50 20 5655 https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/c17a93c9956e9cf983cd0ca59a343b3b.pdf 5a81fb4260bab7a44918fe8c99e55000 PDF Text Text �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Kerr Letters to John Leeds Kerr Description An account of the resource The David Kerr letters to John Leeds Kerr collection consists of four letters written by David Kerr, Sr., to his eldest son, John Leeds Kerr, while John was attending St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, from October 1795 to January 1796. The contents of the letters span across topics such as academics, health, money, and family affairs. For more information on this collection, see <a href="https://sjc.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/24" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">finding aid</a>. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kerr, David, 1749-1814 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KER Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Kerr, John Leeds, 1780-1844 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Paper Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 2 pages Text Any textual data included in the document [Left page, perpendicular] Master John Leeds Kerr, Annapolis [A favor?] Mr Maynadier [Right page] Easton 22d Decr. 1795 My Dear Leeds Yours of 16th came to hand this day by John Turner, and I am glad to hear you have again got well and hearty. I am also glad to see that you improve in your writing very much. by taking a little pains and keeping good pens + paper you will arrive at perfection I am surprised Goldsmith has not recd. any money. tell him to assure them that a suit will be brought if they dont pay. I will send him the Bond before March Court. I think they will pay without a suit which will be better for me -- I am glad to find you are a favorite at the Governors. and that he is so kind to you -- Cultivate such acquantance as him -- and others which you now visit. [Left page] and it will make you respected by others; I went over to Cambridge with Sophia last Friday to Ball, and left her there -- your mother goes over on thursday to bring her Home next Monday She is in the midst of Gaiety, there Nothing but parties every day. I suppose you will hardly leave Annapolis this [Xmass] -- but if you wish to go to Baltimore a few days with Robert. G. I have no Objection. David is now at home and will be grown very much I have not heard from [Branch] since I left Annapolis -- pray did you receive a letter by John Needles from Sophia she wrote you by him -- and you ought to Answer it by some safe [Opp.y]. which you will have by the Assembly men -- nothing new here -- Our [Comp.s] to any who enquires for us. -- and I am your we talk of Balls here } Affectionate Father a subscription is made } David Kerr Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Kerr to John Leeds Kerr, 22 December 1795 Description An account of the resource A letter from David Kerr to his son, John Leeds Kerr, regarding personal and financial matters. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kerr, David, 1749-1814 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1795-12-22 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No copyright - United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Subject The topic of the resource St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.) Kerr, John Leeds, 1780-1844 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KER_001_002 https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/7e906bee1ee8751a9b19145bdfdc28ac.pdf 7bdadef1870b669fccc9802b624860f6 PDF Text Text �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Kerr Letters to John Leeds Kerr Description An account of the resource The David Kerr letters to John Leeds Kerr collection consists of four letters written by David Kerr, Sr., to his eldest son, John Leeds Kerr, while John was attending St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, from October 1795 to January 1796. The contents of the letters span across topics such as academics, health, money, and family affairs. For more information on this collection, see <a href="https://sjc.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/24" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">finding aid</a>. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kerr, David, 1749-1814 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KER Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Kerr, John Leeds, 1780-1844 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Paper Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 3 pages Text Any textual data included in the document [Perpendicular] Master John Leeds Kerr St. Johns College Annapolis Easton 27th January 1796 My Dear Leeds I have wrote you twice since I have had any of yours. the first was sent by the packet to Balto. and delivered to Capt. Barber by Thomas. it contained the orders on the Treasury which I hope you recd. safe if not you ought to go to the [Treasurer] & stop the payment of them. they are agreeable to the [?] [?] of [?] [?] to stop the person Offering them. they are all made payable to you and without a forgery they will not be paid. The last was by Capt. Bond inclosing a letter for Mr Woodward who was [security] for Watkins. desiring he would pay you £100 -- I saw his son on the [road] the other day. and desired he would tell you we were all well, you will [send] the letter, + write to him yourself to bring [you] the money. you will also call on Mitchell and tell him to get the Rent ready by the first of March at [farthest]. as I cannot do without it In short I know not what to do for money. If [these sums] are not received [with Mullikens + Allicks hire] -- I hope you have recd. and settled with Mr Clements + [Neth]. when I hear from you that you have recd. any money. I will give an order on you for it. I wish if possible to avoid going over the [1st Mar] but if Mitchell does not pay I shall be obliged to [distrain] again -- I long to hear from you -- Capt Bond has not yet returned I suppose you wrote by him -- but you must let us hear from you by [post] if no other [Oppo.] we cannot be without hearing from you so long. and let us hear a detail of every thing [passing] -- there is no news here -- except for the death of poor Mr [Sharp] last Friday -- Capt [Tripp?] is not expected to live many [days]. -- let us know if you ever heard [what] became of the letter you gave Mr Martin for Sophia pray was it directed to her? -- you ought always to inclose her letters to me to prevent Curiousity If you receive any letters which you think I wish to see inclose them by some safe [Oppo.y] Tell Robt. G. his Parents are well I was there last week -- give our Compliments to all who asks for us -- all [Join] [in] Love to you [+ I am] Your Affect. Father David Kerr Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Kerr to John Leeds Kerr, 27 January 1796 Description An account of the resource A letter from David Kerr to his son, John Leeds Kerr, regarding financial matters. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kerr, David, 1749-1814 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1796-01-27 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No copyright - United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KER_001_004 Subject The topic of the resource St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.) Kerr, John Leeds, 1780-1844 St. John's College https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/61bbdcb2d0d30a492938def872402bfe.jpg 87dee2727f03cdd2a70f46b5b5e451f5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials. The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a>. Click on <a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 11 x 9 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-0568 Title A name given to the resource David Reisman and Members of the St. John's College Peace Corps Faculty on Back Campus, St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1965-08-04 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Subject The topic of the resource Peace Corps (U.S.) St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.). -- Assistant Deans. St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.). -- Faculty. Reisman, David Smith, J. Winfree. