THAT'S THE DUCKS ALL LINED UP

Young Alastair and I were talking about the words 'pathos' and 'bathos'.  We know about 'pathos' but what, exactly, is 'bathos'?

Definition: an effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous.

Here is an example from the TLS August 5, 2022.  It is to do with  LIMERICKS. What would happen [says the article in the paper] if you asked an Artificial Intelligence programme to write one? “We asked for one, and this plunge into bathos is what we got…”

There was a young lad named John

Who was always very smart

He was always writing limericks

But nobody ever head

What the last line said

And the key difference between pathos and bathos is that the word pathos is about evoking pity and sympathy whereas bathos refers to a sudden change from a serious, deeply moving, important act to a foolish or a trivial episode in a literary work.

* * * * * * * * * AND THE REST OF THE WEEK * * * * * * * * * 

Posters, fliers and display panels all done now for the autumn.  All work off to the printer so that's all the ducks lined up for the winter season of concerts and orchestra practice for the youngsters.

(and apologies to Liz for the ducks appearing under her lovely rowan tree outside her French windows!)