From: Walter Miale <wm@greenworldcenter.org>

Subject: Pale Fire's IPH

This continues an earlier thread on the Pale Fire poem, masterpiece and/or parody?

If the poem were the autobiographical work of a real person named John Shade it would have some lines that would make us, or that would make me at least, cringe.

Just as the tragic figure of Hazel was introduced with mockery or disappointed egotism (she's "plump" and squints, etc.), so the announcement of the theme of spiritual transcendence and life after death at the opening of Canto Three is followed immediately with preposterous, almost scatological lines:

                I.P.H., a lay

Any doubt regarding the allusion to Preparation H, a patent remedy for hemorrhoids (probably advertised in the same issues of Life magazine as the underpants and zipper in Aunt Maude's clippings), is dispelled a few lines later:

Yes, it's fun, the allusion is there in the company of the *grand potato,* the *big if,* and "to lecture on the Worm." Dying is easy, but turning it into comedy is art. But doesn't the arch and giggly reverberation of the IPH lines go further and clue us that if they are read as autobiographical, their fictive author is parodying himself?

Shade is writing about his great personal tragedy, and the tragedy of his daughter, and one of the great mysteries of life. His sense of humour has survived and he can laugh about these serious things. But the notes of ridicule (of his daughter, himself, and his theme)--aren't they jarring in the autobiographical work of the eminent New England poet? I'm afraid there's some fun for the writer and reader to have here with the not altogether reliable John Shade, just as we do with poor Kinbote.