Both Uses of
imperative
in
The Souls of Black Folk
- To praise this intricate whirl of thought and prejudice is nonsense; to inveigh indiscriminately against "the South" is unjust; but to use the same breath in praising Governor Aycock, exposing Senator Morgan, arguing with Mr. Thomas Nelson Page, and denouncing Senator Ben Tillman, is not only sane, but the imperative duty of thinking black men.†
Chpt 3 *
- If this is true, then here is the path out of the economic situation, and here is the imperative demand for trained Negro leaders of character and intelligence,—men of skill, men of light and leading, college-bred men, black captains of industry, and missionaries of culture; men who thoroughly comprehend and know modern civilization, and can take hold of Negro communities and raise and train them by force of precept and example, deep sympathy, and the inspiration of common blood and ideals.†
Chpt 9
Definitions:
-
(1)
(imperative) essential and urgent
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Much less commonly, in grammar, imperative describes a sentence that expresses a command or request.