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About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker pleads for compassion using exaggerated emotional appeal and physical metaphor.
In plain terms
Please do not ignore me or I will suffer greatly.
What can you take from it?
Emotional appeals often use hyperbole to gain sympathy.

Where it applies

  • conflict resolution
  • emotional appeals
  • performance

Putting it to work

  • negotiation
  • conflict management

Questions to consider

  • When have you used exaggeration to be heard?
  • How do you respond to emotional pleas?

Another view

The threat of death is metaphorical and not literal.

More from Geoffrey Chaucer

  1. 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…

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  2. Ye knowe eek, that in forme of speche is chaunge Withinne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho That hadden prys, now wonder nyce and straunge Us thinketh hem; and y…

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  3. 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.

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