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Fw: Pale Fire, the poem
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Bennett" <mab@straussandasher.com>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (82
lines) ------------------
> Let's put it this way: "Pale Fire" is the greatest poem in English by a
> émigré Russian novelist who taught European literature at a major American
> university.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: D. Barton Johnson [mailto:chtodel@cox.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 8:26 AM
> To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> Subject: Fw: Pale Fire, the poem
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Morris, John" <MorrisJ@cisnet.org>
> ..
> >
> > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (52
> lines) ------------------
> > I discuss this question in my paper, "Genius and Plausibility:
> > Suspension
> of
> > Disbelief in 'Pale Fire'," which you may read on the Zembla website,
> > http://www.libraries.psu.edu/iasweb/nabokov/forians.htm. In brief, my
> > conclusion is that VN thought highly of the poem "Pale Fire" as a
> technical
> > construction, and esteemed many of its tropes. But his opinion of it
> overall
> > was probably less enthusiastic than Boyd's. He intended Shade to be a
> > good poet, but not a great one.
> >
> > J. Morris
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: D. Barton Johnson [mailto:chtodel@cox.net]
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 11:06 PM
> > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> > Subject: Fw: Pale Fire, the poem
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dane Gill" <pennyparkerpark@hotmail.com>
> > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (24
> > lines) ------------------
> > > Greetings
> > >
> > > Is the poem in the novel, Pale Fire, supposed to be a demonstration
> > > of poetic genuis? Is the poem itself a represntation of Shade's
> straitforward
> > > style, lacking in genuis, and just another indication of Kinbote's
> > madness?
> > > I've discussed this before (not here) to no avail. Basically what
> > > I'm
> > asking
> > > is this: Did Nabokov himself think the poem Pale Fire was a work of
> > genius?
> > >
> > > I've read (references elude me now - but something tells me it was
> > > Boyd, though not sure) that Pale Fire was actually the best poetry
> > > Nabokov
> could
> > > write. And as said in Strong Opinions, it was the most trouble he's
> > > ever
> > had
> > > with a piece of writing. I'm not very good at judging poetry (almost
> never
> > > reading it) and certainly not ones this long (a novel in verse?) can
> only
> > > give an invalid opinion here. Plae Fire strikes me as somewhat
> > typical -the
> > > style, the rhyming scheem- it's been done many times before. This is
> > > something not present is Nabokov's novels (though he writes very
> > poetical).
> > > As you have read, my opinion is weak and can easily be swayed with
> > > the
> > right
> > > arguments. This novel is so beautiful.
> > > Dane Gill
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
From: "Mark Bennett" <mab@straussandasher.com>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (82
lines) ------------------
> Let's put it this way: "Pale Fire" is the greatest poem in English by a
> émigré Russian novelist who taught European literature at a major American
> university.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: D. Barton Johnson [mailto:chtodel@cox.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 8:26 AM
> To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> Subject: Fw: Pale Fire, the poem
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Morris, John" <MorrisJ@cisnet.org>
> ..
> >
> > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (52
> lines) ------------------
> > I discuss this question in my paper, "Genius and Plausibility:
> > Suspension
> of
> > Disbelief in 'Pale Fire'," which you may read on the Zembla website,
> > http://www.libraries.psu.edu/iasweb/nabokov/forians.htm. In brief, my
> > conclusion is that VN thought highly of the poem "Pale Fire" as a
> technical
> > construction, and esteemed many of its tropes. But his opinion of it
> overall
> > was probably less enthusiastic than Boyd's. He intended Shade to be a
> > good poet, but not a great one.
> >
> > J. Morris
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: D. Barton Johnson [mailto:chtodel@cox.net]
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 11:06 PM
> > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> > Subject: Fw: Pale Fire, the poem
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dane Gill" <pennyparkerpark@hotmail.com>
> > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (24
> > lines) ------------------
> > > Greetings
> > >
> > > Is the poem in the novel, Pale Fire, supposed to be a demonstration
> > > of poetic genuis? Is the poem itself a represntation of Shade's
> straitforward
> > > style, lacking in genuis, and just another indication of Kinbote's
> > madness?
> > > I've discussed this before (not here) to no avail. Basically what
> > > I'm
> > asking
> > > is this: Did Nabokov himself think the poem Pale Fire was a work of
> > genius?
> > >
> > > I've read (references elude me now - but something tells me it was
> > > Boyd, though not sure) that Pale Fire was actually the best poetry
> > > Nabokov
> could
> > > write. And as said in Strong Opinions, it was the most trouble he's
> > > ever
> > had
> > > with a piece of writing. I'm not very good at judging poetry (almost
> never
> > > reading it) and certainly not ones this long (a novel in verse?) can
> only
> > > give an invalid opinion here. Plae Fire strikes me as somewhat
> > typical -the
> > > style, the rhyming scheem- it's been done many times before. This is
> > > something not present is Nabokov's novels (though he writes very
> > poetical).
> > > As you have read, my opinion is weak and can easily be swayed with
> > > the
> > right
> > > arguments. This novel is so beautiful.
> > > Dane Gill
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
> > >
> > >
> > >
>