JANE AUSTEN’S ZEUGMA JOKES | What is zeugma? And how does Jane Austen use it? LITERARY ANALYSIS

Jane Austen is a master literary technician. How does Jane Austen use the literary technique, the device, the figure of speech, zeugma? And what is zeugma? The lecture provides examples (from Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, & Sense and Sensibility) and analysis of Jane Austen’s uses of zeugma in her novels.
JANE AUSTEN LITERARY ANALYSIS
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KEYWORDS
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen northanger abbey
jane austen sense and sensibility
english literature analysis
jane austen
zeugma
literary technique
literary device
figure of speech
jane austen pride and prejudice
jane austen zeugma

[@DrOctaviaCox]

If you like the work I do, then you can support it here: www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=D8LSKGJP2NL4N Thank you very much indeed for watching my channel.

[@seekingmyself5770]

happy to do so... thank you for such interesting video lectures.

[@alisaurus4224]

In “Be Prepared” from The Lion King, the line “our teeth and ambitions are bared,” is a zeugma!

[@tommyb3110]

I just have to say that I envy your students. Your videos are a highlight of my KZbin viewing experience. You do such a great job of breaking down classic literature; much better than my professors in my college years. Thank you for the time you spend making these videos for us :)

[@montanalilac]

Hear hear! I absolutely agree!

[@elizabethneill3825]

@@montanalilac I agree, too! And class is only 45 minutes, and .. I was an English major but I've learned so much that I missed, possibly because I am a slow learner but I can repeat the video over and over to absorb the concepts and commentary.

[@vivburgess4300]

Excellent analysis. I can't help thinking of 'poultry' also suggesting 'paltry' which adds to the contrast between Charlotte's welfare and her domestic duties.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

A really interesting observation, Viv - a kind of half-pun then too?

[@stenmaulsby5924]

I would add that paltry feels rather appropriate for Mr. Collins himself.

[@justjukka]

I was thinking on that one, too! It really underscores the order of priorities.

[@marijeangalloway1560]

I was thinking too that "poultry" might also reference Charlotte's husband in Lady. Lucas' mind, as she does not specifically ask after HIS welfare; perhaps she lumps him together with the other domestic beasts under Charlotte's care. And "paltry" could be a rather sly dig at Charlotte's humdrum marriage, perhaps even her "love life"!

[@stenmaulsby5924]

@@marijeangalloway1560 My daughter's nick name for Mr. Collins was "the Duck".

[@Sara-lk2yr]

It looks the zeugma in Sense and Sensibility unifies the two things: the "sense" in the Need of more food for livestock and the "sensibility" in the hope for a marriage between Marianne and Brandon. 😁 Thanks for the precious analysis dr. Cox! 😊🙏👏

[@AllTheArtsy]

Austen has such a command over language in writing, which is why it's such a delight to read and re-read her over and over!

[@indigoziona]

I enjoy very much when a zeugma combines an idiomatic use of a word and a literal one, it's incredibly entertaining.

[@lilystonne4108]

I have never heard of “zeugma.” Thank you for taking the time out from your busy life to post this enlightening video.

[@ameliecarre4783]

Cool, I learnt how to pronounce that word, I wouldn't have been sure. On a side note, I believe that "broken arch" doesn't mean "in ruins and crumbling", it is an architectural term that applies to gothic constructions (by gothic here I mean medieval architecture, not 1800s literature though the two are connected obviously) and it's indeed a physical term in relation to the fictional world of Udolfo, but it's "broken" in a geometrical sense, not the first sense of the word "broken", meaning shattered and destroyed, unlike for the breaking of the promises. So there might be even another level of contrast here.

[@MariaVosa]

Very happy to see an example from Northanger Abbey, which to my mind is the underappreciated duckling of Austen's novels. I think it is by far the funniest book she has written, it is wickedly funny and whip smart!

[@--enyo--]

It’s hilarious. I’ve laughed out loud while reading it many times.

[@beckihayes220]

My favourite too

[@amybee40]

Another excellent analysis. "Trivial" however, is an academician's word when applied to the very pragmatic issues of poultry and pasturage. "Relational" and "pragmatic" might be a more accurate contrast than "important" and "trivial."