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource still image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Tutors https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/c902cb46c93b7071bce1cc1623dccaae.jpg aeef844f7cd40f2b12be3eff4c06f5e1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials. The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a>. Click on <a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 12 x 9 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-0569 Title A name given to the resource David Reisman and Members of the St. John's College Peace Corps Faculty on Back Campus, St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1965-08-04 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Subject The topic of the resource Peace Corps (U.S.) St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.). -- Assistant Deans. St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.). -- Faculty. Reisman, David Smith, J. Winfree. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource still image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Tutors https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/2e3c30f6ad076f18e062d68f2ae584e5.jpg f0782c1d52e433a315a61e3a97b800b2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials. The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a>. Click on <a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 9 x 9 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-0565 Title A name given to the resource David Reisman with J. Winfree Smith and Members of the St. John's College Peace Corps Faculty on Back Campus, St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1965-08-04 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Subject The topic of the resource Peace Corps (U.S.) St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.). -- Assistant Deans. St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.). -- Faculty. Reisman, David Smith, J. Winfree. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource still image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Honorary Alumni Tutors https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/d838858c58ee33be87c4262b288c01a8.jpg fcc7c57cefb02c9449e5692524354030 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials. The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a>. Click on <a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 9 x 9 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-0566 Title A name given to the resource David Reisman with J. Winfree Smith and Members of the St. John's College Peace Corps Faculty on Back Campus, St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1965-08-04 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Subject The topic of the resource Peace Corps (U.S.) St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.). -- Assistant Deans. St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.). -- Faculty. Reisman, David Smith, J. Winfree. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource still image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Honorary Alumni Tutors https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/dd9a59657c4c98f24909825305645a63.jpg 6c32472078823a011c05690f5a9a666b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials. The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a>. Click on <a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 10 x 9 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-0567 Title A name given to the resource David Reisman with J. Winfree Smith and Members of the St. John's College Peace Corps Faculty on Back Campus, St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1965-08-04 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Subject The topic of the resource Peace Corps (U.S.) St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.). -- Assistant Deans. St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.). -- Faculty. Reisman, David Smith, J. Winfree. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource still image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Honorary Alumni Tutors https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/fd6e5856fbeb98af2b08e036d1296598.pdf e6921337a4d5dbd4b4397e25e20fa174 PDF Text Text �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Lecture Transcripts—Santa Fe Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Meem Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Santa Fe, NM Description An account of the resource Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College at the Santa Fe, NM campus. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 13 pages Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David's lament : modes, moods, and melody Description An account of the resource Transcript of a lecture given on November 14, 1997 by Peter Pesic as part of the Dean's Concert and Lecture Series. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pesic, Peter Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Santa Fe, NM Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1997-11-14 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Meem Library has been given permission to make this item available online. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Subject The topic of the resource Boethius, -524. De consolatione philosophiae. Music, Greek and Roman Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 24003353 Friday night lecture https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/53cea5e66eb420bd15258c1db655b368.mp3 e8a3f7472dae51b23a6ea2a85db0d512 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts. For more information, and a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a>. Click on <a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context formallectureseriesannapolis Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data audio cassette tape (Tape 407) Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:06:56 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Dead leaves: illustrations of the genealogy of the epic poem Description An account of the resource Audio recording of a lecture delivered on April 8, 1988 by Jonathan Tuck as part of the Formal Lecture Series. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tuck, Jonathan Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1988-04-08 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College has been given permission to make this item available online. Type The nature or genre of the resource sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource mp3 Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context lec Tuck 1988-04-08 Relation A related resource <a href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3791" title="Typescript">Typescript</a> Friday night lecture Tutors https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/34c5572b8d8eb0c2666e476ebb7185c7.pdf 385b4500d4253d87fc02c803726f5cf7 PDF Text Text DBAD LBAVBS: ILLOSDATJ:ORS OP TBB GBllBALOGY OP TBB BP:IC POBM A lecture delivered by Jonathan Tuck at St. John's College Annapolis April 8, 1988 �Given the nature of my argument, it seems indispensable for me to acknowledge at least a few of my own literary debts. Anyone who has read the work of Northrop Frye and Harold Bloom will recognize how deeply and pervasively this lecture has been influenced by them. All translations are my own. �-1- Poems, like people, have parents--and grandparents--and a whole remote ancestry of other poems to which they owe their own begetting. Though poets may try to set themselves up as a second deity, creating from nothinqness with perfect power and freedom, still the poems they make bear ancestral markings and acknowledge their indebtedness. Each spring growth of foliage seems to remake the whole world anew: but each leaf is of a kind--a