Dear List and Jeff,
I agree with Jeff´s observation concerning the
images of strawberry/tongue, presented by VN in ADA, as being more
tactile than visual.
The photographic image surprised me because
it was unexpected. A tongue is usually less red and more
discolored, like VN´s "boiled strawberry" ( the vegetable becomes
pink-purplish-grey when boiled, doesn´t it? ).
But then, to whose
eye is the refraction in a drop of water represented on a butterfly´s
wing addressed? Perhaps the visual aspect, although not purposefuly
intended by VN for the strawberry/tongue approximation, pertains to the same
kind of enchantment.
Jansy
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, August 12, 2005 2:49
PM
Subject: Re: Fw: a curious image.
Strawberries & tongues in VN
EDNOTE. If memory does not fail me, the article cited is by
Jeff Edmunds, a.k.a.
The Wizard of
Zembla.
---------------------------------
----- Forwarded message
from jhe2@psulias.psu.edu
-----
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 09:19:41
-0400
From: Jeff Edmunds <jhe2@psulias.psu.edu>
Reply-To:
Jeff Edmunds <jhe2@psulias.psu.edu>
Subject:
Re: Fw: a curious image
To: Vladimir Nabokov
Forum
From Jeff Edmunds <jhe2@psulias.psu.edu>:
For
me the comparison of tongue to hot boiled strawberry is more tactile
than
visual, despite the similarities in size, color, and, as Jansy
demonstrates
with the image she sent to the list, shape. After all, in
kissing, neither
party sharing the tongue can see it, but both are keenly
aware of its
texture.
Footnote 10 of an ancient article on _Korol', dama, valet_
(KDV) and _King
Queen Knave_ (KQK) reads:
The strawberry/tongue
relationship may have bled into the English version
of KDV from _Ada_,
which Nabokov was composing at the same time he was
revising KQK. In
Chapter 17, Van and Ada are exchanging sloppy kisses: "'I
can lend you my
tongue,' she said, and did. A large boiled strawberry,
still very
hot."
The passage in the text of the article that refers to this
footnote, which
claims that "In more than one instance VN's revamping of
_KDV_ seems
overdone," cites as one example: "the simple and evocative
'frukt' whose
lack at the station's sandwich stall Dreier bemoans [in the
Russian
version] is transformed into the absurdly overwrought 'nice, plump,
lumpy,
glossy red strawberries positively crying to be bitten into, all
their
achenes proclaiming their affinity with one's own tongue's
papillae."
This passage of _KQK_ suggests to me that the origin and
aptness of
Nabokov's tongue/hot boiled strawberry metaphor is more tactile
than
visual, but of course as Jansy rightly points out, visually the
metaphor
works deftly.
At 11:00 PM 8/11/2005, you
wrote:
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From:
<mailto:jansy@aetern.us>Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello
>To:
<mailto:chtodel@cox.net>don barton johnson
>Sent: Thursday, August
11, 2005 6:26 PM
>Subject: a curious image
>
>Dear
Don,
>
>Besides synesthesia, VN´s imagetic precision is astounding
by the way he
>condensed different informations.
>I had always
thought that the image of Ada´s tongue as hot and soft like a
>strawbery
was sufficiently precise:
>"'I can lend you my tongue,' she said, and
did.A large boiled strawberry,
>still very hot. He sucked it in as far
as it would go. He held her close
>and lapped her palate. Their chins
got thoroughly wet".
> I had not thought that visually the tongue
would also look very much
> like a strawberry! Today I found a picture
in a magazine that amazed me
> and I thought that you might be
interested in sharing it with me... Jansy
----- End forwarded message
-----
From Jeff Edmunds <jhe2@psulias.psu.edu>:
For me the
comparison of tongue to hot boiled strawberry is more tactile than visual,
despite the similarities in size, color, and, as Jansy demonstrates with the
image she sent to the list, shape. After all, in kissing, neither party
sharing the tongue can see it, but both are keenly aware of its
texture.
Footnote 10 of an ancient article on _Korol', dama, valet_
(KDV) and _King Queen Knave_ (KQK) reads:
The strawberry/tongue
relationship may have bled into the English version of KDV from _Ada_, which
Nabokov was composing at the same time he was revising KQK. In Chapter 17, Van
and Ada are exchanging sloppy kisses: "'I can lend you my tongue,' she said,
and did. A large boiled strawberry, still very hot."
The passage in the
text of the article that refers to this footnote, which claims that "In more
than one instance VN's revamping of _KDV_ seems overdone," cites as one
example: "the simple and evocative 'frukt' whose lack at the station's
sandwich stall Dreier bemoans [in the Russian version] is transformed into the
absurdly overwrought 'nice, plump, lumpy, glossy red strawberries positively
crying to be bitten into, all their achenes proclaiming their affinity with
one's own tongue's papillae."
This passage of _KQK_ suggests to me that
the origin and aptness of Nabokov's tongue/hot boiled strawberry metaphor is
more tactile than visual, but of course as Jansy rightly points out, visually
the metaphor works deftly.
At 11:00 PM 8/11/2005, you
wrote:
----- Original Message -----
From: Jansy Berndt de Souza
Mello
To: don barton
johnson
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2005 6:26
PM
Subject: a curious image
Dear
Don,
Besides synesthesia, VN´s
imagetic precision is astounding by the way he condensed different
informations.
I had always thought that the image of Ada´s tongue
as hot and soft like a strawbery was sufficiently precise:
"‘I can
lend you my tongue,’ she said, and did.A large boiled strawberry, still very
hot. He sucked it in as far as it would go. He held her close and lapped her
palate. Their chins got thoroughly wet".
I
had not thought that visually the tongue would also look very much like a
strawberry! Today I found a picture in a magazine that amazed me and I
thought that you might be interested in sharing it with me...
Jansy