[@elisaangel9789]

I think there is a half pun in the last example too. "Marriage" and "pasturage" as a play on words. "Marriage" and "pastor" - i.e., the need of a "pastor" to get better "pasturage".

[@susanyanish1117]

Beautifully done!!

[@Stef947]

After learning what a zeugma was yesterday morning from this video, I read this in Sense and Sensibility yesterday evening: "Mrs. Dashwood could think of no other question, and Thomas and the tablecloth, now alike needless, were soon afterwards dismissed." (Chapter 47)

[@Stef947]

By the way, congratulations on your exciting new position, Dr. Octavia. Very well-deserved, I'm sure.

[@kellwillsen]

I'd forgotten what this technique was called, but I first came across it in Flanders & Swann's "Madeira, M'Dear". Each verse ends in a zeugmatic joke, lightening an otherwise rather dark story. "...he said as he hastened to put out the cat, The wine, his cigar, and the lamps:" "She lowered her standards by raising her glass, Her courage, her eyes, and his hopes." "When he asked, "What in heaven?" she made no reply Up her mind, and a dash for the door." Thank you for this lovely video, detailing Jane's Austen's masterful use of this poetic language.

[@GS-lq2is]

Love to see Flanders and Swann fans!

[@wordsonice8996]

Have you ever covered why Edward Ferrars thought Lucy Steele's letter-writing style was so bad? Near the end of Sense & Sensibility, he shows Elinore the final kiss-off letter that Lucy sends him, and he disparages her style extremely. From my modern, American perspective, it didn't look that bad to me. I'd be interested in a discussion about why he thought it was so dreadful. 🙂

[@--enyo--]

That would be interesting.

[@brendamartin3444]

Lucy Steele’s letter was coming from the same place as Lydia Bennet’s when she wrote her elopement letter to Harriet… it has nothing to do with the writing style, and everything to do with proper etiquette… “Oh! thoughtless, thoughtless Lydia!" cried Elizabeth when she had finished it. "What a letter is this, to be written at such a moment!” There are certain letters, at certain times, that you just do not write… I hope this helps…

[@sarahmwalsh]

This is so interesting! I'd never heard of this term and I love that there's a word for these parallel constructions in Austen's writing. Thank you for elucidating it!

[@TrulyMadlyShallowly]

This may sound very very geeky, but the zeugma is my ABSOLUTE favourite of all literary devices. I use it a lot - it can be so drily funny and so versatile. But, perhaps because English is not my first language, I never consciously noticed that Austen did it!

[@andrewandcubes]

I love zeugma!! It has been my favorite literary technique ever since I found it hiding at the very end of a literary glossary. Thank you for another great video 😊

[@TrulyMadlyShallowly]

Ha, same here. I was taught zeugmata in Latin class.

[@oliviablais778]

I loved that last example! When you point it out it seems so obvious that the two concepts (marriage and preferential treatment with land allotment) are linked and yet before your video I missed it. I previously enjoyed the line for the second bit poking fun at the exaggeration inherent in the common expression. No one has "nothing to wish for" no matter their station. Wishing for a marriage to take place is sentimental; wishing for better pasturage is sensible (and also charming! I think it reassures readers that despite being raised in rather higher circumstances, Elinor and Edward are content with life at a parsonage and that this story isn't just 'happily ever after, don't think about it.')

[@oliviablais778]

Also, in typing that out I feel like it has to be an intended pun with "pastor" in the parsonage and cows' "pasturage."

[@Wanda711]

The greatest use of zeugma ever is by Flanders & Swann, in 'Madeira, M'dear'. It comes up in almost every verse, but the first example is, "And he said, as he hastened to put out the cat, The wine, his cigar and the lamps..."

[@GS-lq2is]

And she lowered her standards by raising her glass, her courage, her eyes and his hopes 😆

[@tamravenhill301]

@@GS-lq2is does he end up having his way with the young girl in the end of that song? Its not exactly clear?

[@GS-lq2is]

@@tamravenhill301 oh, I think definitely yes

[@rosannamurphy895]

@@GS-lq2is this was the one I thought of too!

