Not P but Moby-Dick (17)

[Mark Kohut]

I just think in context it means all of what you say is held to the
knowledge, proveable fact of life...and what a brilliant use.....

On Fri, Sep 29, 2023 at 9:35 AM Ian Livingston <igrlivingston at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I certainly cosign your sentiment regarding being "held to knowledge" in
> current events, Mark.
>
> I think Melville dwells more in the ethereal realm of symbolism and
> prophecy. It's my impression that "held to knowledge" in this case means
> something close to your example, expanded to indicate divine
> providence reduced to knowledge of the murderous nature of the sublime
> stripped of its poetry. All things thrive on the "howling wind" of
> transience, the onward march of existence.
>
> On Fri, Sep 29, 2023 at 2:20 AM Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> "held to knowledge" is my new favorite phrase, i've just decided.....it
>> means, simplistically,
>> "foreknowledge"......the uses are mostly legal, earliest I can find
>> within a few years of Moby Dick,--1856--
>> in which the meaning is made clear: the person knew (or should have)
>> already when making certain decisions
>> such that the knowledge they are "held to" matters for contracts,
>> arrangements they enter into....one example
>> given is of a person who was at a vital meeting where the Minutes show
>> facts, knowledge was recorded as
>> known--or should be because they were there taking part---and therefore
>> the
>> person can not claim they did
>> not know Whatever when they entered into a contract.....
>>
>> A later in time use links it (as well) to eyewitness seeing of a fact (not
>> secondhand).......reverberating this morning
>> with the US congresswoman AOC who led her questioning with the law that in
>> an impeachment trial actual firsthand
>> witnessing of supposed impeachment acts is what is demanded of 'witnesses"
>> and getting all three testifiers, including the
>> lead attorney,, to go on record saying they have no such
>> evidence......they
>> only have further "inquiries"....
>>
>> On Fri, Sep 29, 2023 at 4:50 AM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >  From Chapter 38:
>> >
>> > The long howl thrills me through! Peace! ye revellers, and set the
>> watch!
>> > Oh, life! ’tis in an hour like this, with soul beat down and held to
>> > knowledge,—as wild, untutored things are forced to feed—Oh, life! ’tis
>> now
>> > that I do feel the latent horror in thee!
>> >
>> > What does "held to knowledge" mean here?
>> > --
>> > Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>> >
>> --
>> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>>
>