I don't think "swollen with sorrow" and "swollen by sorrow" are
necessarily the same. In the similar "His heart was filled with sorrow,"
sorrow could not be considered the agent. 

Past participles can be used in passives ("The stream was swollen to a
torrent by the downpour"), but they can also be used adjectivally ("My
gums are swollen," "This seat is taken," etc.).

I'd say your sentence could be read either way. If there is an implied
agent--swollen with sorrow (by his travails)--then it's passive.
Otherwise, it's adjectival.

Dick Veit
________________________
 
Richard Veit
Department of English, UNCW
Wilmington, NC 28403-5947
910-962-3324
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Diane Allen
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2004 10:00 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Truncated passive

In the sentence "His heart was swollen with sorrow" the strictest
interpretation would dictate that "swollen with sorrow" is a subject
complement following the linking verb "was". However, could it be read
as a
truncated passive, as in "His heart was swollen (by) sorrow" with "was"
serving as a passive auxiliary?

Diane

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