[@peridotgladioli8259]

My favourite in that song is, "When he asked, 'What in Heaven?!', she made no reply, up her mind and a dash for the door"

[@Allegorria]

Hello, Doctor Cox! So far I found an example in P&P Chapter 7. May be not the most elegant but - At present, indeed, they were well supplied both with news and happiness by the recent arrival of a militia regiment in the neighbourhood; it was to remain the whole winter, and Meryton was the headquarters. Continue searching for more.

[@IdrilSilmarien]

Ooh, interesting because while the militia may continue to supply news throughout the rest of the story, I don’t think they do happiness at least not so universally.

[@robinhunt6778]

That was so interestingly! I studied English literature in college but never encountered the concept of Zeugma. Thank you!

[@Katherine_The_Okay]

Well, my day is made. Wasn't expecting another video from you again this soon, and I've learned a new word, too! I hope the move is going well, along with everything else in your life. Thanks, as always, for the pearls of wisdom.

[@kevinrussell1144]

I saw your Kat handle jump onto the screen as I handled my cat, who just jumped into my lap. Well met. Say hello to "Pip".

[@Katherine_The_Okay]

Well, that gave me more of a smile than I'm used to getting first thing on a Saturday. Hello Pip (Peregrin "fool of a Took" kitty?)! And hello again, Kevin. At least I assume you're the same Kevin Russell I had the Austen conversation with last week. Hail and well met. I hope you're having a good weekend with lots of fun stuff to read and many kitty snuggles :)

[@kevinrussell1144]

@@Katherine_The_Okay ​ @Kat K Mostly correct. Same Kevin, same station. But I'm actually a big fan of Dickens, too, and Great Expectations is among my favorite books. My Pip (a little mackerel tabby tom) is named for Philip Pirrip. It's a long story, but in our family I have become Joe Gargery and my son has evolved into another Pip, the gentleman with millennial tastes. But no, he's not in debt. I hope you have a good weekend too. Best Regards, Kat. AND isn't nice to see Octavia still being Octavia?

[@Katherine_The_Okay]

@@kevinrussell1144 Ah, okay. I prefer Bleak House and Christmas Carol from Dickens. Reading Great Expectation always just leaves me wanting to dope-slap Pip and scream in his face "You're not actually dumb, so USE THE BRAINS GOD GAVE YOU!" lol. Dickens has a way with words, I will be the first to admit, but some of his characters just get under my skin. But he is a very eloquent author; I can tell because his characters wouldn't annoy me if he didn't sneakily force me to get invested in them 😅 Your kitty Pip sounds charming. My current baby (Sophie) is a tortoise-shell who hasn't decided yet whether she trusts me, so no lap-jumping for me. But it's only been two months since I adopted her and by all account she had a pretty horrible six years prior to that, so I know we'll get there. And I'm glad your human Pip isn't quite as bad as the book version, even if the book version does eventually grow out of it. And, yes, it is always lovely to see Doctor Octavia being her awesome and insightful self 🥰 Have a great weekend and give Pip the Cat scritchies from me. But not Pip the Human. That would just be weird 😆

[@kevinrussell1144]

@@Katherine_The_Okay Yes, that would be weird. My wife has a 5 year-old female "torty" named Pepper. Strangest cat (only tortoise-shell) we've had. She is a monster on birds. My son's cat is a rescue "socked-tabby" named Tank. He loves John and is the sweetest cat we've ever had. My Pip is a pill, but he's a good boy. He sleeps with me and has to keep tabs on me whenever I'm in. Cats are strange creatures. Sophie is another of the lucky ones; she'll come around. I had Pip (as a little guy) for nearly two weeks before he'd come out from under the bed.

[@dancewithme1981]

I think the Tilneys and Trapdoors example also shows Catherine’s youthful infatuation. She’s really excited to be going to Blaise Castle, but then spends half the time reverting back to thoughts of Henry.

