From christopher.m.brunelle@vanderbilt.edu Wed Sep  1 06:34:08 1999
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From: "Brunelle, Christopher M" <christopher.m.brunelle@vanderbilt.edu>
To: classics <classics@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Auden/Britten
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Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 08:33:13 -0500 (Central Daylight Time)
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> On Wed, 1 Sep 1999, Owen Cramer wrote:
> 
> > There are words in that song that I always think of when it's time to start
> > teaching again:
> > 
> > Oh dear white children casual as birds,
> > Playing among the ruined languages. [...]
> 
> Why "white"? Transferred epithet from the ruins?
> 
> EJTh

The poem's color scheme is generally black and white:

  [Cecilia] like a black swan as death came on

  Aphrodite rose up excited
  Moved to delight by the melody
  White as an orchid she rode quite naked
  In an oyster shell on top of the sea

Chris Brunelle

.