--- title: There's a mote in my eye or a blot on the page, And I cannot tell of… — Legends of the Northwest · tree and pragmatics description: There's a mote in my eye or a blot on the page, And I cannot tell of the joyful greeting; You may take it for granted and I will engage, There were kisses and tears at the strange, glad meeting; For aye since the birth of the swift-winged years, In the desert drear, in the field of clover, In the co --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/9/40/) [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/) / [Legends of the Northwest](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/) / [The Feast of the Virgins., part 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/9/) / 40 # Legends of the Northwest, The Feast of the Virgins., part 2, sentence 40 There's a mote in my eye or a blot on the page, And I cannot tell of the joyful greeting; You may take it for granted and I will engage, There were kisses and tears at the strange, glad meeting; For aye since the birth of the swift-winged years, In the desert drear, in the field of clover, In the cot, and the palace, and all the world over,-- Yea, away on the stars to the ultimate spheres, The language of love to the long sought lover,-- Is tears and kisses and kisses and tears. **Who acts:** mote, I, You, kisses, long · **What happens:** be, not tell, take, grant, engage, wing · **To what, where:** eye, mote, strange glad meeting, lover, tears · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is a sentence of «Legends of the Northwest» by Hanford Lennox Gordon, The Feast of the Virgins., part 2. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (mote, I, You, kisses), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree. **Mova's own parse.** This tree may be wrong. ## The tree {#tree} ```conllu # sent_id = book:pg8122:9:40 # text = There's a mote in my eye or a blot on the page, And I cannot tell of the joyful greeting; You may take it for granted and I will engage, There were kisses and tears at the strange, glad meeting; For aye since the birth of the swift-winged years, In the desert drear, in the field of clover, In the cot, and the palace, and all the world over,-- Yea, away on the stars to the ultimate spheres, The language of love to the long sought lover,-- Is tears and kisses and kisses and tears. 1 There there PRON EX PronType=Dem 2 expl _ SpaceAfter=No 2 's be VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 19 advcl _ _ 3 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 4 det _ _ 4 mote mote NOUN NN Number=Sing 2 nsubj _ _ 5 in in ADP IN _ 7 case _ _ 6 my my PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 7 nmod:poss _ _ 7 eye eye NOUN NN Number=Sing 2 obl _ _ 8 or or CCONJ CC _ 10 cc _ _ 9 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 10 det _ _ 10 blot blot NOUN NN Number=Sing 7 conj _ _ 11 on on ADP IN _ 13 case _ _ 12 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 13 det _ _ 13 page page NOUN NN Number=Sing 10 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 14 , , PUNCT , _ 19 punct _ _ 15 And and CCONJ CC _ 19 cc _ _ 16 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 19 nsubj _ _ 17 can can AUX MD VerbForm=Fin 19 aux _ SpaceAfter=No 18 not not PART RB Polarity=Neg 19 advmod _ _ 19 tell tell VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 0 root _ _ 20 of of ADP IN _ 23 case _ _ 21 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 23 det _ _ 22 joyful joyful ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 23 amod _ _ 23 greeting greeting NOUN NN Number=Sing 19 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 24 ; ; PUNCT : _ 27 punct _ _ 25 You you PRON PRP Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs 27 nsubj _ _ 26 may may AUX MD VerbForm=Fin 27 aux _ _ 27 take take VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 19 ccomp _ _ 28 it it PRON PRP Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 27 obj _ _ 29 for for SCONJ IN _ 30 mark _ _ 30 granted grant VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 27 advcl _ _ 31 and and CCONJ CC _ 34 cc _ _ 32 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 34 nsubj _ _ 33 will will AUX MD VerbForm=Fin 34 aux _ _ 34 engage engage VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 27 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 35 , , PUNCT , _ 37 punct _ _ 36 There there PRON EX PronType=Dem 37 expl _ _ 37 were be VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 27 parataxis _ _ 38 kisses kiss NOUN NNS Number=Plur 37 nsubj _ _ 39 and and CCONJ CC _ 40 cc _ _ 40 tears tear NOUN NNS Number=Plur 38 conj _ _ 41 at at ADP IN _ 46 case _ _ 42 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 46 det _ _ 43 strange strange ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 46 amod _ SpaceAfter=No 44 , , PUNCT , _ 43 punct _ _ 45 glad glad ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 46 amod _ _ 46 meeting meeting NOUN NN Number=Sing 37 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 47 ; ; PUNCT : _ 49 punct _ _ 48 For for ADP IN _ 49 case _ _ 49 aye aye NOUN NN Number=Sing 19 obl _ _ 50 since since ADP IN _ 52 case _ _ 51 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 