From: LouisFors@aol.com
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Date: Mon, 9 Feb 1998 16:14:50 EST
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Subject: "but" in #927
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Jinpeng:

>Can "but" mean "only" or "except"

That's a tough question.  Let's try it out:

ED wrote this in the second stanza of  927

Drift may block with it
Deeper than without--
Daffodil delight but
Him it duplicate--

so, try:
Daffodil delight ONLY
Him it duplicate--
(yes, that works fairly well, I think)

Daffodil delight EXCEPT
Him it duplicate--
(for my ear that doesn't work very well but it's in the ballpark)

We might even try this:

Daffodil delight HOWEVER
Him it duplicate--
(this is much too clumsy)

"but" is clearly the most economical choice.  But there are subtle
differences I can't express.   (In what I've just written, "but" can be
replaced by "only" or "except" or even "yet" or "still." ) This isn't
poetry, of course.

Caroline Maun had, in a post that I can't lay hands on, commented 
about #927 as a whole and also explored the function of "but."  I hope
others who may hear usage better than I do will comment on your
question, Jinpeng.  

Louis