larger ·family--and also origins. ha~ more particular The leaves fall and die, but not before they transmit something of themselves to their offspring. So too the leaves of a book, pages traced vein-like with lines of verse, take part in this cycle of begetting. Poems, too, can die to the world, although not exactly as leaves or people do. Some poets claim to have made the most permanent of objects, more enduring than bronze or monuments of stone, exempt from the ravages of time. S~ch claims are typically written in dead . languages: or in any case they must have for us a quaint, antique sound. We know better: Words are winged, and if in their flight they fall on barren soil, nothing dies as fast. Their only chance for survival, for immortality, lies in their power propagate. ~o ****** In the Homeric No-man's Land, the space between the two armies, -- .. ··the Achaian hero Diomedes son of Tydeus meets Glaukos of Lycia, a Trojan ally. Diomedes has just gotten away with assaulting two of the immortal qods, despite a rebuke from Apollo: but now he grows cautious. Be is not willing to join battle with another divinity, he says, so he prudently inquires about Glaukos' identity and origins. Rnd the caution that prompts it are surprising to us: Both the question Diomedes has been busily slaughtering scores of others for some time now without �-2- any such scruple or ceremony. In his aristeia, his finest hour on the battlefield, he has shown a strength that transcends human limitations, and it is the desire to defeat those limitations that makes men fight at all--so that their glory may be a song for men to oddly, Diomedes feels hemmed in by his mortality. come~ Yet now, His strange moment -of pensiveness in the midst of the battle prompts his question to Glaukos, and the- answer at first shows the same mood of qu- escence: i .. Twtta., ~. ,,.,,, ytPf~., Jpttlw&r; of,, Tfp t/NUt»11 yuni, T'O('I 3~ ml cinpc»11. ~- N ,,i. ,,.. 4w1£Gf X~' xfo. cL\.\11 M 6' vA,, T'1f.\tld.rca f/IW1, lfJP" 3' J,,ry(yPfT'a& ~· ~' ~ yaq Jj ,U11 l/YH& Jj a• clnA~&. d a· J6'1mr ml ndirm aa,f,.a111, &;p' JlJ tlafjr ,;IUT'IP'I• ,...,.,,., nMw M ll'P haptr fcracr&r "Great son of Tydeus, why ask of my generation? Like to the generation of leaves is that of men. The leaves are dashed to the ground by the wind, but then the wood Burgeoning brings forth others, and the time of spring returns. So with the generations of men: One blossoms, another dies. Yet if you wish even so to ask and learn the facts About my family stock, it is known by many men ••• " --Iliad VI.145-151 Glaukos too seems to be oddly conscious of human insignificance. In his simile of the leaves, the chiastic order of presentation suggests a difference of emphasis between the life story of the leaves and that of men. The leaves are first dashed to the ground, but then the wood --brings forth more. New life here follows death~ while in the one line devoted to hmnan affairs the generations of men first bloom and die. ~ Syntactically the word ~'ffo).~ l''- gives the line a kind of abruption, since it here lacks its more usual complementary genitive or participle. In sound, however, it drifts away into a kind of dying fall, with the repetition of the long a sound in; 1->J..rro>.ftt.'- The tone is melancholy �-3- and detached. We might even suspect Glaukos of being afraid of Diomedes and resigned to his own imminent death; certainly he has good reason to be, given what we have seen of Diomedes' prowess. But the sentiment conveyed by the similitude of the leaves goes beyond either bitterness or quiescence: It has a kind of noble, philosophic serenity that makes the passage seem detachable from its context. In a sixteenth-century edition of the poem there might .be a little picture of a hand in the margin, with an index finger pointing out the portable sententia. There is a grandeur-in-misery here in being able to be aware of such things; like Pascal's thinking reed Glaukos seems to be finding his dignity in self-knowledge. So the shift is especially jarring to us when in the next line, Glaukos says in effect: know, my family has a proud history." "But if you really want to And then he is off into an exciting account of the noble feats of his grandfather Bellerophon. In like manner, we the audience are emotionally whiplashed by the peculiar ending of the episode. Diomedes announces in tones of delight that he and Glaukos are ~ivoc... , guest-friends, by virtue of their forbears' friendly relationship, and he proposes a separate peace: He and Glaukos will each find other men to kill; with each other they will exchange armor in token of comradeship. clasp hands, and we share in their gladness. The two men Here in the midst of ·the welter of warlike, self-aggrandizing appetites is an island of sublime, heroic good will. frenzy. Here past friendships mean more than present But we are sadly jolted by the author's last words in recounting t.he episode: But Zeus son of Kronos stole Glaukos' wits away, for he exchanged with Diomedes his armor of gold for bronze, for nine oxen's worth a hundred! (VI. 234-6) �-4So much for the timeless claims of guest-friendship. Just like Glaukos when he proceeds to recite his genealogy, Diomedes returns abruptly to the self-assertive world of present needs and desires. Perhaps we can better understand the back-and-forth movement of this episode by returning to the image of the leaves and asking the -foll.owing odd question: Why does Homer choose to compare men in their gene-rations to leaves specifically? One inunediate answer is that he is putting in the mouth of Glaukos something very like a pun: ' . Cwith a circumflex accent and one lambda), meaning "tribe, race, stock, a group of people with a conunon origin." From this latter word comes our Latinate English "phylum," used in biological classification. the ancient word , tp ~ £ c,.) , The word for "leaf" seems to come from "to teem with abundance, " while the word for "tribe" is descended from -generate." , 'f'tJ Cl) , "to bring forth, produce, beget, It is hard to doubt that the two roots are related, if not united, somewhere in their Inda-European past. - So Glaukos seems , to say jokingly, "Son of Tydeus, why do you ask me about my cp CJ~ o< (~JI£"} ;'\ my family stock? The family stocks of men C to the ground by the wind ••• • that the other word, ) are dashed Only now, in listening, do we realize cp ~>.A-4.. , was meant. But apart from its wit, the connection is very apt. We need not ask of a manis individual lineage, for men are as multitudinous and as faceless as leaves on the trees. Yet Glaukos does go on, proudly, to gi-ve his genealogy: men, like leaves, may be many but they are not all the same: They come in kinds, preserving important distinctions. This opposition of multitude to orderly variation is shown in another Homeric use of the pun on , cp ti lA ot , in Book I I of the Iliad. Nestor O1' �-5- publicly advises Agamemnon: rcpul .Wapar ICQ.TG t;t;Aci, ICQ.TG. t;~pa.r, 'AyaJUllJIOll, C:.r 4'P"1-P'1 4¥>"1-fY114'1.11 '1f1r1>71, t;v1'a. ~t ipvAo&r. "l 31 "'" &r lp'ilf rca! To& 'lr1(8w11Ta.& 'Axa.w(, y11~ l1m8' or 8' ~y1µ.&11w11 rccucor Of Tl uv A~ll ~a· . Of re' 'cr8Aof.''"". ICQ.TG ""''"f yap µ.axlo11Ta.&· "Marshal your men by tribes [ cpvA"' ] , by clans, Agamemnon, so that clan may help clan, and tribe help tribe Lq>~AA d~ cpJAoc5 1. If you do this, and if the Achaians obey you, you'll know then which of your leaders and men is a coward, and which ia worthy, each group fighting as a unit." CII.362~6) In this passage the word cp~ A al.. is used three times in the space of two lines, giving it a memorable emphasis. Nestor's advice is taken, and a bare hundred lines later we hear this: l'1'Tu ,wp(o&, ""'*"' a·· '" Tf q,V>.>..a. rca.l .W81a.u81J'()111T&C:,P?I• ~~""" &rn ylyufT'a.& They stood in the flowering meadow of Scamander, countless, as leaves and flowers blooming in season. CII.467-8) And later in the same book of the poem, the goddess Iris, disguised as Priam's son Polites, has this to say to the Trojan assembly: ~ #'ff ~ ,.GM nAA4 "4xar ,z,,rw.,, w~, · au· °' .... ~ t"OOWa. "' MO. cf.nna.