52 det _ _ 52 birth birth NOUN NN Number=Sing 49 nmod _ _ 53 of of ADP IN _ 58 case _ _ 54 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 58 det _ _ 55 swift swift NOUN NN Number=Sing 57 compound _ SpaceAfter=No 56 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 55 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 57 winged wing VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 58 amod _ _ 58 years year NOUN NNS Number=Plur 52 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 59 , , PUNCT , _ 63 punct _ _ 60 In in ADP IN _ 63 case _ _ 61 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 63 det _ _ 62 desert desert NOUN NN Number=Sing 63 compound _ _ 63 drear drear NOUN NN Number=Sing 52 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 64 , , PUNCT , _ 67 punct _ _ 65 in in ADP IN _ 67 case _ _ 66 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 67 det _ _ 67 field field NOUN NN Number=Sing 63 appos _ _ 68 of of ADP IN _ 69 case _ _ 69 clover clover NOUN NN Number=Sing 67 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 70 , , PUNCT , _ 73 punct _ _ 71 In in ADP IN _ 73 case _ _ 72 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 73 det _ _ 73 cot cot NOUN NN Number=Sing 69 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 74 , , PUNCT , _ 77 punct _ _ 75 and and CCONJ CC _ 77 cc _ _ 76 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 77 det _ _ 77 palace palace NOUN NN Number=Sing 49 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 78 , , PUNCT , _ 82 punct _ _ 79 and and CCONJ CC _ 82 cc _ _ 80 all all DET PDT PronType=Tot 82 det:predet _ _ 81 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 82 det _ _ 82 world world NOUN NN Number=Sing 49 conj _ _ 83 over over ADV RB _ 82 advmod _ SpaceAfter=No 84 , , PUNCT , _ 109 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 85 -- -- PUNCT , _ 109 punct _ _ 86 Yea yea INTJ UH _ 109 discourse _ SpaceAfter=No 87 , , PUNCT , _ 88 punct _ _ 88 away away ADV RB _ 86 advmod _ _ 89 on on ADP IN _ 91 case _ _ 90 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 91 det _ _ 91 stars star NOUN NNS Number=Plur 88 obl _ _ 92 to to ADP IN _ 95 case _ _ 93 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 95 det _ _ 94 ultimate ultimate ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 95 amod _ _ 95 spheres sphere NOUN NNS Number=Plur 91 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 96 , , PUNCT , _ 98 punct _ _ 97 The the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 98 det _ _ 98 language language NOUN NN Number=Sing 95 conj _ _ 99 of of ADP IN _ 100 case _ _ 100 love love NOUN NN Number=Sing 98 nmod _ _ 101 to to SCONJ IN _ 104 mark _ _ 102 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 103 det _ _ 103 long long NOUN NN Number=Sing 104 nsubj _ _ 104 sought seek VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 98 advcl _ _ 105 lover lover NOUN NN Number=Sing 104 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 106 , , PUNCT , _ 95 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 107 -- -- PUNCT , _ 86 punct _ _ 108 Is be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 109 cop _ _ 109 tears tear NOUN NNS Number=Plur 49 conj _ _ 110 and and CCONJ CC _ 111 cc _ _ 111 kisses kiss NOUN NNS Number=Plur 109 conj _ _ 112 and and CCONJ CC _ 113 cc _ _ 113 kisses kiss NOUN NNS Number=Plur 109 conj _ _ 114 and and CCONJ CC _ 115 cc _ _ 115 tears tear NOUN NNS Number=Plur 109 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 116 . . PUNCT . _ 19 punct _ _ ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **be** | present | a mote | | | my eye or a blot on the page; there | | | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in eye=Location | | 2 | **not** **tell** *speech: assert* | can | I | | | | | of the joyful greeting; for aye since the birth of the winged years and the desert drear and the palace and all world and tears and kisses and kisses and tears | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 3 | **take** | may | You | mote | | | | | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme | | 4 | **grant** | participle | You *not said here* | | | | | | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent | | 5 | **engage** | future | I | | | | | | vn amalgamate-22.2-3-2 «NP V»: agent=Patient | | 6 | **be** | past | kisses and tears | | | the strange glad meeting; there | | | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme at meeting=Location | | 7 | **wing** | participle | | | | | | swift *compound* | vn nonvehicle-51.4.2-1 «NP.agent V»: agent=Agent | | 8 | **seek** | past | the long | lover | | | | | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent lover=Theme | | 9 | **is a** | present | I *not said here* | tears and kisses and kisses and tears | | | | kisses *conj* | tree rules | 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:** «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. - ← previous: [sentence 39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/9/39/) - next →: [sentence 41](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/9/41/) - ↑ back to [The Feast of the Virgins., part 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8122/9/)