[@jennymunday7913]

I think the most interesting thing about zeugma jokes is that they compare two things in a way that highlights how different they are in seriousness, but how they might be considered of equal importance to the person the joke is about. Like Lady Lucas worrying about her daughter's welfare and her daughter's chickens. I can imagine Lady Lucas determining Charlotte is doing well in a few minutes but then going on and on about the stupid chickens. 😂

[@carrielovesfanta]

I wonder if Austen wrote this as a slight dig at her own mother. She was very fond of digging into household arrangements I believe.

[@ruthbygrave4695]

Am enjoying this. I remembered the Queen Anne bit when you came up to it: I think "tea" and "obey" were exact rhymes at the time.

[@riverAmazonNZ]

tey and obey, or tea and obee? I’m guessing the first but just a wild guess

[@seto749]

@@riverAmazonNZ It would be the first. In the televised version of Rumpole and the Official Secret, he looks for a quotation about "tea and scandal", comes across this one and pronounces it "tey".

[@uchaudhury8637]

I think it is important to point out that the two words yoked together refer to something that would not normally be joined, eg. something tangible and something intangible :”taking tea” and “taking counsel”, “time” and “her aunt”…

[@jogibson5851]

As so often with Austen, the comic voice has a serious undertone. Lady Lucas's concern for Charlotte's poultry is very much also a concern for her welfare. Lady L may not be the brightest woman in Austen, but even she must surely be aware that Charlotte has married purely for an establishment, to avoid a penniless life as an old maid and not for love. If that establishment is not as secure as she might have hoped, she will have made a very unlucky decision indeed. We recall that events in Emma are precipitated by a series of poultry thefts too. No chickens would mean no eggs either- a severe hardship. Off the topic of this video, but it has just struck me that the two couples of Elinor/Edward and Marianne/Brandon are in an analogous situation to Mr & Mrs Norris and Sir Thomas & Lady Bertram. In both cases we have pairs of not-well-off sisters, one of whom has made a highly advantageous marriage to a wealthy landowner, whilst the other sister has benefited by marrying a clergyman who is awarded a living on his brother-in-law's estate. We can see in Mansfield Park how Mrs Norris manipulates affairs so that she continues to benefit even after her husband's death. Like Elinor, she is much the more practical of these two sisters (though Elinor is of course a far nicer person than the odious Mrs Norris.) I think that many church livings were passed to family members (often a younger son who was not going to inherit the main estate), so Col Brandon's offer to Edmund - a relation by marriage of the Dashwoods - is a signal of his desire for Marianne to be his wife perhaps? All the very best for your move Dr Cox and for your much deserved new job!

[@andrewsmith8454]

And the serious undertones have comic tinges. I think there's an implied pun in the use of the word poultry in the 2 cases you cited, and elsewhere in P&P where Lady Catherine de Bourgh tries to micro-manage Charlotte's household. The argument by which Mr Woodhouse is induced to consent to Emma and Mr Knightley's marriage is certainly paltry.

[@annejeppesen160]

I like the observation of the disparity between the Dashwood and Ward sisters. Though I would argue that the Wards weren't exactly poor. We know that Miss Maria Ward (later Lady Bertram) had £7000 and while that is at least £3000 short for marrying a baronet, it's a quite decent amount. I presume that sisters would receive equal shares so Miss Ward (later Mrs. Norris) and Miss Frances Ward (later Mrs. Price) would have £7000 each. The difference in the sister dynamic is in the vicar's wife. Elinor marries Edward for love and is well matched. Miss Ward starts to hope for better prospects after her sister's marriage and must after a while contend herself with marrying Mr. Norris.

[@Therika7]

Thanks so much for making these delightful videos, Dr. Cox! I have an English degree but never could afford grad school, so my free time has been as much an imitation of grad school as I can make it. I had never heard of zeugma! Yet another way to enjoy my favorite author. 💐

[@jhava2397]

Congratulations on the new job! I'm very glad that you are still making videos. Could you please explain why Elizabeth tries so hard to thwart her mother's schemes to leave Jane and Mr. Bingley unchaperoned when we all know he is about to propose?

[@ginafitzgerald1985]

Word of the Day: Zeugmatic

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Ha! And why not indeed!

[@PotatoFaceMakeup]

I recommend your channel to all my customers when they purchase any Austen.

