Can't make sense of a paragraph from Lovecraft












3















I decided to start reading some work of Lovecraft, then I got stuck at the first paragraph I encountered:




The horrible conclusion which had been gradually obtruding itself upon my confused and reluctant mind was now an awful certainty. I was lost, completely, hopelessly lost in the vast and labyrinthine recesses of the Mammoth Cave. Turn as I might, in no direction could my straining vision seize on any object capable of serving as a guidepost to set me on the outward path. That nevermore should I behold the blessed light of day, or scan the pleasant hills and dales of the beautiful world outside, my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief. Hope had departed. Yet, indoctrinated as I was by a life of philosophical study, I derived no small measure of satisfaction from my unimpassioned demeanour; for although I had frequently read of the wild frenzies into which were thrown the victims of similar situations, I experienced none of these, but stood quiet as soon as I clearly realised the loss of my bearings.




I think I managed to understand each separate clauses, but the logical relationships among them get me really confused.



I have no idea why the author used "yet" "for" and "but" at the place where I marked them in boldface. I also don't know why he wrote "my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief", which means "my reason could not hold unbelif" if I'm not mistaken. Shouldn't he express something like "my reason could not hold belif"?



I'm feeling kind of frustrated now, could anyone help me figure it out?



Edit: Thanks to Greg Lee's answer now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". Is this "yet" related to "indoctrinated ... demeanour" (the the sentence followed until semicolon) or "indoctrinated ... bearings" (the sentence followed until period)? Does this "for" stand for "beacause"? If so, I find this "because ... but ..." sentence struture really weird...






meaning-in-context conjunctions literature paragraphs







share|improve this question

























  • My advice is to take it as a lesson learned, and seek more sane passages... pretty much anywhere. Lovecraftian characters are not, in my personal experience, more prone to insanity than Lovecraftian fans.

    – Ed Grimm
    2 hours ago











  • @EdGrimm Well, in fact I'm a Lovecraftian fan who have only read Lovecrafe in translation, and based on my personal experience, I have to agree with you...

    – Censi LI
    2 hours ago
















3















I decided to start reading some work of Lovecraft, then I got stuck at the first paragraph I encountered:




The horrible conclusion which had been gradually obtruding itself upon my confused and reluctant mind was now an awful certainty. I was lost, completely, hopelessly lost in the vast and labyrinthine recesses of the Mammoth Cave. Turn as I might, in no direction could my straining vision seize on any object capable of serving as a guidepost to set me on the outward path. That nevermore should I behold the blessed light of day, or scan the pleasant hills and dales of the beautiful world outside, my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief. Hope had departed. Yet, indoctrinated as I was by a life of philosophical study, I derived no small measure of satisfaction from my unimpassioned demeanour; for although I had frequently read of the wild frenzies into which were thrown the victims of similar situations, I experienced none of these, but stood quiet as soon as I clearly realised the loss of my bearings.




I think I managed to understand each separate clauses, but the logical relationships among them get me really confused.



I have no idea why the author used "yet" "for" and "but" at the place where I marked them in boldface. I also don't know why he wrote "my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief", which means "my reason could not hold unbelif" if I'm not mistaken. Shouldn't he express something like "my reason could not hold belif"?



I'm feeling kind of frustrated now, could anyone help me figure it out?



Edit: Thanks to Greg Lee's answer now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". Is this "yet" related to "indoctrinated ... demeanour" (the the sentence followed until semicolon) or "indoctrinated ... bearings" (the sentence followed until period)? Does this "for" stand for "beacause"? If so, I find this "because ... but ..." sentence struture really weird...






meaning-in-context conjunctions literature paragraphs







share|improve this question

























  • My advice is to take it as a lesson learned, and seek more sane passages... pretty much anywhere. Lovecraftian characters are not, in my personal experience, more prone to insanity than Lovecraftian fans.

    – Ed Grimm
    2 hours ago











  • @EdGrimm Well, in fact I'm a Lovecraftian fan who have only read Lovecrafe in translation, and based on my personal experience, I have to agree with you...

