Reinhold Schlieper wrote:

> Bob, I don't think that's an aphorism.  Actually, it's an argument, and,
> as a petitio principii, a faulty one.  To assert existence, I suppose,
> some might say "I am."  But ordinarily that sounds empty of meaning.  I
> would expect that "I am a teacher" is a more sensible use of the copula.
> Crane didn't say either, "A man said to the universe, / Sir, I am."   He
> said, "Sir, I exist."  I think that "John is" sounds complete only if we
> are tainted by philosophical forethought, no?

I'm reminded of the Italian poet (I forgot who - if anyone can help me out
... ) who wrote of Napoleon: "Ei Fu." - "He was." - and of the line in
Boito's libretto for Verdi's _Otello_, "Ah, gloria, Otello fu!" Does the
intransitive "Be" work in Italian, but not English? Or is it only used as a
literary device and not in spoken language? I find this a fascinating
topic!

Paul D.