vv2

[Dave Monroe]

... aw, hell, didn't mean to go starting up some sort of Milton controversy
here a well, but ... but I do read that "two-handed engine" in "Lycidas" as
a clock, fits in well enough with that mortality theme.  Will have to scare
up my copy of Paradise Lost to comment on any otehr instances (some dozen
or so "engines" in there, as I recall).  Was working on mechanical, and
particularly, clock tropes in poetry some time back, is all.  Donne,
Milton, Wordsworth, for starters, if anyone has any further  suggestions,
well, always have projects in progress ...

But about that simple harmonic motion, tose simple harmonic oscillators ...
note that the behaviors of all these animate indeed "inanimate" abjects (in
the sense of being in motion, if not necessarily imbued with spirit,
anima)--yo-yo's, pendula, planets, what have you--can be described by a
sine wave, having amplitude, frequency, and so forth.  Waves, particles,
very quantum physical, no?  But also, of course, signals, information
theory, cybernetics.  Much signal bleed here, indeed ...

Terrance wrote:

> Dave Monroe wrote:
> > quick search here ... okay, @ lines 130-1 ...
> >
> > But that two-handed engine at the door
> > Stands ready to smite once, and smite no more.
> >
> > See, e.g., http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/rp/poems/milton2.html.
> > Yeah, I know, St. Michael's sword in Paradise Lost (er, Book VI, line
> > 251?) but ...
>
> but what? what is that two handed engine? A sword? I always
> thought it was a trumpet.