Very interesting suggestion by Stephen Adams (below). Have we forgotten that casque means literally and primarily a helmet? In which case, "The green casque has outdone your elegance" is a line filled with bitter irony. The negative Order represented by the army's kind of fashion statement and the army's typically rigid, mechanical, insect-like movements (marching, saluting, etc.) have for the moment stolen the show. ==Dan >> Pull down thy vanity, >> Paquin pull down! >> The green casque has outdone your elegance. >> >> When has the army ever been interested in the concept of _elegance_ except >> perhaps with regard to the efficient lethalness of a new weapon? > >Could "the green casque" be a GI's helmet? > >-- >Stephen Adams >Department of English >University of Western Ontario >London, Canada N6A-3K7 >(519)-434-7519 > HOME: Dan Pearlman 102 Blackstone Blvd. #5 Providence, RI 02906 Tel.: 401 453-3027 email: [log in to unmask] Fax: (253) 681-8518 http://www.uri.edu/artsci/english/clf/ OFFICE Department of English University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI 02881 Tel.: 401 874-4659