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Stark in the sun - sentence dillema

Posted by ESC on September 24, 2003

In Reply to: Stark in the sun - sentence dillema posted by ilia on September 24, 2003

: Hi! Here is the puzzle: "Amidst the midtown bustle, down the gray avenues of Manhattan, stark in the morning sun, Rupert approaches his office".

: Could someone please tell me to what part of the sentence the author refers when he says STARK IN THE MORNING SUN? Was it Rupert or gray avenues? Or alltogether :))

That's a tough one! The first phrases sounds like Ralph is in the midst of the bustle and going down the gray avenues. So I tend to think he is stark in the morning sun too. But it could be the streets that are stark. That sentence needs a rewrite.

And the other thing is, what does "stark" mean? If it means "barren" that would apply to the streets. But if it means "sharply delineated" that would be Ralph.

Main Entry: 1 stark
Pronunciation: 'stärk
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, stiff, strong, from Old English stearc; akin to Old High German starc strong, Lithuanian starinti to stiffen -- more at STARE
Date: before 12th century
1 a : rigid in or as if in death b : rigidly conforming (as to a pattern or doctrine) : ABSOLUTE stark discipline
2 archaic : STRONG, ROBUST
3 : UTTER, SHEER stark nonsense
4 a : BARREN, DESOLATE b : having few or no ornaments : BARE : HARSH, BLUNT the stark realities of death
5 : sharply delineated [a stark contrast]
- stark·ly adverb
- stark·ness noun

[a stark contrast]

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