{"id":"01KG6S5HRNR2K8P407QR8TJ229","cid":"bafkreifwlfjhan6fko57wtxgaizbynbwjdyvoj5jwj53ubftobf7sdzlnu","type":"section","properties":{"description":"# The promise of eternity.\n\n## Overview\n\"The promise of eternity.\" is a section of text extracted from a larger document, likely an academic or critical work discussing Shakespeare's sonnets and their dedications. This section, spanning lines 9346-9349, focuses on the conventional use of the phrase \"promise of eternity\" in dedications, particularly by Thomas Thorpe in his dedication of Shakespeare's sonnets.\n\n## Context\nThis section is part of the [FACSIMILE OF THE EDITION OF 1609](arke:01KG6S4GWQC7KPJ59BAYCY3HXR) frontmatter, which itself is contained within the [PDF Workflow Main Test 2026-01-30T00:26:53](arke:01KG6NWQ2H2K4PGG7H4ZHYCZ3Y) collection. It was extracted from the text file [pdf-01KG6Q7Q25RHMFT3SJXPV18VFF.txt](arke:01KG6S2X2EBB305ENM00G16GWA). It follows the section titled \"[The dedication to Mr. W. H.](arke:01KG6S5HRMG03G2WVV9NESYW1T)\" and precedes the section titled \"[Thorpe’s technical language.](arke:01KG6S5J9TXXVE7T998Y5PMHJ4)\", indicating its place within a detailed analysis of Thorpe's dedicatory practices.\n\n## Contents\nThe section discusses how Thomas Thorpe, in his dedication of Shakespeare's sonnets, used the phrase \"promised by our ever-living poet\" to refer to Shakespeare, thereby indulging in a \"grandiloquence\" seen in other dedications by him. It explains that \"promises of eternity\" were a common convention among poets and patrons, and Shakespeare himself used this convention in his sonnets to a \"fair youth.\" The text argues that Thorpe's interweaving of the conventional \"wish\" of a bookmaker with the \"promise\" of a panegyrizing poet added \"fresh zest and emphasis\" to these common phrases, and clarifies that there is no implication of an ellipse of \"him\" (Mr. W. H.) after \"promised.\"","description_generated_at":"2026-01-30T06:26:12.641Z","description_model":"gemini-2.5-flash-lite","description_title":"The promise of eternity.","end_line":9349,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T06:24:08.806Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"The promise of eternity.","source_file":"01KG6S2X2EBB305ENM00G16GWA","start_line":9346,"text":"The promise of eternity.\n\nBy attaching to the conventional complimentary mention of ‘eternity’ the ornamental phrase ‘promised by our ever-living poet’ (i.e. Shakespeare), Thorpe momentarily indulged in that vein of grandiloquence of which other dedications from his pen furnish examples. ‘Promises’ of eternity were showered by poets on their patrons with prodigal hands. Shakespeare in his sonnets had repeated the current convention with much fervour when addressing a fair youth. Thorpe’s interweaving of the conventional ‘wish’ of the ordinary bookmaker, with an allusion to the conventional ‘promise’ of the panegyrizing poet, gave fresh zest and emphasis to the well-worn phrases of complimentary courtesy. There is no implication in Thorpe’s dedicatory greeting of an ellipse, after the word ‘promised’, of the word ‘him’, i.e. ‘Mr. W. H.’ Thorpe ‘wisheth’ ‘Mr. W. H.’ ‘eternity’, no less grudgingly than ‘our ever-living poet’ offered his own friend the ‘promise’ of it in his sonnets.\n","title":"The promise of eternity."},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG6S4GWQC7KPJ59BAYCY3HXR","peer_type":"frontmatter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG6S2X2EBB305ENM00G16GWA","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG6NWQ2H2K4PGG7H4ZHYCZ3Y","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG6S5HRMG03G2WVV9NESYW1T","peer_type":"section","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG6S5J9TXXVE7T998Y5PMHJ4","peer_type":"section","predicate":"next"}],"ver":3,"created_at":"2026-01-30T06:24:08.981Z","ts":"2026-01-30T06:26:12.845Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}