NPPF: Canto Three: Some Notes (1)

[Paul Mackin]

On Tue, 2003-08-05 at 09:37, David Morris wrote:
> 
> --- Jasper Fidget <jasper at hatguild.org> wrote:
> > 
> > That Goethe is quoted so earnestly while Eliot is parodied, I think says
> something about Shade's opinion about both of these authors.
> 
> Thanks for finding all these references to other poems.  But lets' ask what
> good do they do for the poem or the novel.  Isn't Shade denigrating his own
> work by playing these games with others' poems?  

Generally speaking great poets live on other great poets. Where would
Milton be without King James?


Do these other poems
> contribute anything to Pale Fire?  

Yes, this is the question? 

Though not a poem pe se,  Rabelais' "grand peut-etre" (big perhaps) does
nicely set the stage for a comical romp (pynchonian one might say)
through the myriad of ways the popular and theological imagination has
tried to deal with what lies beyond? And L'if, in both its real and
fractured French meanings, serves as reinforcement. Yewshade. A higher
state.



Goethe's poem is introduced at a time years later--years after John made
his determination to look for meaning elsewhere than from theological
text. The poem evokes love for a lost child. Very appropriate for the
moment.

Not sure about Poe.




Doesn't Kinbote criticize Shade for
> referencing other author's works in this poem

But his criticism is far fetched.

P.