Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0014682, Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:29:16 -0200

Subject
Re: SS re: "note to the editor"
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S. Soloviev: "... the arguments of the adepts of "multiple personality theory" seem to me shaky - Carolyn is known to be a master of provoctive arguments,
Jansy, being a psychoanalyst follows gladly, Matt fells to the old temptation again... Anyway -
a) ...fit well enough this part of the poem, since one of main themes here is afterlife, so, "further use" might be the use in afterlife;btw it gives the wholly new meaning to OUR reading of the poem ...b) another possibility is that it was indeed a note for further use not intended for the main text of the poem, and it was Kinbote who included it in the main text - again, we are at his mercy...

JM : The gist of SS's introdutory remarks escaped me, but if the tone was derisive ( describing me as a "glad follower" and Matt as a beguiled Adam - in Paradise I hope ) it was also instigating. But first, I must apologise to CK and Matt, and concede them their point. I separated a cartload of books and could not find one small example of another poet's inclusion of a self-addressed "note for further use" in a poem. As SS has pointed out, VN's lines fit in so well that I experienced a "déjà vu/lu"), instead of recognizing their originality. Second: In an old posting I mentioned a link bt. one of Kinbote's explanations in the foreword and this "note to himself". It may be pertinent ( or not) and I hope I can quote it soon, while the PF discussion is still going on ( PF discussion's afterlife is still surprisingly lively or whatever comes after life).
Kinbote's own foreword might hopefuly help to clarify if
(a) Shade alone scanned right this innovative poetic device;
(b) Kinbote/Shade symptomatically blended private and public messages into his/their poem/book;
(c) Kinbote, alone, was up to mischief and confessed his intrusions...

SS: One may notice though that he replaced "commentary" by "footnotes"...

JM: Well done, SS, to call our attention to the substitution of "commentary" and "footnotes"! Thanks...
To facilitate this notice to the List I here copied Kinbote's Lines 939-940:
Man’s life, etc....If I correctly understand the sense of this succinct observation, our poet suggests here that human life is but a series of footnotes to a vast obscure unfinished masterpiece.

Now I think we could place these lines closer to the other ones with their "disjointed notes" to see what comes out of that!
Instead of poetry divinely terse,/ Disjointed notes, Insomnia’s mean verse!/ Life is a message scribbled in the dark. Anonymous./ Espied on a pine’s bark...



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