[@cathryncampbell8555]

Thank you for yet another informative & enjoyable video, Dr. Cox. I thoroughly enjoy how Austen uses zeugma -- a favoured rhetorical device for Alexander Pope -- to give her satirical voice more 'bite.' "Sense & Sensibility" is, I believe, one of Austen's more astringent novels, where she relentlessly tracks the effect of money on the lives of her characters. Yoking hopes of a happy marriage and better bovine pastures *humanizes* the near-perfect Eleanor & (imperfect) Edward, and I am grateful for that touch of levity. Austen avoids anything saccharine in her work....

[@SchlichteToven]

I always knew Jane Austen was clever, but this analysis really opened my eyes to HOW clever she was. How did she learn that style of writing? Would she have known it was called "zeugma"?

[@tymanung6382]

She learned this without an English literature degree!! (She probably never visited Oxford or Cambridge.)

[@maureenball6733]

Jane would have had access to the books in her father's house where he was teaching pupils. She would have read widely and her innate intelligence took care of the rest.

[@melissashiels7838]

I love literary criticism of my favourite works- especially when I don't have to write an essay about them! The more I hear of the literary techniques she used I her story-telling, the more I appreciate her genius.

[@florencebawden5079]

I took the passage in p&p to be indicating how long and minutely LL was questioning Maria - interested to hear a totally different construction

[@marijaokic2427]

Hello. It is so nice to see you again. It is the first time I have ever heard of zeugma. I certainly hadn't heard it mentioned back in my studying days. Wonderfully informative. Best wishes. See you in a month.

[@SlightlySusan]

Thank you, Dr. Cox. At 75, I read Pride and Prejudice for the first time. I attempted it at around 12 but found the conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Bennett unbearable. I thought I read it later in life. However, it was the many adaptations of P&P that fooled me. I loved the book. My feeling is that had Jane been born in 1939, the same year John Cleese was born, she would have been a member of Monty Python. I also snickered at how people say that the 1995, BBC series was the most true adaptation of the novel. I preferred director Joe Wright's take. Several people studying cinematography have reported on Wright's use of the camera. Then there is the matter that Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen are better than the 1995 leads. I had never heard of zeugma before but can hardly wait to play it in a Scrabble game! I had described her humor as snarky! Thank you, again!

[@megandlola]

This was so interesting!! I was wondering if you would consider talking a little about a favourite scene from Mansfield Park- where Fanny sits on the bench at Sotherton and observes Maria, Crawford, Julia and Rushworth? There are so many layers in this scene and I always feel like I’m missing things.

[@cagodinez]

Not trained to spot these literary techniques, I read Austen's novels concentrating on the story line, which could be several in parallel. Grateful for getting enlightened and validated on how great her literary works are!

[@luisez.5888]

Very interesting, thank you so much. I always thought that Austen used a lot of bathos, but now I see that what I thought was bathos was in reality often zeugma. So many thanks for making me aware.

[@bethanyperry5337]

I am delighted with my unexpected way of seeing Austen and my favorite literature interpreter ! I’ve missed both!

[@julirowen3988]

I always learn something new from your videos. Thank you!

[@corvuscorone7735]

Thank you! It is so good to finally know a NAME for this stylistic device!

[@Fluffcat65]

Dear Ms Cox, still here and looking forward to your future videos! 😊

[@hannahoverby4978]

I have a degree in Creative Writing, and this is a new term for me! Thank you for your thorough analysis. I hope you are enjoying your new job!

[@julecaesara482]

I love zeugmas! In fact, I learned about them from Austen's work and now I use them whenever I can

[@starfireiii2536]

I know you are extra busy these days. Thanks for making another excellent lesson. 🌸🌿🌸🌿

[@kevinrussell1144]

The things you learn. I thought the word soundly vaguely Greek, but was wondering if was something like crushed pulps at the bottom of an olive oil press. I like your explanation better. Good to hear from you again, too.

[@peggymccright1358]

Thank you so much for such an educational talk. I learn something new each time I listen to your analysis.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Do you have any of your own examples of Jane Austen’s use of zeugma?

[@lynnball4135]

Not as good as your examples but another from Sense and Sensibility "Thomas and the tablecloth, now alike needless, were soon afterwards dismissed".

