Subject
THOUGHTS: "Crystal to crystal" in PF
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E M Farrell writes:
Laurence Hochard wrote:
"... this tall priest also exists in Zembla -and the priest in the poem
must have been intended to echo the one in Zembla, as no other mention of a
priest Shade knew is made either in the poem or commentary..."
I believe the minister in the commentary is meant to resemble (he is shown
in Zembla, land of resemblers) more than directly echo the priest in poem
line 190. You're right, the whole scene seems to be full of sexual
innuendo, but since it's described through the character Kinbote's eyes, a
character that sexualizes everything, it's hard to know what's being
implied. Kinbote is only part of the "nonnon".
The commentator could be playing around with Shade's description of his
illness in the first canto, "The wonder lingers and the shame remains." He
does like to get his little digs in. The commentator may be hinting at
something having very little to do with sex. Maybe he's doing both.
There is another priest mentioned in the poem on line 635 and throughout
the poem Shade writes his thoughts on religion and "Life Everlasting",
especially in the third canto. The commentator writes of another priest in
the comment to line 549 and throughout his commentary writes of his
religious beliefs.
--
Susan Elizabeth Sweeney
Co-Editor, NABOKV-L
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Laurence Hochard wrote:
"... this tall priest also exists in Zembla -and the priest in the poem
must have been intended to echo the one in Zembla, as no other mention of a
priest Shade knew is made either in the poem or commentary..."
I believe the minister in the commentary is meant to resemble (he is shown
in Zembla, land of resemblers) more than directly echo the priest in poem
line 190. You're right, the whole scene seems to be full of sexual
innuendo, but since it's described through the character Kinbote's eyes, a
character that sexualizes everything, it's hard to know what's being
implied. Kinbote is only part of the "nonnon".
The commentator could be playing around with Shade's description of his
illness in the first canto, "The wonder lingers and the shame remains." He
does like to get his little digs in. The commentator may be hinting at
something having very little to do with sex. Maybe he's doing both.
There is another priest mentioned in the poem on line 635 and throughout
the poem Shade writes his thoughts on religion and "Life Everlasting",
especially in the third canto. The commentator writes of another priest in
the comment to line 549 and throughout his commentary writes of his
religious beliefs.
--
Susan Elizabeth Sweeney
Co-Editor, NABOKV-L
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/