No, I am not going away, nor is my protagonist Inez. But swan song does pop up in passing in Inez's musings as I gallop to the final line of Silver Rush book #7. The phrase sounds very Shakespearean to me, but what do I know? I've been fooled before by idioms that sound "old" but are "new" (and vice versa).
So, swan song. Pre- or post-1880s? Want to hazard a guess?
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Of course, I'm not going to guess. I'm going to research!
First stop (because the book is right at hand) is my trusty American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer:
swan song: A final accomplishment or performance, one's last work. ... The term alludes to the old belief that swans normally are mute but burst into beautiful song moments before they die.Hey! This is perfect for my scene! I must use it! But then the entry continues:
...Although the idea is much older, the term was first recorded in English only in 1890.
What?? 1890??
I want a second opinion. And maybe a third.
Next stop, The Phrase Finder, which includes a quote from the Swan of Avon, William Shakespeare (yes!!) from 1596. The following appears in The Merchant of Venice, straight from Portia: "Let music sound while he doth make his choice;
then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,
fading in music."
The Online Etymological Dictionary obliges me by noting, "swan-song (1831) is a translation of German Schwanengesang."
I check several more references on my bookshelf. Nothing for swan song. How can that be? I finally turned to an old dependable: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Edition. It does not let me down.
swan song (1831) 1: a song of great sweetness said to be sung by a dying swan 2: a farewell appearance or final act or pronouncement.
Good enough for me! I close the book, and allow Inez to ponder on a diva's swan song.
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| And here you have it! Ossian Singing His Swan Song, painted circa 1780, by Nicolai Abildgaard. Not quite the singer I have in mind, but still... [Public domain] |
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2 comments:
Thank you for the reassurance, as well as the elucidation.
I wondered about Camille Minichino's "Closing Lines" and, lo and behold, it has been three months.
Hi Liz! Yes, it looks like she has stopped her blog. But who knows? Maybe she'll start it up again some day. At least it's still there for browsing. :-)
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