    – Censi LI
    2 hours ago














3












3








3


1






I decided to start reading some work of Lovecraft, then I got stuck at the first paragraph I encountered:




The horrible conclusion which had been gradually obtruding itself upon my confused and reluctant mind was now an awful certainty. I was lost, completely, hopelessly lost in the vast and labyrinthine recesses of the Mammoth Cave. Turn as I might, in no direction could my straining vision seize on any object capable of serving as a guidepost to set me on the outward path. That nevermore should I behold the blessed light of day, or scan the pleasant hills and dales of the beautiful world outside, my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief. Hope had departed. Yet, indoctrinated as I was by a life of philosophical study, I derived no small measure of satisfaction from my unimpassioned demeanour; for although I had frequently read of the wild frenzies into which were thrown the victims of similar situations, I experienced none of these, but stood quiet as soon as I clearly realised the loss of my bearings.




I think I managed to understand each separate clauses, but the logical relationships among them get me really confused.



I have no idea why the author used "yet" "for" and "but" at the place where I marked them in boldface. I also don't know why he wrote "my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief", which means "my reason could not hold unbelif" if I'm not mistaken. Shouldn't he express something like "my reason could not hold belif"?



I'm feeling kind of frustrated now, could anyone help me figure it out?



Edit: Thanks to Greg Lee's answer now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". Is this "yet" related to "indoctrinated ... demeanour" (the the sentence followed until semicolon) or "indoctrinated ... bearings" (the sentence followed until period)? Does this "for" stand for "beacause"? If so, I find this "because ... but ..." sentence struture really weird...






meaning-in-context conjunctions literature paragraphs







share|improve this question
















I decided to start reading some work of Lovecraft, then I got stuck at the first paragraph I encountered:




The horrible conclusion which had been gradually obtruding itself upon my confused and reluctant mind was now an awful certainty. I was lost, completely, hopelessly lost in the vast and labyrinthine recesses of the Mammoth Cave. Turn as I might, in no direction could my straining vision seize on any object capable of serving as a guidepost to set me on the outward path. That nevermore should I behold the blessed light of day, or scan the pleasant hills and dales of the beautiful world outside, my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief. Hope had departed. Yet, indoctrinated as I was by a life of philosophical study, I derived no small measure of satisfaction from my unimpassioned demeanour; for although I had frequently read of the wild frenzies into which were thrown the victims of similar situations, I experienced none of these, but stood quiet as soon as I clearly realised the loss of my bearings.




I think I managed to understand each separate clauses, but the logical relationships among them get me really confused.



I have no idea why the author used "yet" "for" and "but" at the place where I marked them in boldface. I also don't know why he wrote "my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief", which means "my reason could not hold unbelif" if I'm not mistaken. Shouldn't he express something like "my reason could not hold belif"?



I'm feeling kind of frustrated now, could anyone help me figure it out?



Edit: Thanks to Greg Lee's answer now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". Is this "yet" related to "indoctrinated ... demeanour" (the the sentence followed until semicolon) or "indoctrinated ... bearings" (the sentence followed until period)? Does this "for" stand for "beacause"? If so, I find this "because ... but ..." sentence struture really weird...






meaning-in-context conjunctions literature paragraphs




meaning-in-context conjunctions literature paragraphs






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 1 hour ago







Censi LI

















asked 3 hours ago









Censi LICensi LI

1358




1358













  • My advice is to take it as a lesson learned, and seek more sane passages... pretty much anywhere. Lovecraftian characters are not, in my personal experience, more prone to insanity than Lovecraftian fans.

    – Ed Grimm
    2 hours ago











  • @EdGrimm Well, in fact I'm a Lovecraftian fan who have only read Lovecrafe in translation, and based on my personal experience, I have to agree with you...

    – Censi LI
    2 hours ago



















  • My advice is to take it as a lesson learned, and seek more sane passages... pretty much anywhere. Lovecraftian characters are not, in my personal experience, more prone to insanity than Lovecraftian fans.

    – Ed Grimm
    2 hours ago











  • @EdGrimm Well, in fact I'm a Lovecraftian fan who have only read Lovecrafe in translation, and based on my personal experience, I have to agree with you...

