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Re: More word-golf
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True, I have been playing with it a bit. I can't make the claim that this
is exactly what Nabokov had in mind. I don't think I've really been in the
rough, though. He invites us, the readers, to play the game - obliquely
in the text, but through a number of comments he has made regarding the
role of an engaged reader. Playing with the form does not seem something he
would be averse to.
I have tried to find out if there have been others who've sought solutions,
beyond the ones he mentions. Why would he mention them at all, except to
give hints to finding them within the text?
The "step-ladder" word-golf is not really pertinent to the thesis I am
working on, though. I had some fun playing with it, and have shared for
what it's worth. I am serious, however, in looking more deeply into
Hazel's spirit message in the barn, which I think must have other levels of
meaning beyond the plot level. The repetition of "Atalanta", Atalanta's
association with the "coniunctio" (sacred marriage) of alchemy, Atalanta's
parallel to Pope's Vanessa and Hazel as virgins - it all seems key to what
Nabokov has called a higher thetic level.
I don't mean to harp on this, but if anyone knows of other attempts at
interpretation, I would be most interested.
Mary
On Sat, Aug 5, 2017 at 4:41 AM, john crowley <john.crowley@yale.edu> wrote:
> Several of those World Golf rounds don't follow the rules -- only one
> letter can change per turn. It seems you're picking up your ball and
> moving it to a better lie.
>
> John Crowley
>
> On Fri, Aug 4, 2017 at 6:58 PM, Mary Ross <maryross.illustrator@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I've been playing some word-golf in my thesis on Pale Fire, "Art, Alchemy
>> and Failed Transcendence - Jungian influences in Pale Fire". Part of my
>> argument is demonstrating that Shade, Kinbote and Gradus are three aspects
>> of the same person: the Higher Self, Ego, and Lower Self.
>>
>> I've taken the liberty of making my word-golf anagrams as well as
>> changing one letter in each step. Also, each step has meaning within the
>> text.
>>
>> RAVUS = Gradus
>> RAVES = Kinbote
>> SHAVE = All 3 (beard disguise, shaving in tub, Gradus kills self with
>> razor
>> SHADE = Shade
>>
>> This could also be:
>>
>> RAVUS = Gradus
>> RAVES = Kinbote
>> SHARE = All 3 share an identity
>> SHADE = Shade
>>
>> Here’s are two anagram word golfs which also have meaning at each step:
>>
>> GRADUS
>> D’ARGUS = Alias
>> GUARDS = Guards in the Palace
>> GRADES = Associated with Gradus
>> GRAVES = Death
>> GRAVEN = Engraved emblems
>> DANGER = Regicide
>> DRAGON = Alchemy
>> GARDEN = The Gardener
>>
>> Here is one that changes Kinbote to the King:
>>
>> KINBOTE
>> KINGBOT= aka botfly, a parasite larva (like Kinbote to Shade)
>> BOOKING = writing, publishing this book
>> BOOTING = a Botkin is a shoemaker
>> BETTING = Card games by guards (Nodo)
>> NETTING = Butterflies
>> RENTING = Botkine is renting Goldsworth’s house
>> REEKING = Botkine has halitosis
>> TREKING = Botkine’s escape from Zembla
>> TREMKIN =Word in Zemblan for “Dream King”
>>
>> Here is one that changes Gradus to Nabokov (in a way)
>>
>> RAVUS = Gradus
>> RAVEN = Alchemy
>> GRAVE = Death
>> GAMER = A game player, a trickster
>> GAMES = Games, puns, riddles within the book
>> MAGUS = Gradus, as Mercurius, is a magus, as is the master conjuror
>> Nabokov
>>
>>
>> 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,dana.dragunoiu@gmail.com,
>> shvabrin@humnet.ucla.edu
>> Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
>> Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
>> Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
>> AdaOnline: "http://www.ada.auckland.ac.nz/
>> The Nabokov Society of Japan's Annotations to Ada:
>> http://vnjapan.org/main/ada/index.html
>> The VN Bibliography Blog: http://vnbiblio.com/
>> Search the archive with L-Soft: https://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-
>> cgi-bin/wa?A0=NABOKV-L
>>
>> Manage subscription options :http://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-
>> cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=NABOKV-L
>>
>
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> <http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&hl=en%0A>
> Contact
> <dana.dragunoiu@gmail.com,nabokv-l@utk.edu,shvabrin@humnet.ucla.edu>
> the Editors <nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu> NOJ
> <http://www.nabokovonline.com> Zembla
> <http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm> Nabokv-L
> <http://web.utk.edu/%7Esblackwe/EDNote.htm>
> Policies <http://web.utk.edu/%7Esblackwe/EDNote.htm> Subscription options
> <http://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=NABOKV-L> AdaOnline
> <http://www.ada.auckland.ac.nz/> NSJ Ada Annotations
> <http://vnjapan.org/main/ada/index.html> L-Soft Search the archive
> <https://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?A0=NABOKV-L> VN Bibliography
> Blog <http://vnbiblio.com/>
>
> All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.
>
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,dana.dragunoiu@gmail.com,shvabrin@humnet.ucla.edu
Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
AdaOnline: "http://www.ada.auckland.ac.nz/
The Nabokov Society of Japan's Annotations to Ada: http://vnjapan.org/main/ada/index.html
The VN Bibliography Blog: http://vnbiblio.com/
Search the archive with L-Soft: https://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?A0=NABOKV-L
Manage subscription options :http://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=NABOKV-L
is exactly what Nabokov had in mind. I don't think I've really been in the
rough, though. He invites us, the readers, to play the game - obliquely
in the text, but through a number of comments he has made regarding the
role of an engaged reader. Playing with the form does not seem something he
would be averse to.
