The poet often employs the inverted proposition, illustrated by the following: “Blessed are the merciful;” “Great is this man of war.” An interchanging of subject and predicate makes these poetical constructions logical; e. g., “All the merciful are blessed;” “This man of war is great.” NOTE.――The student should not be misled by the relative clause. Often it may be interpreted as a part of the predicate rather than the subject. To wit: “No man is a friend who betrays a confidence”; clearly the logical subject is _no man who betrays a confidence_. =7. PROPOSITIONS WHICH ARE NOT NECESSARILY ILLOGICAL.= (1) _Analytic and Synthetic Propositions._ _An analytic proposition is one in which the predicate gives information already implied in the subject._ Thus, “_Fire burns_,” “_Water is wet_,” “_A triangle has three angles_” are analytic propositions because the predicates do not give added information to one who has any conception of the subjects. Because the attribute mentioned by the predicate is an essential one, analytic propositions are sometimes termed _essential_ propositions. Other names for the same kind of proposition are _verbal_ and _explicative_. _A synthetic proposition is one in which the predicate gives information not necessarily implied in the subject. “Fire protects men from the wild animal.” “A cubic foot of water weighs 62½ lbs.” “The sum of the interior angles of a triangle is equal to two right angles.”_ These are synthetic because a common conception of the meaning of the subject would not need to include the information given by the predicate. Other names for synthetic propositions are _accidental_, _real_ and _ampliative_. The distinction between analytic and synthetic propositions is not so clear as would on first thought appear. “_Fire burns_” might give added information to the child or savage who knows only of the light emitted by fire. To them, then, the proposition would be synthetic. The distinction must be based upon the assumption that the same words mean about the same thing to people in general. This analytic-synthetic division of propositions finds a significance in the domain of philosophy. To the logician the distinction is of slight importance save in the so-called verbal disputes, viz.: disputes which turn on the meaning of words. (2) _Modal and Pure Propositions._ _A modal proposition states the mode or manner in which the predicate belongs to the subject._ The signs of modal propositions are the adverbs of time, place, degree, manner. Illustrations: “James is walking _rapidly_.” “Honesty is _always_ the best policy.” “Aristotle was _probably_ the greatest thinker of ancient times.” _A pure proposition simply states that the predicate belongs, or does not belong, to the subject._ Illustrations: “James is walking.” “Honesty is the best policy.” “Aristotle was the greatest thinker of ancient times.”