· ""'" yap 1r1ato.o ,,.x.,,•ol'fPO'~'l'porl &onr. q,VAM""" ~.,, IPX,ovrm '°"'°"" "Indeed, I have gone many times into manly battle, but never yet saw such a host, so many. For they look most like leaves, or the sands of the sea as·they come to the plain to fight against our city." CII.798-801) Thus in a short space we see these two near-homophonic words used to balance off the faceless multitude of the Achaian forces, like leaves of the forest, as seen from without, against the orderly distinction in their arrangement by clans, as seen from within. �-6- The simile of the leaves carries within it another pair of opposed, yet complementary qualities. Glaukos' speech to Diomedes seems to invoke the cyclical recurrence of the leaves from one spring season to the next. If we ignore distinctions among individual leaves or_ generations of them, it would seem that the generality of leaves is immortal, at least in Diotima's sense of immortality through successive begettings and substitutions (Symposium 208 a). Yet leaves as individuals are proverbially light and fragile, playthings of the wind, and nothing can be more final than their individual death, as Achilles reminds us: au· '" To' ;p1. "'" ;11'1 ,Jya.J1 op1Co11 o,uN"",. °' "4 Taff t1'ici;rrpo11, TO '"" 1l'OTf <j>v>.>..a "'" o(OVf "'1/"f'• t11'd 3r, 11'plilTa To,J,11 l11 opftl'tr' >..t>..o,11'f11, cnia' civca81r.\1fo'n· 11'fpl yap P4 i xaA.1Cor l>..f'l/lf q,tl>..>..a Tf "'" <j>>..o&Or 1IW dTI p.w vtn 'AxciW11 Ell 11'aAdf'?11 <1>oplow' aucam>..o,, or Tf 8tf"aTtJS 11'pOS '1..0s flpt/a:r4'• llcU "But this I say, and swear a great oath to it: By this staff, which will sprout no leaves or shoots ever again, since it left its stump in the hills, nor bloom anew, for the bronze blade has stripped it of leaves and bark, and now the Achaians' sons bear it in hand as judges while they uphold the laws ordained by Zeus ••• " ( I . 233-9) When we look at the leaves from the outside, ignoring their several particularities, they seem to go on forever. In choosing to look from·· .. ·the outside, we gain a kind of god-like detachment, but we lose the urgent immediacy, the specialness of a particular set of leaves-- the cutting of the tree up in the mountains, the cruel stripping of the bronze blade. So too if we look at the·lives of human beings in the largest spatial and temporal context, all single human destinies merge into the continuing story of the race. Thus we can seem to cheat our own mortality, but the eternal life we gain is a kind of living death: �-7- in becominq part of an anonymous multitude we lose what is specifically valuable in human life. and beqettinq. We become vegetables, machines for eating So we must seem to the gods, as we learn from another of Homer's uses of the emblem of the leaves. In Book XXI of the Iliad, Apollo answers Poseidon's challenge thus: "twoalyG1.', aUIC chi I" va0q,po11t1 1-'vthJtrt1&0 flo'lo'fJIGl.t d 31, vol yt f3poTw'll fllflC4 'ffT'OAf""'W 3u.\~11. ot q,tiuoww iouc&rn cLUoTf "''" Tf (t1t/'A.cyin TEM8ovvw, apovp11r 1Ca.,,.,fo.,, l30J1Tu, ILUOTt 3t q,8Ulti8ovaw · ciA71p&o&. ci.\.\G. Tax &tTTa nw11.«a8a JUiX'lf" ol 3' a.wo& 311puula8w11." nEarthshaker, you would say that I was senseless if I were to fight with you for the sake of mortals, those wretched ones, who now like leaves are full of bloominq life, feeding upon earth's fruits, but then droop into death. So let us now quickly leave off our fight~ let them decide it.n CXXI.462-7) If on the other hand we emphasize a different aspect of the leaves, their individual fraqility and the finality of their passing, we are led inward, into an autumnal landscape of pathos and regret. So too in the story of humanity, a focus on the particular identities and valuable uniqueness of sinqle people goes alonq with an awareness of their inevitable doom. This is the view we call ntraqicn __ and in darinq to look in this way we assert our own dignity, our capacity for heroism and self-knowledqe. As Glaukos returns to recount his own particular lineage, as Diomedes returns to the world of private appetites, wa~ and thievery, so throughout the Iliad we return constantly to the pathos of the concrete. In this poem it is the death of the leaves that is finally the more important. Think in contrast of the .Q.dyssey, with its emphasis on what endures and is reborn, with its great imaqe of the bed rooted in the olive tree. But the power of the simile of the leaves is' that it holds in unresolved counterpoise ~views of human experience. Socrates claims �-8- that the same man can write both tragedy and comedy: I claim that Homer is here, with a kind of perspectivism, Writing both at the same time. In its generality, the simile seems to move above the level of the poem's battlefield narrative, making us cast our eyes forward and backward in a grand synoptic gesture of inclusion. But the inclusiveness would not be complete if we lost the particular diachronic context from which the simile arises.: It is this inclusiveness that characterizes. the poems we call nepics.n Though the human stories epics tell are fixed at a particular point in history, no human story of any consequence can be complete unless it is located in the larger world of space and time that the gods inhabit. Spatially epics 90 up to heaven and down into the underworld: temporally they go forward and backward, even to the beginning and end of human history. Yet they retain a constant rootedness, a grounding in the singularity of the human actions they tell: hence the tradition that epics begin and even end in the "middle of things." Furthermore, they have sometimes been thought of as constituting an encyclopedia of all human wisdom, a compendium of all the lores and know-hows of different trades and callings, not to mention ethical teachings, cosmologies and religious revelation. (This view of the epic poem as a repository of all knowledge helps us to understand Plato's treatment of the poets in the .!Qn. and the Republic.) In the most extre~ case, a poem like the Aeneid could be used for divination-- the book opened blindly and a finger pointing to a randomly chosen passage. The text so chosen would foretell the future or give practical advice, as many believed in the Middle Ages. It is hardly possible to imagine such a practice applied to the texts of the great lyric or dramatic poems. The sheer size and scope of the epic itself, as well as that of the subjects it takes for its province, invites us to treat it as �-9- an inspired utterance or sacred book-- perhaps even as a domain coterminous with Nature itself. So the writing of an epic is an act of enormous audacity, because such a poem aspires to swallow up all possible experience and hold it in the fixity of a human artifice. It is the binding of Proteus, or to vary the metaphor, it is a kind of rival Creation. And yet these leaves too must die. ************ A new generation of leaves, descended from these Homeric ancestors, springs forth in Book VI of the Aeneid. Aeneas and the Sibyl see the ghostly images of the dead, gathered at the shore of the infernal river: hue omnis turba ad ripas effusa ruebat, matres atque viri defunctaque corpora vita magnanimum heroum, pueri innuptaeque puellae, impositique rogis iuvenes ante ora parentum: quam multa in silvis autumni frigore primo lapsa cadunt folia, aut ad terram gurgite ab alto quam multae glomerantur aves, ubi frigidus annus trans pontum fugat et terris inunittit apricis. stabant orantes primi transmittere cursum, tendebantque manus ripae ulterioris amore. Here a whole crowd came streaming to the banks, mothers and men, the forms with life all spent of great-souled heroes, boys and girls unmarried, Youths put on pyres before their parents' eyes: As many as in the woods, in fall's first cold leaves drop, or landward from the raging deep as many birds gather, when the season's frost drives them across the sea to sunny lands. They all stood praying to be first across, and stretched out hands in love of the farther shore. CVI.305-14) The leaves occupy only a line and a half, and the movement of the verse dramatically whirls them away into the following companion. s.i mile of the birds. This is the effect of the striking elision of the last syllable of the Latin word for "leaves," folia, after two short syllables with light, voiceless consonants at the beginning of the word: "' .., "' --"' cadunt folia, aut ad terram qurgite \I .!!S2· .!