From: LouisFors <LouisFors@aol.com>
Message-Id: <5f935852.351b21ba@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 22:49:12 EST
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Subject: Re: # 1412--the tint divine
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In a message dated 98-03-26 21:52:12 EST, Nancy Pridgen wrote about Louis'
message:

> >I've been struggling with # 1412 for several days.  Here it is:

>  >Shame is the shawl of Pink
>  >In which we wrap the soul
>  >To keep it from infesting Eyes --
>  >The elemental Veil
>  >Which helpless Nature drops
>  >When pushed upon a scene
>  >Repugnant to her Probity --
>  >Shame is the tint divine.
<snip> 

>    I read it as a pro-shame proclamation.  But, as usual 
> with
>  >ED, density calls for much digging. *We* wrap the soul, an act designed to
>  >protect the soul. (This suggests that we *invent* shame, a troubling
>  >proposition for me.)  But why protection against *infesting* eyes?  Maybe
>  >prying eyes that might see our souls could damage them, infect them in
some
>  >sense?  I know that people in some cultures won't tolerate photography of
>  them
>  >for fear their souls will be captured. (I personally experienced that in
>  rural
>  >villages in Iran.)  Capture is not the same as infestation, however, but
>  their
>  >could be a relationship that I haven't uncovered. Help.  Nature also uses 
> the
>  >shawl (veil) of pink to cover a scene that she comes upon and cannot
>  tolerate.
>  >But nature is characterized as helpless, a puzzling thought.  Perhaps 
> nature
>  >comes upon a *human* scene, like seeing into a soul, which is not her
>  product,
>  >but a cultural product.  (That separates us from nature, a dubious
>  proposition
>  >for me.) Then the final line:  "Shame is the tint divine."  So we return
to
>  >shame as something very special:  that quality that protects us from
>  excesses,
>  >a notion that I relate to easily.   But, why "pink"?  Upon reading the
>  Webplay
>  >explanation from Tarsine yesterday, I checked in Webster's 1828
>  >dictionary--the only one I have.  The fourth definition of "pink" is "Any
>  >thing supremely excellent."  My grandkids today would say "real cool," or
>  "way
>  >cool." So maybe ED was checking out her 1848 dictionary and found this
>  >definition, or maybe "pink" was in common currency then and is troubling 
> only
>  >today, or, perhaps only to me. (Can Tarsine/Cynthia turn up contexts in 
> which
>  >ED used "pink"?) The discovery of "pink" in Webster settles my mind a bit
>  >about "pink," perhaps prematurely, but I'm still crawling around in remote
>  >corners of my mind hunting explanations for other aspects of the poem.
Any
>  >help?

<snip>  
>  
>  Louis,
>  
>  I think pink in this poem refers to a blush.  I've been waiting till I had
>  enough time to type the poem -- for some reason that clarifies my thinking.
>   I'd toyed with the idea of a blush but hadn't followed it through the
>  entire poem.  I read it to Bill and he agrees...it's one of ED's riddle
>  poems, I think.  I think you're right on that it is pro-shame.  I wonder if
>  it was _to_ someone...Sue?  I have often written poems as a result of some
>  experience I've had or something I had been discussing with someone, and
>  then I'd share the poem with the person as a way of communicating what I
>  thought.  I'd like to know the story behind this one, if there is a story. 

<snip>

Nancy:

A pinkish blush certainly makes sense.  I didn't even think of it.  I can't
yet give up pink as "Any thing supremely excellent," yet but I know I cling to
that because it was my first effort at connecting ED with a Webster's
dictionary.   And I suppose there always is a history, a story, behind any
poem, isn't there. The few I've written always come from events, encounters,
scenes.  

I've still got to struggle with other problems in the poem:  nature as
helpless, infesting eyes,  shame as a cultural invention. But a few things at
a time, right.

I've started to check out the Pink Poems that Cynthia posted.  A lot of them
are about flowers and are pretty straight forward.  Some are more complex,
however, and I don't have the courage to plunge further for a while.

Happy days to you in Texas,

Louis Forsdale


>