In the dream, the forest seemed inviting.
The shards of the fallen moon mingling
Down and down to the forest below
That produced a feeling, so tender and mellow.
Out of nowhere the fox attacked.
Complete with its venomous saliva, in his grand act.
To me, to me, the fox claimed
Its rightful thrown, my unknowing gain.
Commentary:
Line 1: dream
I’ve had a million dreams, some fleeting, some that contained a grain of the future, dreams that were so unique in their bizarre grotesqueness, in their vivid clarity. Some dreams that questioned my actions were the kind of dreams I feared the most. Oh yes, these dreams brought shivers to my bonely spine. They brought, in their wake, such confusion and indecision that would have failed the weak-hearted, and I daresay even some of the strong-hearted ones.
Line 6: venomous saliva
It was year 1908 when my predecessors experienced an earthquake with its unforeseen ferocity. That year saw more than one family suddenly out of home and with heaps of useless hopelessness. Our barmy neighbors with their foolish children were pathetic in their muddy tears and torn clothes—clothes that did not warrant even a single glance. Though, not us. My family, my grandfather, may his soul be at rest, did not forget himself to stoop so low. He did not cry. In his cunning prudence, he looted all that there was to be looted. All the destroyed belongings were inspected by him. Those that were not worthy were cast away a second time, those that were not, of course, he kept. Only a foolish man would throw such away. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
(Disclaimer: the commentary of Line 6 didn’t really happen. I’m sure that not all of the commentary in Pale Fire happened in real life, so I merely reflected the style of exaggeration. The dream, on the other hand, did happen. I did dream about a dog gnawing my knee while I was in a forest. And again, line 1’s commentary is just an exaggeration.)
The shards of the fallen moon mingling
Down and down to the forest below
That produced a feeling, so tender and mellow.
Out of nowhere the fox attacked.
Complete with its venomous saliva, in his grand act.
To me, to me, the fox claimed
Its rightful thrown, my unknowing gain.
Commentary:
Line 1: dream
I’ve had a million dreams, some fleeting, some that contained a grain of the future, dreams that were so unique in their bizarre grotesqueness, in their vivid clarity. Some dreams that questioned my actions were the kind of dreams I feared the most. Oh yes, these dreams brought shivers to my bonely spine. They brought, in their wake, such confusion and indecision that would have failed the weak-hearted, and I daresay even some of the strong-hearted ones.
Line 6: venomous saliva
It was year 1908 when my predecessors experienced an earthquake with its unforeseen ferocity. That year saw more than one family suddenly out of home and with heaps of useless hopelessness. Our barmy neighbors with their foolish children were pathetic in their muddy tears and torn clothes—clothes that did not warrant even a single glance. Though, not us. My family, my grandfather, may his soul be at rest, did not forget himself to stoop so low. He did not cry. In his cunning prudence, he looted all that there was to be looted. All the destroyed belongings were inspected by him. Those that were not worthy were cast away a second time, those that were not, of course, he kept. Only a foolish man would throw such away. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
(Disclaimer: the commentary of Line 6 didn’t really happen. I’m sure that not all of the commentary in Pale Fire happened in real life, so I merely reflected the style of exaggeration. The dream, on the other hand, did happen. I did dream about a dog gnawing my knee while I was in a forest. And again, line 1’s commentary is just an exaggeration.)
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