£.. "'--" - - ..._, - "' Lapsa Although the phrase ~ �-10- terram - "to the ground" or "toward land"-- belongs formally to the second simile, it serves metrically here as the destination of the leaves' swift motion. In this brief picture we feel powerfully the ephemeral lightness of the leaves, pathetically helpless against the driving wind of Virgil's hexameters. The passage is impressive enough in itself, drawing as it does upon Virgil's pictorial use of_ rhythm. But I want to claim much more: The specific power of the passage comes from our consciousness of the allusion to its Homeric antecedent in Iliad VI. At this point, remembering the well-marked dualities in Homer's treatment of the leaves, we expect a second view of them, returning in the spring after the wind has dashed them to the ground. Of course we don't get it, and our expectations are powerfully frustrated. But our continued awareness of Homer's leaves leads us further, to meditate upon the reasons for this departure from the precedent. In the first place, Glaukos spoke as he stood in the upper world, on a field of men living or dying: the Virgilian leaves however are compared to the shades of humans already dead. se~ting By his adaptation of the leaf-simile in the underworld, Virgil reminds us of his own spirituality, a spooky otherworldliness in marked contrast with Homer's rootedness in the natural rhythms of this world. Secondly, we realize that the Homeric completion of the simile in the ·11lore upbeat view of the leaves' renewal~ here in Virgil's recension of it: have its own surrogate The birds, in Virgil's second simile, are a sort of phantom stand-in for the returning leaves of spring. Superficially the point of similarity seems to be only the multitude of fallen leaves or of birds gathering on the ground: death had undone so many. too: We had not thought Of course there is a pictorial similarity The birds are leaf-like in appearance, tossed and buffeted by �-11- the wintry winds as they flutter to the ground. But these birds are also gatherinq for a .!!!U! flight, a migration across the water into the sunny warmth of their winter home, probably in North Africa. In this respect they refer us back to the souls of the dead, waiting to cross the Styx. But the crucial point, distinguishing them from the leaves, is that these .!!.!!!!. birds will presumably return northward with the followinq sprinq-- not a new generation, as with but these birds themselves. Ho~er's Leaves, It seems clear that we are being referred forward as well, to Anchises' Pythagorean account of the transmigration and reembodiment of souls, later in Aeneid VI. The sunny lands of the south recall the blessed, luminous groves of Elysium, where some fortunate souls are sent after -they "hang suspended in the empty winds" or "purge their crimes in the vast flood of the sea" CVI.740-1, where qurgite vasto is a verbal echo of gurgite passaqe). .!!?.~in line 310 of our Virqil seems to be suqgesting, in specific, self-conscious contradistinction to Bomer, that a kind of personal inunortality .!!, possible, even if only for a few: · not a derived "immortality" through the survival of one's of~sprinq, but an endurinq self, preserving one's identity and ·abidinq in the land of the blest. This happy prospect might lighten our prevailinq view of ·the human landscape of labor, mutability and death; but the few who are to enjoy it must meet .strinqent Cand very Roman) ethical standards. The melancholy ver~ longin~ felt by the others, the fallen leaves, is what Virgil returns to at the end of our passage, with the sound effects of the j~stly famous line: tendebantque manus ripae ulterioris amore. So far I've been arguing that Virgil's revision of the leaf-simile works in a kind of counterpoint with our memory of its Homeric source. There is even a reminiscence of Bomer in Virgil's use of rhythm. I �-12- have already described how the elision at the end of the word folia hurries us from the dying leaves to the second simile of the birds. ~ Let's look again at the movement of Homer's line: - ..., cp S.\ll.c. v I- T"~ )"Cll _Jj. , ..,. "I A, -u o w If' o1. ""\JI- 'T ~11?0) 1 cp v .i. '"' IJ ..,/- IJ I/ - "' J£ J'(J';...., }<~ot615 • The shortening of the diphthong, long by nature, at the end of the / word : }'. t £ '- . . is a metrical effect· known as "epic correption." , Here, atypically, the correption occurs at a bucolic diaeresis-- a pause after the fourth whole foot of the line. We would like to linger at such a marked break in this breathless-sounding, conspicuously dactylic line, but the shortening of I X(. (.L.. snatches us up and hurries us along, with marked enjambment, into the next generation of the leaves. The rhythmic force of this device is exactly analogous to that of Virgil's elision: and it comes at the analogous moment in the development of the similitude. Our feeling both of the correspondence between the two passages, and of the differences, is thereby sharpened. Perhaps I should apologise for dwelling on such small details in these Greek and Latin texts. I wanted to illustrate the degree of initmate familiarity that Virgil must have had wit.h Homer's poem, and that he also expects from the ideal reader of his own revisionist version. We all know about the large-scale structural ways in which -the Aeneid subsumes both the Iliad and the Odyssey: There are the references to the first lines of both Homeric poems in Virgil's first line: there are the plot parallels with the Odyssey in Aeneid I-VI and with the Iliad in VII-XII: there are the close resemblances of certain characters CTurnus, for instance, to Achilles sometimes, and other times to Hector). But such detailed imitation, allusion and pointed variation as I have tried to show goes much further: to a constant pressure, or presence of the older author .!A I - - It amounts the newer. �-13Virgil-- surely one of the most self-conscious poets who ever lived-cannot help but acknowledge his indebtedness to his master; at the same time, by varying the allusion he shows his authenticity and independence. To be writinq an epic at all means to be working in a certain tradition, to be a "son of Homer" and to admit it. In one sense this admission also grants Homer's implicit claim to have created a second world in the vastness of his artifice. Pope made. this point memorably in writing of Virgil: When first young ~ in his boundless Mind A work t'outlast Immortal ~ design'd, Perhaps he seemed above the Critick's Law, And but from Nature's Fountains scorned to draw: But when t•examine ev'ry Part he came, Nature and Homer were, he found, the same. (Essay .2B. Criticism, 130-5) But if this should be the devours its own children. ~ast word, then epic would be a Titan that How can Virgil or anyone else write a second epic with similar aspirations of inclusiveness? A truly successful epic woul.d exhaust the conditions for the writing of another such poem. The very power of Homer's original epic forces Virgil at once to include it and to depart from it, to struggle against his own roots. The particular qualities of epic poems make it especially hard to write in a tradition, and make unavoidable the rivalry between any single epic poet and his predecessors. I have already mentioned the ·cosmic inclusiveness of epic, its encyclopedic quality that seeks to leave no subject matter remaining for any successor. Though epic poems try to embody the whole of human experience and human history, each one does so from a particular point of view. For epics tend to be •national,• to recast history in terms of the destiny of a particular nation or culture. So to acknowledge one's epic predecessor is to participate in a rivalry of cultures-- Rome versus Greece, say, or . Christian versus ·Pagan. ·.