The Poetical Works of John Milton


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reduplication was intended to mark emphasis. For example, in the speech  
of the Divine Son after the battle in heaven (vi. 810-817) the pronouns  
which the voice would naturally emphasize are spelt with the double  
vowel:  
Stand onely and behold  
Gods indignation on these Godless pourd  
By mee; not you but mee they have despis'd,  
Yet envied; against mee is all thir rage,  
Because the Father, t'whom in Heav'n supream  
Kingdom and Power and Glorie appertains,  
Hath honourd me according to his will.  
Therefore to mee thir doom he hath assign'd.  
In the Son's speech offering himself as Redeemer (iii. 227-249) where  
the pronoun all through is markedly emphasized, it is printed mee the  
first four times, and afterwards me; but it is noticeable that these  
first four times the emphatic word does not stand in the stressed place  
of the verse, so that a careless reader might not emphasize it, unless  
his attention were specially led by some such sign:  
Behold mee then, mee for him, life for life  
I offer, on mee let thine anger fall;  
Account mee man.  
In the Hymn of Creation (v.160-209) where ye occurs fourteen times, the  
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