I have tried to find out if there have been others who've sought solutions,
beyond the ones he mentions. Why would he mention them at all, except to
give hints to finding them within the text?
The "step-ladder" word-golf is not really pertinent to the thesis I am
working on, though. I had some fun playing with it, and have shared for
what it's worth. I am serious, however, in looking more deeply into
Hazel's spirit message in the barn, which I think must have other levels of
meaning beyond the plot level. The repetition of "Atalanta", Atalanta's
association with the "coniunctio" (sacred marriage) of alchemy, Atalanta's
parallel to Pope's Vanessa and Hazel as virgins - it all seems key to what
Nabokov has called a higher thetic level.
I don't mean to harp on this, but if anyone knows of other attempts at
interpretation, I would be most interested.
Mary
On Sat, Aug 5, 2017 at 4:41 AM, john crowley <john.crowley@yale.edu> wrote:
> Several of those World Golf rounds don't follow the rules -- only one
> letter can change per turn. It seems you're picking up your ball and
> moving it to a better lie.
>
> John Crowley
>
> On Fri, Aug 4, 2017 at 6:58 PM, Mary Ross <maryross.illustrator@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I've been playing some word-golf in my thesis on Pale Fire, "Art, Alchemy
>> and Failed Transcendence - Jungian influences in Pale Fire". Part of my
>> argument is demonstrating that Shade, Kinbote and Gradus are three aspects
>> of the same person: the Higher Self, Ego, and Lower Self.
>>
>> I've taken the liberty of making my word-golf anagrams as well as
>> changing one letter in each step. Also, each step has meaning within the
>> text.
>>
>> RAVUS = Gradus
>> RAVES = Kinbote
>> SHAVE = All 3 (beard disguise, shaving in tub, Gradus kills self with
>> razor
>> SHADE = Shade
>>
>> This could also be:
>>
>> RAVUS = Gradus
>> RAVES = Kinbote
>> SHARE = All 3 share an identity
>> SHADE = Shade
>>
>> Here’s are two anagram word golfs which also have meaning at each step:
>>
>> GRADUS
>> D’ARGUS = Alias
>> GUARDS = Guards in the Palace
>> GRADES = Associated with Gradus
>> GRAVES = Death
>> GRAVEN = Engraved emblems
>> DANGER = Regicide
>> DRAGON = Alchemy
>> GARDEN = The Gardener
>>
>> Here is one that changes Kinbote to the King:
>>
>> KINBOTE
>> KINGBOT= aka botfly, a parasite larva (like Kinbote to Shade)
>> BOOKING = writing, publishing this book
>> BOOTING = a Botkin is a shoemaker
>> BETTING = Card games by guards (Nodo)
>> NETTING = Butterflies
>> RENTING = Botkine is renting Goldsworth’s house
>> REEKING = Botkine has halitosis
>> TREKING = Botkine’s escape from Zembla
>> TREMKIN =Word in Zemblan for “Dream King”
>>
>> Here is one that changes Gradus to Nabokov (in a way)
>>
>> RAVUS = Gradus
>> RAVEN = Alchemy
>> GRAVE = Death
>> GAMER = A game player, a trickster
>> GAMES = Games, puns, riddles within the book
>> MAGUS = Gradus, as Mercurius, is a magus, as is the master conjuror
>> Nabokov
>>
>>
>> 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,dana.dragunoiu@gmail.com,
>> shvabrin@humnet.ucla.edu
>> Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
>> Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
>> Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
>> AdaOnline: "http://www.ada.auckland.ac.nz/
>> The Nabokov Society of Japan's Annotations to Ada:
>> http://vnjapan.org/main/ada/index.html
>> The VN Bibliography Blog: http://vnbiblio.com/
>> Search the archive with L-Soft: https://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-
>> cgi-bin/wa?A0=NABOKV-L
>>
>> Manage subscription options :http://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-
>> cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=NABOKV-L
>>
>
> Google Search
> <http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&hl=en%0A>
> the archive
> <http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&hl=en%0A>
> Contact
> <dana.dragunoiu@gmail.com,nabokv-l@utk.edu,shvabrin@humnet.ucla.edu>
> the Editors <nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu> NOJ
> <http://www.nabokovonline.com> Zembla
> <http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm> Nabokv-L
> <http://web.utk.edu/%7Esblackwe/EDNote.htm>
> Policies <http://web.utk.edu/%7Esblackwe/EDNote.htm> Subscription options
> <http://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=NABOKV-L> AdaOnline
> <http://www.ada.auckland.ac.nz/> NSJ Ada Annotations
> <http://vnjapan.org/main/ada/index.html> L-Soft Search the archive
> <https://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?A0=NABOKV-L> VN Bibliography
> Blog <http://vnbiblio.com/>
>
> All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.
>
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,dana.dragunoiu@gmail.com,shvabrin@humnet.ucla.edu
Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
AdaOnline: "http://www.ada.auckland.ac.nz/
The Nabokov Society of Japan's Annotations to Ada: http://vnjapan.org/main/ada/index.html
The VN Bibliography Blog: http://vnbiblio.com/
Search the archive with L-Soft: https://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?A0=NABOKV-L
Manage subscription options :http://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=NABOKV-L