· Even more problematically, the poet is not �-14- · a mere mouthpiece for one historical or nationalistic world-view. It is true that such a view speaks through him: he is a prophet, speaking for another as the word implies, and the "Muse" is an image of the cosmic providence that seeks, through epic poets, to make itself known to humanity. But the poet is also engaged in a heroic act of ~-assertion, in daring to take up the task of writing such a work, and as a prophet of his own Muse he speaks for himself. So the family drama of poetic influence, the Oedipal conflict of the poet with his own forbears, is sharpened and maqnified by the s·p ecial demands of the epic tradition. Por Virgil, the solution to this predicament is to incorporate or subsume Homer into his own poetic universe. Cit is thus that I can speak of the presence of Homer within the text of Virgil.) His allusion to Homer's leaf•simile, for example, summons up all the specific affect of the passage in Iliad VI, where the leaves are made into a powerfully ambiquous emblem both of the pathos of mortal finitude and of the ways in which the cyclical self-perpetuation of nature transcends that finitude. Virgil, .I say, invokes all this: and then by subtly varying it, he goes beyond it, projecting this dual perspective on the natural warld into a new dialectic with the realm of the supernatural. So his poem implicitly claims that it contains and supersedes the parent poem. Homer's epic inclusiveness aspired to the swallowing-up of the ·whole natural world. it: The Aeneid shares this aspiration but adds to In addition to swallowing the primary world of nature, Virgil claims to hav~ swallowed up the secondary •world• of Homar's poem. Thus in the theoqony of the epic poem, each newly-generated Titan swallows its parents. I have said that by its nature epic locates present human actions in a larger historical context: this •epic present• is emphatically �-15the intersection of past and future. But the heroic act of writing an epic must itself be located in a similar temporal context, with poetic predecessors and successors arranged in a providential order that sets off the magnitude of the present poem. Virgil's poetic self- consciousness brings a second, self-referential story into his narrative: Behind the drama and great labor of the building of Rome there is the 4rama and the great labor of the. building of the Aeneid. Each of these two great actions comes from ·a Greek precedent which it acknowledges, incorporates and seeks to transcend. Each action also seeks to project itself indefinitely into the future: The perpetual glory of the Roman imperium is to be accompanied by the everlasting fame of Virgil's poem. But Virgil is sufficiently aware of the necessary mutability of human affairs to entertain a melancholy scepticism about the staying power, both of the empire and of the poem. He expresses his concern about his own poem's posterity by another use of the image of the leaves. In Book III, Helenus prophesies to his kinsman Aeneas about the arrival in Italy: •Arrived there, when you reach the city of Cumae, the sacred lakes and whispering woods of Avernus, youill find the frenzied seer in her deep cave who sings the fates, and notes them down on leaves. The songs the lady writes, she puts in order, leaf upon leaf, and shuts them in the cavern. There they remain untouched and in their places. But when a gentle breeze blows in the door, the hinges turn, the delicate leaves are scattered; th~n as they flutter through the cave, she never cares to replace them or remake her songs. Unhelped by Sibyl, visitors hate her halls." (III. 441-452) For this reason, when Aeneas comes in Book VI to consult the Sibyl he begs her to sing her prophecies herself, rather than entrusting them to the leaves and making them whirling playthings of the swift winds. He promises to build a temple to Phoebus and Trivia, where �-16- a shrine will be set apart to preserve the Sibyl's written prophecies, with priests as caretakers. The possessed prophetess, the Sibyl, is here a stand-in for Virgil himself. Like her, he is divinely inspired~ the underworld just as she is for Aeneas. and he is our guide into That there is a relationship between the Sibyl and the figure of the poet is also suggested by a verbal correspondence: In her prophecy the Sibyl says bella, horrida bella, et Thybrim multo spumantem sanguine cerno. war, savage war I see ahead, and Tiber foaming blood. (VI. 86-7) In Book VII, speaking in his own voice in the new invocation to the Muse, Virgil says tu vatem, tu, diva, mone. dicam horrida bella, dicam acies, actosque animis in funera reges. Oh Goddess, guide your seer! I shall sing savage war battle-lines, and kings by courage driven to death. (VII. 41-2) Here the word vates, •seer• or •prophet," which has been repeatedly used to refer to the Sibyl, is applied to Virgil himself in his capacity of epic poet, and he puts into his own mouth an echo of her own phrase horrida bella, •savage wars.• And as Virgil.!!, in some sense the Sibyl- ~. he wonders if his prophetic poem will in the end, like her writings, become a "plaything of the winds.• The written word is treacherous, and perhaps any such attempt to arrest the flux of experience in the fixity of human artifice is doomed. Perhaps, as he himself has subsumed and superseded Homer, some new poet will come and swallow up Virgil's - poem too. . To be thus superseded is not annihilation, but it is a very ambiguous kind of poetic immortality. �-17It may be that the golden bough itself serves in part as an emblem for the contradictions in Virgil's view: of his poetic posterity: bough is artificial, yet a kind of second nature. The It has the durability of metal1 yet it can be plucked and then grows again of itself. To the person chosen to receive it, it serves as a ticket of admission to the realm that contains the past, the future, and the ultimate mysteries of human destiny. Yet we remember that it yielded itself only reluctantly even to the hand of Aeneas1 and if it chooses to deny itself to you, no violence can harvest its riches. It flashes an eerie glint of gold in the shadowy woods, near the jaws of foul-smelling Avernus1 and its metal leaves give off a tinny rattle against the wind. ****************** The dictionary tells us that it was only in late antiquity that the· Latin word folium, "leaf," was first used to refer to a sheet of paper or page of a book. As far as I know, the connection between the leaves of the forest and the human artifice of poetry is first made explicitly by the Roman poet Horace, a contemporary and friend of Virgil, in the critical treatise known as the .!.£!. Poetica: Ut ·silvae foliis pronos mutantur in annos, prima cadunt, ita verborum vetus interit aetas, et iuvenum ritu florent modo nata vigentque. Debemur morti nos nostraque, sive receptus terra Neptunus classes Aquilonibus arcet regis opus, sterilisve diu palus aptaque remis vicinas urbes alit et grave sentit aratrum1 seu cursum mutavit iniquum fruqibus amnis, doctus iter melius: .mortalia facta peribunt, nedum sermonum stet honos et gratia vivax. When at the year's end forests change their leaves, The oldest fall first1 so with the generations of words: The former die, the newer bloom like boys. For we and all things ours are owed to death: The harbors that we build Ca royal task!)1 · The barren marshes, then a place for boats, Now drained for plowing, feeding farms nearby1 The dams that bend the river's angry course �-18- And save the crops-- These mortal works shall die, Nor shall the grace and glory of discourse live. ~ Poetica 60-69) But though this connection had been made, and though Virgil's Sibyl wrote her prophecies on leaves, the word itself probably did -not -have for Virgil the witty self-reference that its linguistic development, and the predominance of written culture, later made possible. For Dante, the closeness of the related Italian words foqlia, "leaf of a tree" and foqlio, "page in a book," makes explicit the doubleness of the drama of the leaves. In the primary world of nature, leaves die and others succeed them; in the second, rival nature that is the world of epic poems, what