |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 12 | **spread** | past | Columbus | River's sails |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location sail=Theme |
| 13 | **bosom** |  | thy |  |  |  |  |  | nom bosom «state transitive»: poss=agent |
| 14 | **shadow** |  | Fields *= field* |  |  |  |  |  | nom shadow «state 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:** «Legends of the Northwest» by Hanford Lennox Gordon, Project Gutenberg book 8122 (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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