December 26, 1987 Tom/Mother/House (among others)

[orlm]

I'm wondering about the line: "The ripe earth yawns daily to swallow me." I've not got the references I need here, I'm afraid, but I'll try and tie things together off the top of my head.

Just the notion of the earth swallowing people, well, graves do that every day, passively. The notion of "swallowing" is active, though, and is more in line with earthquakes, disasters, the House. How many characters do we see get swallowed by the House, both literally, and figuratively (emotionally, mentally?) I'm not sure what parallel can be drawn here, but I'm certain there's something that I can't see.

I'm also intrigued by the "love's love in her blackest season" comment. This reminds me a lot of a Herbert poem that I read years ago, entitled "love". (can be found at http://www.cswnet.com/~mgoad/html/he...ge_-_love.htm) Again, though, I'm not sure where to take this.

[broler_qx]

i found something interesting in dec 26,1987 too

cHrIStmas ...his

i remeber at somepart of the book a mispronuntiation of it :"sih" or "ish" or something like that

F.

[shever]

the link is inactive on my comp. anyone elses?

[ManiKatt]

Try:
http://www.cswnet.com/~mgoad/html/he...rge_-_love.htm

[burningsnow84]

im somewhat of a new member so this may have been addressed in the past." P. " is written many times in the letter, like on 626. has anyone found the significance in this? other than it seems to come up when johnny's mother's mental state is decending.

on another note, i noticed a check mark at the bottom of page 97, when i was informed of the morse code. this one escapes me as well. is this the only time it occurs?

[ManiKatt]

P. ---> Pelfina

and about the ripe earth line, i seem to recall that many creation stories, expecially Native American stories involve people being created like trees sprouting out of the ground. Perhaps this is the opposite?

[Themnoria]

i found something interesting in dec 26,1987 too

cHrIStmas ...his



F.

HIS present...Z's present? Then..."tossed like a doll. Spanish." was Z's gift to Pelafina the spanish doll? A stretch, I know.

[DrGizmo]

Has anyone ever noticed that "Of course." in this letter is written in Times?

What is Zampanó doing in one (or two, considering the "dear zampano"-note) of the Pelafina letters?

And what is he replying to?

Of course I tossed the black ribbons, who would want them?
Of course I tossed you, you mad old cow?
Of course it is MY present?
Of course like a doll?
Of course a SPANISH doll?
Of course a cHrIStmas present, I finished my book/film nine years (minus a day) from now?
(although shooting the last shot of a movie isn't finishing it)

And why is the date on this letter centred?


Z

[fearful_syzygy]

...Christmas past and other non-entities... (cf. p. 3).

Where is Christmas Future? :?

[Shadow Girl]

Love (I) all:
Immortal Love, author of this great frame,
Sprung from that beauty which can never fade,
How hath man parcel'd out Thy glorious name,
And thrown it on that dust which Thou hast made,
While mortal love doth all the title gain!
Which siding with Invention, they together
Bear all the sway, possessing heart and brain,
(Thy workmanship) and give Thee share in neither.
Wit fancies beauty, beauty raiseth wit;
The world is theirs, they two play out the game,
Thou standing by: and though Thy glorious name
Wrought our deliverance from th' infernal pit,
Who sings Thy praise? Only a scarf or glove
Doth warm our hands, and make them write of love.

Love(II) lines 9-14:
Our eyes shall see Thee, which before saw dust,
Dust blown by wit, till that they both were blind:
Thou shalt recover all Thy goods in kind,
Who wert disseized by usurping lust:
All knees shall bow to Thee; all wits shall rise,
And praise Him Who did make and mend our eyes.

Love(III) lines 11-14:
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
"Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve."

I think I read this poem once before, although where/when I can't remember. But going back over it again, I noticed a lot of connections (in bold). Or maybe it's all me, seeing connections that don't really exist...I can obsess every now and again.