is said to happen out in the woods can also be referred to the successive generations of pages of verse. So Dante's use of the image of the leaves is even more explicitly self-referring, and Dante's poem is even more self-conscious than its predecessors about its context in literary history. It is appropriate, then, that the family drama of Dante's relation to his poetic father, Virgil, is internalized and made explicit within the poem's narrative: Both "Dante" and "Virgil" are characters in a poem written by the first man and pervasively influenced by the second. And their relationship as Dante depicts it certainly reflects the intense ambivalence he feels toward his great forerunner. but his guid~ce Virgil is the powerful and beloved guide; is fallible and limited in scope-- His pupil will go farther than Virgil can take him. And the most powerful indicator of all is that Virgil finally is a damned soul, one of those who have "lost the good of the intellect." As a denizen of Hell he is made to assist in an extended revisionist rewol.1cihg of his own Book VI. a Virgilian passage lies allusively behind, or within Dante's text, the implied claim is that Virgil had an inkling, partial at best, Whenever �-19of the authoritative version we get from the younger poet. is from shadowy types to truth: The movement Virgil· went forth into the night, holding a lamp behind him to aid his successors. Dante sees more and knows better, and so now does Virgil-- but too late. It is in this emotionally charged atmosphere that we see, in the . third canto of Inferno, a new generation of the leaves that first grew and died by the River s,camander, on the fields of Troy. Virgil the guide and Dante the pilgrim have come to the banks of . the Acheron, where Charon, the steersman of the livid marsh, transports across the water the souls of the damned: Come d'autunno si levan le foglie l'una appresso dell'altra, fin che 'l ramo vede alla terra tutte le sue spoglie, similmente il mal seme d'Adamo gittansi di quel lito ad una ad una, per,cenni come augel per suo richiamo. Cosi sen vanno su per l'onda bruna e avanti che sien di la discese, anche di qua nuova schiera s'auna. As in the fall the leaves are taken away Each followed by the next, until the bough Sees on the ground all its despoilments lie, In that same way the evil seed of Adam Burl themselves from the shoreline, one by one At signals, like a bird called by its lure. Thus they embark over the dusky waves, · And even before they land on the other side~ Again on this side a new crowd is gathered. (III. 112-120) Dante leaves no doubt that he is alluding to the Virgilian passage we have just .examined. The simile comes at the analogous point in the narrative-- an encounter with Charon, a passage over an infernal river into the underworld. included: Even the second simile of the birds is "At signals, like a bird called by its lur~." But having ·drawn Virgil's text into his own poem, Dante proceeds to transform it by a skilful reallocation of emphasis. The extended treatment of �-20- the leaves dwells on the consequence, the result of their fall: bough/ Sees on the ground all its despoilments lie." "The Our first thought is a kind of pity for the tree that has suffered the plundering of its spoils. Virgil gave us the pathos and vulnerability of the leaves themselves, but Dante is here speaking of their source, the tree which i - now denuded. s Still, the two passages both seem to be portraying passive victims of the force of another. So we are puzzled and disquieted at the way Dante's version continues: In that same way the evil seed of Adam !!:!£!.themselves from the shoreline ••• The violent contrast bewteen .!i, levan, "are taken away," and gittansi, "hurl themselves," heightened by the reflexive form of both, makes us doubt the aptness of the simile. Our perplexity is increased when we notice a hidden wit in the use of .!.!. levan: Levarsi can mean "to raise or lift oneself up" as well as "to be taken away." In anticipation of the moral significance of verticality in the poem, "lifting up" is set in polar opposition to "casting down." Dante is implying that leaf-like souls, unlike Virgil's passive victims, fall by their own choice in an act of deliberate violence. It is thus fitting that our sympathy is diverted, in Dante's version, from the leaves themselves to the bough of the denuded tree. is this tree? What We probably think first of the forest of the suicides in Canto XIII of Inferno, where both Pier della Vigna and an anonymous Florentine suicide, now turned into a bush, fit the picture of the bereaved plant, deprived of its foliage, staring at the ground. There too the immediate reaction, both ours and the pilgrim's, is pity• But the word spoglie, "despoilments," is used in that canto to refer to the bodies the suicides have cast off by their own act. the pilgrim we mus~ Along with learn the hard lesson that recurs throughout the �-21- Inferno: The justice of God often does not easily accord with our inunediate passions of pity and love. Our wills must be shaped anew. The suicides have offered violence to more than themselves, and we must look farther to find the tree from which the damned souls, the leaves, have torn themselves. In the thirty-second canto of Purgatorio, Dante and Statius are followinq the qreat paqeant of revelation, includ- nq the triumphal i car drawn by -the Griffin, symbol. of the incarnate Christ: ~ Si passeqqiando l'alta selva vota, colpa di quella ch'al serpente crese, temprava i passi un' anqelica nota. Forse in tre voli tanto spazio prese disfrenata saetta, quanto era.mo rimossi, quando Beatrice scese. Io senti' mormorare a tutti "Adamo'; poi cerchiaro una pianta dispoqliata di foqlie e d'altra fronda in ciascun ramo. La coma sua, che tanto si dilata pi~ quanto pi6 ~ s~, fora dall' Indi ne' boschi lor per altezza ammirata. "Beato se•, qrifon, che non discindi col becco d'esto leqno dolce al gusto, poscia che mal si torce il ventre quindi." Cosi dintorno a l'albero robusto qridaron li altri; e !'animal binato: , "Si si conserva il seme d' oqni qiusto." So, passinq throuqh the lofty forest, bare Throuqh fault of her that trusted in the serpent, The sonq of an anqel ~ept our steps in time. As far as in three shots, perhaps, an arrow Loosed from the bow would fly, so far had we Moved on our way, wnen Beatrice descended. Then from them all I heard a murmur: 'Adam'; And they formed a rinq around a tree, despoiled Of leaves and other foliaqe in each branch. Its- livinq tresses widen all the more As the tree qoes hiqher; even by the Indians In their qreat woods, its height would be admired. "Blessed are you, Griffin, since with your beak You pluck not from this tree so sweet to taste; For later on the belly wrenches from it." Thus circlinq around the miqht tree Th~ others shouted; and the animal twice~b~rn Cried: "So the seed of all just men is saved." CPurgatorio XXXII. 31-48) �-22The Griffin goes on to renew the tree laid bare by the fault of Adam. We can see that the epithet!!.!!!!. seme d'Adamo, "the evil seed of ~dam," in our original passage, was not lightly chosen. These leaves are not __ g_eneralized symbols of the condition of mortality; they are particular reminders of the human act that originated that condition. The emphasis on "seed" in Inferno III (Cf. III. 104-5), reinforced by sound effects--· .!i!!!!_lmente il mal ~ d'Adamo-- here finds justification. Though the evil seeds ironically bear no fruit, cast on the barren ground of hell, the good seed of Adam is Christ, the first fruits and the seed of all righteousness, repairing the damage fall. ~ought by Adam's By his act the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is transformed into the great tree that is an epithet for Heaven in Paradiso XVIII: l'albero che vive della cima e frutta sempre e mai non perde foglia. the tree that lives from its top and always bears fruit, never losing its leaves. (XVIII. 