Soun is noght but air ybroken, And every speche that is spoken, Loud or privee, foul or fair, In his substaunce is but air; For as flaumbe is but lighted smoke, Right so soun is air ybroke.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Sound is physically just disturbed air, similar to how smoke relates to flame.
- In plain terms
- Sound is broken air, just as smoke is lighted flame.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize speech as a physical phenomenon.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we perceive sound if it is just air?
- Is all speech ultimately physical?
Another view
It simplifies sound to just air without mentioning vibration or hearing.
More from Geoffrey Chaucer
For out of olde feldes, as men seith, Cometh al this new corn fro yeer to yere; And out of olde bokes, in good feith, Cometh al this newe science that men lere.
Permalink to quote #2 For I am shave as neigh as any frere. But yit I praye unto youre curteisye: Beeth hevy again, or elles moot I die.
Permalink to quote #4 The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne. Th' assay so hard, so sharp the conquerynge, The dredful joye, alwey that slit so yerne; Al this mene I be love.
Permalink to quote #1
Related quotes
To those who do not know mathematics it is difficult to get across a real feeling as to the beauty, the deepest beauty, of nature ... If you want to learn abou…
Richard FeynmanRichard Feynman quote #5 My music must be an artistic reproduction of human speech in all its finest shades. That is, the sounds of human speech, as the external manifestations of thou…
Modest MussorgskyModest Mussorgsky quote #1 Als thai haf wryten and sayd Haf I alle in myn Inglis layd, In symple speche as I couthe, That is lightest in mannes mouthe. I mad noght for no disours, Ne for…
Robert MannyngRobert Mannyng quote #1