[@luisez.5888]

Pride and Prejudice, chapter 3: "…but his friend Mr Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien; and the report (…) of his having ten thousand a year."

[@uchaudhury8637]

@@luisez.5888 I wouldn’t consider this a zeugma,

[@kayviola9618]

After Knightley rode through the rain to declare his love for Emma, Mr Woodhouse is concerned about Knightley’s health. Austen observes that he (Mr Woodhouse) should be more worried about Knightley’s heart rather than his lungs.

[@Edera7795]

I actually learned something new today. Thank you Dr. Cox.

[@sakura1406]

I would love to see a video on why Lizzie's feelings for Darcy changed when she visited Pemberly, as she told Jane when she related the proposal to her. I read a breakdown of it somewhere where it wasn't just because of the servants high opinion and general praise of his kindness and thoughtfulness, but also his sustainable land management practices. I would link the post thread of it but I don't think youtube would allow me to! Thanks for all these wonderful videos. I'm really happy I found them--I just got done listening to Jennifer Hale read P&P aloud for a second time, and I knew there was so much flying over my head that watching these videos is just a whole other layer of things I missed that I'm really glad you lay out in a way that's easily understandable, and you give background information too for the time! I can't wait for more!

[@claireo2283]

Learning this kind of terminology and seeing how to understand the details of these works is so fascinating, thank you!

[@aubslee]

I love how you open up Austen's books even more for us. Thank you for these videos!

[@stephenkoritta9656]

How great it was to receive both a notification and an education from you after a brief pause! ;-) Hope your new position is treating you well.

[@MartyYokawonis]

Zeugma. Currently reading both Sense and Sensibility & Pride and Prejudice. I will have to look for zeugma.

[@mausicute8804]

Thank you for the very good and interesting analysis of the novels of my favourite author. I always find that Austen has a very fine sense of humor but still I didn't understand this zeugma humor! To be sure, it's something too fine for me...hahaha! Example, all description of Sir Walter is humorous for me. Also of Mr Collins and so on. Something that surprises me, very much is the deep knowledge of life she has. Well, this is only my personal vew...may be I didn't know how to express myself . By the way, sorry for my english, I'm Chilean

[@mesamies123]

Again, Dr. Cox, you offer an excellent analysis of a rhetorical device and Austen's genius. Thank you! 🙂

[@cg13456]

Nice video. I've never heard of this before. Very interesting

[@amherst88]

Your excavations are always a treat and a revelation -- had never heard of zeugma but now I'll never miss it while reading Austen. Gratitude as always, hope you are enjoying your new position -- thanks very much for continuing to share your wisdom :)

[@davidwright7193]

When this works best the true meaning lies in the combination of the two. In the Pope Anne is taking council from her ladies (particularly Lady Churchill) at the same time as taking tea rather than the two being separated (as they ought to be). The same with Charlotte’s welfare depending on her poultry not her husband.

[@cathryncampbell8555]

"The same with Charlotte’s welfare depending on her poultry not her husband." Thank you for your observation! The usual etiquette would require an enquiry into the health of daughter & son-in-law -- but Lady Lucas asks after Charlotte & her *birds.* Mr. Collins has been thoroughly discounted as a subject of interest. Again, my thanks.

[@HRJohn1944]

Great to have you back - thank you

[@leannerae]

Regarding Lady Lucas asking about the poultry, I thought it was a serious enquiry as keeping poultry was a very important way for women at the time to earn income, by the keeping of poultry to sell and to supplement the household food. I took it to mean she was very seriously concerned with the welfare of the home and Charlotte looking after herself. With the cow's pasture and Marianne reference, an interpretation of it that I came across that seemed to fit, was one that they found the marriage so obvious as a next step and one they were already so settled with in their minds, that the pasture for the cows was more uncertain and of more concern than the marriage of Brandon and Marianne.

[@ArdillaINC]

The way you explain things are so elegant, beautifully explained and detailed I always end your videos feeling a little more enlightened about the world of Jane Austen ❤

[@carolinefreeman4546]

"Blessed knight whose dictatorial looks dispense, to children affluence, to Rushworth sense." I'm not sure if that's exactly correct but that's more or less the poem that Mary Crawford jokingly creates about Sir Thomas's return from Antigua. I love learning about these techniques.

