Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0007225, Wed, 4 Dec 2002 17:28:58 -0800

Subject
Re: Fw: Flatman's poem
Date
Body
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sergej Aksenov" <sa354@cam.ac.uk>
To: <chtodel@cox.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 1:07 PM
Subject: Resubmission: Re: Fw: Flatman's poem


> On Monday, December 2, 2002, at 05:01 , D. Barton Johnson wrote:
>
> from Andrew Brown:
>
> >The Flatman reference is made by Kinbote speaking with Shade and the guys
> >in the commentary note where one of the guys is trying to pronounce
> >Professor Pnin's name. Make sure to give me credit for what you find
> >there.
>
> On Monday, December 2, 2002, at 11:46 , D. Barton Johnson wrote:
>
> >EDNOTE. Flat appears in PALE FIRE. See Index: Flatman, Thomas. 1637-8,
> >English poet, scholar and miniaturist, not known to old fraud, 894
>
>
>
>
> Can Kinbote be making the Flatman reference not in response to Pnin's
> difficult name, but to an earlier quotation by Shade that "Kings do not
> die - they only disappear". This "quote" (?) prompted Professor Hurley to
> inquire "who said that?", which in turn prompted Kinbote to reply
> "Flatman"
> later (why was he thinking so long though?) and to call Hurley an
> [ignorant] "old fraud" in the Index...
>
> Since the poem below talks about liberating from Death, and coming like
> Caesar to attempt a laurel crown, we could make the connection to Charles
> the Beloved, his escape from death, etc..
>
> Sergej
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Carolyn Kunin" <chaiselongue@earthlink.net>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (46
> lines) ------------------
> Thanks to Mr Stephen Leary I have before me the poem referred to by Mr
> Brown. I don't find anything here, but for the interest of the list,
> here's
> the poem:
>
> A THOUGHT OF DEATH
>
> by THOMAS FLATMAN
>
> Subject: DEATH
> Poem Date: 1682
> Timeline: 17TH CENTURY
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> ----
>
> WHEN on my sick bed I languish,
> Full of sorrow, full of anguish,
> Fainting, gasping, trembling, crying,
> Panting, groaning, speechless, dying,
> My soul just now about to take her flight
> Into the regions of eternal night;
> Oh tell me you,
> That have been long below,
> What shall I do!
> What shall I think, when cruel Death appears,
> That may extenuate my fears!
> Methinks I hear some gentle Spirit say,
> Be not fearful, come away!
> Think with thyself that now thou shalt be free,
> And find thy long-expected liberty;
> Better thou mayst, but worse thou canst not be
> Than in this vale of tears and misery.
> Like Caesar, with assurance then come on,
> And unamaz'd attempt the laurel crown,
> That lies on th' other side Death's Rubicon.
>
>
> Reference: CRANE, RONALD S. (ED.) -
> COLLECTION OF ENGLISH POEMS, 1660-1800.
> PAGE 190
>
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