Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0022779, Wed, 2 May 2012 23:25:00 -0300

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[SIGHTING] Waxing poetic about the waxwing, by c.boyle
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Waxing Poetic about the Waxwing
Excerpts from the Pomona.edu blog, posted on April 28, 2012 - by cboyle

"...the waxwing... participate in a mating ritual called pairing, in which two waxwings pass a berry or small object back and forth multiple times before one of them eats it. The pair does not defend their territory, which is a possible explanation of why they have no true song."
"The description of how waxwings interact with each other reminds me of the relationship of poet and commentator in Pale Fire, of Shade and Kinbote. If Shade is truly a waxwing, maybe he would not be upset with Kinbote 'hijacking' his poem through the commentary... the passing back and forth of fruit could be seen literarily as Kinbote and Shade passing the poem back and forth until its ready for the eventual "consumption" of the poem for the reader..."
"Any thoughts on waxwings, or Shade as a waxwing?"

Jansy Mello: This is the third time (within forty days) that I find interesting queries and informations about Nabokov in a blog.
The idea of Shade as a waxwing, exchanging berries/verses with Kinbote, has a quaintly poetic touch. However, Kinbote would have to be a waxwing himself and, finally, so would the readers should they be able to absorb the fermented-berry that results from this delicate triangular courtship.

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