"Expired" or "Exhaled"?
In Eliot's first draft, this line reads, "Sighs, short and infrequent, were expired."
"Expired" is crossed out, followed by "exhaled," also crossed out, then "expired," crossed out again, and then finally "exhaled," not crossed out. This change was probably made to take away the negative connotations of "expired."
This website the work of Abigail L. Bunting
"Expired" is crossed out, followed by "exhaled," also crossed out, then "expired," crossed out again, and then finally "exhaled," not crossed out. This change was probably made to take away the negative connotations of "expired."
This website the work of Abigail L. Bunting