1984 - Planet eBook

most indignantly, raising his face to look at Winston. ‘It wasimpossible to change the line. The rhyme was ‘rod”. Do yourealize that there are only twelve rhymes to ‘rod’ in the entirelanguage? For days I had racked my brains. There WASno other rhyme.’The expression on his face changed. The annoyancepassed out of it and for a moment he looked almost pleased.A sort of intellectual warmth, the joy of the pedant who hasfound out some useless fact, shone through the dirt andscrubby hair.‘Has it ever occurred to you,’ he said, ‘that the whole historyof English poetry has been determined by the fact thatthe English language lacks rhymes?’No, that particular thought had never occurred to Winston.Nor, in the circumstances, did it strike him as veryimportant or interesting.‘Do you know what time of day it is?’ he said.Ampleforth looked startled again. ‘I had hardly thoughtabout it. They arrested me—it could be two days ago—perhapsthree.’ His eyes flitted round the walls, as though hehalf expected to find a window somewhere. ‘There is no differencebetween night and day in this place. I do not seehow one can calculate the time.’They talked desultorily for some minutes, then, withoutapparent reason, a yell from the telescreen bade them besilent. Winston sat quietly, his hands crossed. Ampleforth,too large to sit in comfort on the narrow bench, fidgetedfrom side to side, clasping his lank hands first round oneknee, then round the other. The telescreen barked at him to