I realize there is music with the same name. But is there more? Does pomp and circumstance really mean fanfare / glitz and glamour? And how can it be used without sounding like an idiot?
2006-12-27 06:47:56 · 3 answers · asked by lamb1211 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
"Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, th’ ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!"
William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. Othello (in Othello, act 3, sc. 3, l. 353-4), bidding farewell to the glamor and ceremony (”circumstance”) of his profession as a general.
...and here is a one of seven definitions for the word "circumstance:"
6. Formal display; ceremony: the pomp and circumstance of a coronation.
finally: of course you can use it without sounding like an idiot!
good luck!
2006-12-27 07:03:19 · answer #1 · answered by bigivima 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here are a list of quotes about your subject. I can't see how it can be used free of idiocy. The words sound too much like pump and circumcision. Good Luck!
http://thinkexist.com/search/searchquotation.asp?search=Pomp+and+Circumstance
2006-12-27 17:25:59 · answer #2 · answered by ••Mott•• 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is from Shakespeare's Othello. In his famous "Farewell to Arms" speech, Othello bids farewell to the "pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war."
It is, of course, the name of the march by British composer Edward Elgar that is usually played at graduations.
2006-12-27 06:57:05 · answer #3 · answered by snide76258 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