E M Farrell writes:

 

Tracking down the commentator's odd reactions to Shade's use of Starover Blue turns up some interesting connections.

The first time it appears in the poem (line 189), the commentator compares the use of Starover Blue to a game (comment to line 189) then jumps to a comment about Gradus the assassin (comment to line 209). Since Gradus is the bad guy in his tale, the commentator's response appears to be a bit disapproving.

Starover Blue shows up next at line 627. Again, the commentator's reactions are negative. In comments to line 596, he writes that "weak lines 627-630" should be replaced with lines from a variant where he sees Gradus hiding, again bringing Gradus into the mix. He then directly addresses it, in comments to line 627, finding Shade's use of Starover Blue tasteless, admits "The star over the blue" suits an astronomer and then, well, proceeds to throw a lot of shiny things at the reader. (His reference to "Colonel Starbottle" is interesting.)

Does the commentator feel Starover Blue refers in him? In line 188-189 of the poem, Shade associates Starover Blue with his index finger and in the comments to line 130 the commentator writes of himself, "he was a dark strong lad of thirteen with a silver ring on the forefinger of his sun-tanned hand". It's a link, but a weak one.

The link may be in the commentator's use of "The star over the blue". Considering the commentator's ego, it's a good bet he sees himself as the star. Does he back this up in his commentary? Yes. In comments to line 42 there's "genuine star ghost", to line 596 there's "the star that no party member can ever reach" and comments to line 802 has "all its wet stars" (The commentator is writing about how he believed, at the time, Shade's poem was about him. He had called Shade, earlier in the day, crying).

If the commentator sees himself as the star, who or what is "the blue"? Well there's John Shade with his azure windows, his poem in the "Blue Review" and, most importantly, his blue magic that the commentator envies. Also, the commentator's residence sits at a higher elevation than Shade's azure windows so it makes sense that the commentator, who jumps at any chance to stuff himself into the poem, would assume Starover Blue refers to him. Still his reaction is odd. Rather than pointing out, to the reader, his presence in the poem (and, of course, connecting it to his tale of Zembla), he tries to dismiss and hide the connection he perceives. Why?

Another "star" in the commentary (comment to line 181) is "Mrs. Starr, a war widow" (Double star, that must account for the double "r"), Sybil's friend and Dr. Sutton's daughter. Dr. Sutton is also compared to a star in Shade's poem (line 119) when Shade, walking uphill at night, notices the lights in Dr. Sutton's house and references Ursa Major. The commentator does mention (comments to line 47-48) Dr. Sutton's and Professor C.'s are the two houses up the hill from his (following the comment through to the end shows, I believe, the true source of "Starover Blue" in Shade's poem), so at first glance nothing stands out, but the commentator's response to line 119 does.

His response to "That's Dr. Sutton's light. That's the Great Bear." is to tell the reader that Dr. Sutton really refers to two people, both medical doctors and both living on the hill, hinting that line 119 in the poem refers to two people not one. He never mentioned this other doctor, whose house must sit uphill from Shade's, in his comments to lines 47-48. He, once again, references Gradus in the next comment (line 120-121).

Hmm, the commentator hints line 119 refers to two people, both living up the hill from the Shades. Since according to comments to line 47-48 only three houses are uphill from the Shades (I'm ignoring the "Sut" and "ton" because, like comments to line 627, it's too shiny and dismiss Professor C., because the commentator always does), he must associate the "Great Bear" with himself.

But he's the "Great Beaver" not the "Great Bear", he's Zemblan not Russian... oops. Is that you, Botkin?

Notice how the commentator associates Starover Blue with a Russian in comments to line 627, slyly driving his point home. He does this a lot. So I expect he will somehow slyly link himself to a bear and, if he follows the above pattern, Gradus will be found nearby. Sure enough, in the Index the commentator gives "his quiet warning to G" to knock it off or "a pair of colossally thick, abnormally hairy arms will hug him from behind and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze (comment to line 171). A big old "Russian bear" hug from a Russian and a madman.

Well, I'm off to check out Bear Range, oops, Bera Range.