XiaoDeng
one alone jeopardizes itself Fate succumbs many a species: one alone jeopardizes itself. --idea H. Auden What does it mean? Someone says it should be, Many a species succumbs Fate: one alone jeopardizes itself. but I'm still very confused. What's your understanding? Any idea is welcome.
Aug 8, 2019 3:18 PM
Answers · 6
2
The quote is honestly awkward to me as well, but WH Auden was a poet and you have to let go of traditional grammatical structure to read poetry in English. As for your correction, you are perhaps missing "to": " Many a species succumbs to fate..." To read it as two clauses of one idea: "Fate succumbs many a species": many species go extinct. "One alone jeopardizes itself": if someone is alone they're in danger. The idea seems similar to a quote from Tecumseh (a famous American Indian in the United States): "A single twig breaks, but the bundle of twigs is strong." But that's my take. Please don't try to learn English from quotes by poets.
August 8, 2019
1
I'm not sure if you were asking about the meaning of "one alone jeopardizes itself", and as far as I can see, the other answer didn't answer that correctly. I think it means "Only one species puts itself in danger". It is referring to man, and I think it is referring to the way that we are destroying our planet and risking extinction.
August 9, 2019
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