Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0012149, Tue, 29 Nov 2005 09:14:31 -0800

Subject
Fwd: Laura & Beatrice
Date
Body


----- Forwarded message from chaiselongue@earthlink.net -----
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 21:24:41 -0800
From: Carolyn Kunin <chaiselongue@earthlink.net>
Reply-To: Carolyn Kunin <chaiselongue@earthlink.net>
Subject: Whose Laura?!
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum

Sorry but this has been nagging away at me for a few days, shouldn't it be
Dante
& Beatrice (Beatrice Portinari 1266-90 the inspiration for the Divina
Commedia)
not Laura?

Unless he was two-timing her on the side!

Kind regards,

John

Dear John,

You're absolutely right - - of course I should have said Petrarch's Laura.
I made a jump and then forgot to draw the bridge. The link started with
Nabokov's "Laura" and his peacocks, thence to Dante & his appearance as a
peacock in a dream reported by Petrarch and finally to Petrarch's Laura. A
circular argument, I admit, but it might be what VN had in mind. I suspected
Dante had something to do with it because of the family link to Dante's
friend and patron/saviour Can Grande. Alexey found the re-inforcing link to
Eugene Onegin.

Anyway, Beatrice remains sacred, I assure you!

thanks for kind regards,
Carolyn

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