    – Censi LI
    2 hours ago

















My advice is to take it as a lesson learned, and seek more sane passages... pretty much anywhere. Lovecraftian characters are not, in my personal experience, more prone to insanity than Lovecraftian fans.

– Ed Grimm
2 hours ago





My advice is to take it as a lesson learned, and seek more sane passages... pretty much anywhere. Lovecraftian characters are not, in my personal experience, more prone to insanity than Lovecraftian fans.

– Ed Grimm
2 hours ago













@EdGrimm Well, in fact I'm a Lovecraftian fan who have only read Lovecrafe in translation, and based on my personal experience, I have to agree with you...

– Censi LI
2 hours ago





@EdGrimm Well, in fact I'm a Lovecraftian fan who have only read Lovecrafe in translation, and based on my personal experience, I have to agree with you...

– Censi LI
2 hours ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















4














"my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief" means "I could no longer doubt". He was convinced that he would never again see the light of day. He goes on to say that he was pleased with himself that he could accept this terrible turn of events with equanimity.



The prose style is deliberately impenetrable.






share|improve this answer
























  • Thanks you very much! Now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". I've added more about my confusion to the post. Hopefully you are willing to spend more time on my question, thanks in advance...

    – Censi LI
    1 hour ago











  • Some synonyms here would be yet=however, for=because, and but=and_instead.

    – AmI
    1 hour ago











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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









4














"my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief" means "I could no longer doubt". He was convinced that he would never again see the light of day. He goes on to say that he was pleased with himself that he could accept this terrible turn of events with equanimity.



The prose style is deliberately impenetrable.






share|improve this answer
























  • Thanks you very much! Now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". I've added more about my confusion to the post. Hopefully you are willing to spend more time on my question, thanks in advance...

    – Censi LI
    1 hour ago











  • Some synonyms here would be yet=however, for=because, and but=and_instead.

    – AmI
    1 hour ago
















4














"my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief" means "I could no longer doubt". He was convinced that he would never again see the light of day. He goes on to say that he was pleased with himself that he could accept this terrible turn of events with equanimity.



The prose style is deliberately impenetrable.






share|improve this answer
























  • Thanks you very much! Now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". I've added more about my confusion to the post. Hopefully you are willing to spend more time on my question, thanks in advance...

    – Censi LI
    1 hour ago











  • Some synonyms here would be yet=however, for=because, and but=and_instead.

    – AmI
    1 hour ago














4












4








4







"my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief" means "I could no longer doubt". He was convinced that he would never again see the light of day. He goes on to say that he was pleased with himself that he could accept this terrible turn of events with equanimity.



The prose style is deliberately impenetrable.






share|improve this answer













"my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief" means "I could no longer doubt". He was convinced that he would never again see the light of day. He goes on to say that he was pleased with himself that he could accept this terrible turn of events with equanimity.



The prose style is deliberately impenetrable.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 2 hours ago









Greg LeeGreg Lee

14.5k2931




14.5k2931













  • Thanks you very much! Now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". I've added more about my confusion to the post. Hopefully you are willing to spend more time on my question, thanks in advance...

    – Censi LI
    1 hour ago











  • Some synonyms here would be yet=however, for=because, and but=and_instead.

    – AmI
    1 hour ago



















  • Thanks you very much! Now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". I've added more about my confusion to the post. Hopefully you are willing to spend more time on my question, thanks in advance...

    – Censi LI
    1 hour ago











  • Some synonyms here would be yet=however, for=because, and but=and_instead.

    – AmI
    1 hour ago

















Thanks you very much! Now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". I've added more about my confusion to the post. Hopefully you are willing to spend more time on my question, thanks in advance...

– Censi LI
1 hour ago





Thanks you very much! Now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". I've added more about my confusion to the post. Hopefully you are willing to spend more time on my question, thanks in advance...

– Censi LI
1 hour ago













Some synonyms here would be yet=however, for=because, and but=and_instead.

– AmI
1 hour ago





Some synonyms here would be yet=however, for=because, and but=and_instead.

– AmI
1 hour ago


















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