Waugh: should have quickened me

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Marius Hancu - 01 Jan 2010 20:30 GMT

Hello:

"quickened me"
is this
"make me livelier, give me some energy?"

"set me right with myself"
is this
"bring some self-satisfaction, bring some balance in oneself?"

-----
[Ryder travels as a landscape painter]

... I travelled through Mexico and Central America in a world which
had all I needed, and the change from parkland and hall should have
quickened me and set me right with myself.

Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited, p. 795
----
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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contrex - 01 Jan 2010 20:40 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> Thanks.
> Marius Hancu

I think you have it; quicken is somewhat Biblical (Surprise
surprise!) ; to quicken is to impart life; the Holy Spirit "quickens"
the soul, or imparts spiritual life to it, (say the Christians) and
"quick" means "alive" (cf. "the quick and the dead"). When a baby is
first felt to move in the womb it is said to "quicken".

possibly Ryder was impregnated (made pregnant) with creative
inspiration - in the King James Bible the Holy Ghost quickened Mary

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Cheryl - 01 Jan 2010 21:07 GMT

>> Hello:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
> possibly Ryder was impregnated (made pregnant) with creative
> inspiration - in the King James Bible the Holy Ghost quickened Mary

Yes, that covers 'quicken' pretty well.

I think 'set me right with myself' is more 'balance', feeling well, than
anything to do with self-satisfaction.

Signature

Cheryl

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Marius Hancu - 05 Jan 2010 13:31 GMT

> >> "quickened me"
> >> is this
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> >> Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited, p. 795
> >> ----

> > I think you have it; quicken is somewhat Biblical (Surprise
> > surprise!) ; to quicken is to impart life; the Holy Spirit "quickens"
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> I think 'set me right with myself' is more 'balance', feeling well, than
> anything to do with self-satisfaction.

Thank you both.
Marius Hancu

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2010

Waugh: should have quickened me