[@catrionahall8435]

Now I feel obliged to quote another author in saying (writing) of the Handbook of Literary Terms “this charming volume should have been my constant study” …. Or words to that effect.

[@prettybirdbeenlpeacock6592]

Excellent. New terminology for me and I enjoyed the examples.

[@Ozgipsy]

Good to see you again Dr Cox. I hope your new role is treating you well. New and interesting concept for me today - thanks.

[@debshaw680]

I always wondered if there was a term for that. Fascinating information this time!

[@jamesduggan7200]

If you're not already familiar with Sister Miriam Joseph's analysis of Shakespeare's use of the arts of language, you should acquire it. Also, Caroline Spurgeon's works on Shakespeare do in-depth poetic analysis too. Both are absolute joys to read.

[@carolynhunt7333]

I wish you had been a professor in my master’s program. I wouldn’t have dropped out.

[@katyvdb5993]

I never knew what this device was called. So presumably Flanders and Swann's lines 'She lowered her standards by raising her glass, Her courage, her eyes, and his hopes' ('Have Some Madeira, M'Dear') is also an example of zeugma, if I have understood the term correctly?

[@kimfleming5271]

I love your analysis of Austin characters and would really like to know your take on aunt Norris in Mansfield Park and her impact on the other characters in the story. Or a comparison to other evil people in Austin. So happy your still doing videos thanks!

[@voluntaryismistheanswer]

I wanted to shout 'yaaas queen' 😄, please dissect Mrs Norris for us- I'm in the last third of MP (for the fifth time); it would be so very pleasant to hear your take.

[@Izabela-ek5nh]

I always learn a lot from your videos, dr Cox, appreciate that so much ❤ Now I can see a lot of Zeugma (and Zeugma jokes) also in Nabokov's novels, he was pushing it to extreme and I always loved it :) thanks again

[@lynneperry7454]

Thank you so much, that was really interesting. I’m going to have to do some close Re-reading.

[@trinkab]

I always saw the Northanger Abbey sentence as: Broken promises = broken arches because a broken promises is like a broken arch because her dreams of entering into friendship irl cannot stand on broken promises and her dreams of a Gothic castle cannot stand without the arches (alternately you cannot get to the castle if the arches holding the bridge or gates has collapsed) Phaetons and false hangings are the ojects used in the trickery she falls for in both irl and her novels. Tilneys and trap doors. I mean she had just fallen into trap and to have waited for the Tilneys would have been the correct route.

[@charlotteinnocent8752]

I saw the domestic link with Charlotte's new situation in P&P to be subtly linking Charlotte's happiness to domestic concerns, rather than with being with a new husband as would be the case in a romantic situation. Charlotte's garden and household is once again held up as THE THING to make her happy, not being with Mr. Collins. In Sense and Sensibility, I saw THAT domestic link as 1. Showing that they were not desperately poor and could easily have enough money to support themselves happily, a thing that needed to be emphasized because of how Edmond was cheated out of his inheritance. and 2. Showing how the happy couple had settled into a kind of domestic bliss. Finally, Eleanor is concerned with her OWN home and not painstakingly caring for her mother and younger sisters. These links always seem to be part of a mood, like you beautifully point out from the Northanger Abbey example.

[@charlotteinnocent8752]

Nice point about that marriage of her sister and Colonel Brandon would give them better pasture land. Likely, but not the major concern. I always feel again, this is Eleanor sorting out the life of her sister for her, to a certain extent. Austin cleverly covers many likely feelings in one sentence. "Wouldn't it be lovely if my sister married the good man who loves her. She will be set for life and so will me mother. My youngest sister's life will be vastly improved. Also, we COULD get a better field for the cows." Poor Eleanor throughout the novel NEVER has a chance to just enjoy romance. She is too busy looking after everyone else and having to be sensible. We are supposed to imagine from not looking TOO closely that she is cured of this by the end of the novel and has romance with Edmond. But this shows that old habits die hard. Same with Marianne, she is meant to learn to be most sensible, but is she really? Or does she simply cede to the extreme love bombing that Colonel Brandon gives to her? He's been heroic and romantic for her in the extreme, and his story reads like one of the romantic dramas of the day.

