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Q&A Do we need to make consistent use of archaic English in our poem/novel?

If you use an old expression like "by a many", do you need to make it consistent and use old expressions throughout the poem, or is it ok to just use it in one verse or sentence? “The spring is...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by yocu‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T11:12:02Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/43130
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar yocu‭ · 2019-12-08T11:12:02Z (about 5 years ago)
If you use an old expression like "by a many", do you need to make it consistent and use old expressions throughout the poem, or is it ok to just use it in one verse or sentence?

> “The spring is coming by a many signs.”

I was wondering if we can for example use an old archaic expression one time and then never use any archaic word or expression. I am pretty sure the answer is different depending on whether you're writing a poem or novel.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2019-03-07T14:25:26Z (almost 6 years ago)
Original score: 2