[@uchaudhury8637]

Thank you for these witty examples. We studied zeugma at university, and it was always one of my favourite techniques. Will certainly look for examples next time I read Jane Austen.

[@missioncardiac7599]

Wonderful, thank you. what a gem of a literary device.

[@nickwilliams7547]

Wonderful! Thank you Octavia.

[@Ziggimugglemeeple]

Really enjoying your content. Thank you for what you do

[@dreamok732]

Thankyou. I clicked on yr video to learn one new word, zeugma and you gave two, chiasmus. And as a bonus i can also pronounce them correctly. BTW I thought the real bite to the poultry enquiry was that nobody was interested to hear about Mr Collins' welfare. Edit: Another BTW. I was most amused when you waggled your fingers around while explaining chiasmus.

[@barbarahuff117]

Thank you for pointing to these. I know so little about literature, but I'm in there kicking around with you. Good going on this 'lesson'.

[@rachelport3723]

Actually, I think the pasturage available for Elinor and Edward's cows depends on the glebe land attached to the living, thus the Church and not the landlord. I'm not entirely sure how it works, but while Col. Brandon has the gift of the living, the living itself is Church property. I have a bit of a picture of how this works from other novels, particularly Anthony Trollope's The Vicar of Bullhampton where one of the main subplots hinges on the possession of a piece of land and whether it's attached to the vicarage or the neighboring estate. Thank you for this - I have smiled often at the examples you give but never had a word for it before. I'll have to remember zeugma.

[@E.R.Hewitt]

The Northanger Abbey example perfectly demonstrates Catherine’s lack of maturity. Had she not been distracted and excited by the old ruins and instead dedicated a moment to contemplating only John’s claims Catherine would have suspected lies.

[@andreavalle3987]

Wow, I really loved this analysis!

[@craftyartcorner3656]

Oh nice to see you missed your videos dearly - love from Australia xx Amany

[@pamelaconkin1361]

Very interesting, I always read these examples of the extent of their interest

[@pashawasha47]

Yay! The doctor is back!

[@nyckolaus]

Excellent, as always.

[@csg954]

Love your Jane Austen videos and couldn’t wait to watch your video on Wit…but where did it go??? I sure hope you repost it!!

[@ivethpavon8023]

Hi! Just discovered your channel and I love it. There are a lot of topics that I hadn't considered and which I'm learning here. Greetings from México :D

[@jenniferneve2723]

I see the fiction/reality of the Northanger Abbey passage in the opposite way: Catherine is in reality at Blaise Castle seeing the broken arches, false hangings and trap doors, whereas the Tilneys breaking their promise for a private drive in their phaeton is a fiction cooked up by the Thorpes.

[@sixeses]

This is why you're a doctor and I'm not. I always like when JA mentions the agriculture and husbandry that must have been all around her.

[@kryscall4544]

Thanks for the multi-level analysis. Also wonder if Lady Lucas was acknowledging the reality that Charlotte was acquired by Mr. Collins with the eye to availability, convenience and knowledge of which breeds are more docile that one might employ to acquire for one's barnyard a decent laying hen after having given up the idea of acquiring a prize hen.

[@katdenning6535]

This was interesting & educational. I wasn’t familiar with the term, though I had noticed the technique used once or twice before :)

[@katdenning6535]

The Lady Lucas bit reminds me a bit of Lady Catherine’s interest into the minutiae of the household. It gives the impression that although Charlotte has changed abodes, her situation might not be all that different in terms of managing the people around her. It makes me think both that her mom and Lady Catherine are similar, making her more of a good fit for her husband/position than Elizabeth would have been.

[@padminirathore3785]

Awesomingly explained... especially double zeugma...

[@AD-hs2bq]

Wonderful!

[@darthlaurel]

I've always assumed that the "better pasturage" comment was meant to say that they were perfectly happy and their few problems were things outside their power.