29-30) It seems that we have accounted for Dante's adding to his Virgilian source the detail of the tree contemplating its own despoliation. In so doing he turns the falling of the leaves into a typological image of the fall c;f humanity, and of all nature. Through .Christ's saving act, however, the leaves as well as the fruit are restored to the tree, and so the -integrity of the re&tored tree is a kind of image of the ·!ncarnation, the marriage of the human and the divine. These things are known to a Christian through the revelation of Holy Scripture; but Virgil as a Pagan has had no access to scripture, and thus he has departed by the time Dante and Statius see the tree's antitype in the pageant at the end of Purqatorio. Dante the poet's revi~ion of the simile from Aeneid VI shows both the rhetorical power and the spiritual limitations of the older poem. �-23Another image of this transformation is Dante's use of Virgil's birds. We remember that in the Aeneid the birds seemed almost as passive as the leaves: "the season's frost/ Drives them across the sea." The difference was that the death of the leaves was utterly final and definitive, while the flight of the birds left open the possibility of a cyclical return. Dante takes Virgil's migrating birds and reduces them to one hunting bird, probably a falcon ret,u rning to the falconer's lure. Here is a conspicuous revision of Virgil, for whom the points of similarity between leaves and birds were multitude and helpless passivity. Dante's bird is only £!!!t1 and its passage is a willed act of obedience to a command. Whose command? Virgil himself is made to tell us, in his capacity as guide, in Purgatory. Look up, he tells Dante the pilgrim, "li occhi rivolgi al logoro che gira lo rege etterno con le rote magne." Quale il falcon, che prima a' pie si mira, indi si volge al grido e si protende per lo disio del pasto che la il tira: tal mi fee' io. "Turn your eyes to the falcon's lure, whirled round By the Eternal King, with his mighty spheres." Then like the falcon, who looks first below Then turns to his master's call, straining ahead From craving for the food that draws him thither, Just so was I. CPurqatorio XIX. 62-671 Cf. Purq. XIV. 145-7) ···- When a soul ordained to bliss or to damnation proceeds to its eventual .. resting place, it resembles the falcon heeding the command of the falconer-that is, God. But unlike the migratory birds of the Aeneid, this falcon is on a one-way journey, propelled by its own will either for good or for evil. The damned souls which hurl themselves from the shoreline are following their appetites i,nto hell, just as the more blessed falcon of Dante's comparison in Purgatory strains ahead toward the Lord's �-24- supper. Dante's version of the simile implicitly condemns the melancholy quietism of Virgil, who makes Anchises say guisgue "Each of us endures his shadowy doom." ~ patimur manis, Even the damned souls in the commedia hurl themselves forward, instead of stretching out their arms in ineffectual longing. As Virgil revised Homer, Dante revises piety -~ Virgil~ In each case filial toward a literary parent causes the imitation: but in each case the imitated model is subverted by implicit criticism. By subsuming the source into his own poem, assimilating it into even small details of the allusive passages in the text, the succeeding poet suggests the incompleteness of the original, now fleshed out by his own still more inclusive epic vision. Virgil's revisionism is sometimes ambivalent: He seems to feel a kind of nostalgia for the simpler, more naturalistic view of history that he finds in Homer's poems, but he knows he lives too late to indulge in it. There has been a tragic fall from naive archaic heroism into the necessity of a political art. The greater self-conscious artificiality of Virgil's poem is in part an implied celebration of purposive human artifice in the building of Rome, but also in part ·an expression of Virgil's regretful awareness of the human costs of the great enterprise. As we have seen, Virgil's ambivalence emerges in his prospective view of -his own poem's posterity. In casting. · himself as the Sibyl, he appropriates to himself the authority and lasting power of divine inspiration: but in the image of the scattering of Sibyl's leaves he expresses his worry that the inclusiveness and integrity of his poem will be compromised with the passage of time. Virgil knows that when a poem is subjected to the kind of systematic and intimate textual revision that he himself performed upon Homer's work, it suffers a kind of diaspora, a tearing and scattering of the �-25unified imaginative vision of its creator-poet, wind in the Sibyl's cave. In this Virgil was a true prophet, as we recognize when we consider his treatment in the Conunedia. In ..contrast, Dante shows greater confidence in his power to subsume his predecessor and to preempt any that might come after him. To some extent this confidence results from his own self-assertive personality; but it is also the confidence of the Christian humanist that his creed is the true, valuable and permanent interpretation of the partial truths of the ancients. In the measure that Heaven is the True City, "that Rome of which Christ is a Roman" CPurq. XXXII.102) which both includes, fulfills and transcends the Rome that Aeneas labored to build, so the journey chronicled by Dante is the true Aeneid. All human descents into the underworld are types of Christ's descent to harrow Hell. All human journeys to beatitude are types of his resurrection and ascension. Thus a literal truth-- the truest of all truths, for Dante-- is incarnated into the ostensible fiction of the narrative of the Conunedia. Dante the pilgrim instantiates Christ by dying and rising with him, as the poem's.chronological scheme makes clear. (Dante descends into Hell on Good Friday of the year 1300 and emerges on Easter Sunday. ..!!!£.. I.36f., XXXIV.68, ll2f. and especially..!!!£.. XXI.112-4.) See In the same way Dante the poet claims to provide · a kind of incarnation in ·iiterary history analogous to Christ's incarnation in real human history. In the complete interpenetration of Dante's mythos and his subject, the word made flesh is made word again, as an organizing principle for experience; and then by the powerful inunediacy with which it is made present for us, it is made flesh once again. Christ the Logos is here allegorically a ratio, a master relationship between the human soul and divinity that is replicated in a kind of continuing proportion �-26- by Dante the pilgrim, by Dante the poet in his retelling, and by us, the readers. The unity and incorruptibility of Christ himself serve as a kind of guarantee of the integrity and incorruptibility of Dante's poem. We see this with extraordinary power at the end of the Conunedia, where the unity of the creation is imaged as the cohesion of a book of pages bound together: o abbondante grazia end' io ·presunsi ficcar lo vise per la luce etterna, tanto che la veduta vi consunsi! Nel suo profondo vidi che s'interna, legato con amore in un volume, ci~ che per l'universo si squaderna: sustanze e accidenti e lor costume quasi conflati insieme, per tal mode che ci~ ch' i' dice un semplice lume. La forma universal di questo nodo credo ch' i' vidi, perche pia di largo, dicendo questo, mi sento ch'i godo. Un punto solo m'~ maggior letargo che venticinque secoli all' impresa che f' Nettuno ammirar l'ombra d'Argo. e O grace abounding, from which I took heart To fix my gaze upon the eternal light So long that I spent all my seeing there! Within its depth I saw that there was gathered Bound up by love into a single volume The scattered pages of the universe: Substances, accidents and their relations, As if together fused, in such a way That what I tell of is a simple light. The universal form of this complex I think I saw, because now even more In telling it, I feel my joy increase. One instant is to me more Lethe-like Than twenty-five centuries of oblivion For Neptune, marvelling at the Argo's shadow. (Paradiso XXXIII.82-96) In the phrase "bound up by love into a single volume,• the word volume is used wittily to mean both a book and anything a sphere, for example. ~~rned-- like The word is used in this second sense repeatedly in Paradiso CXXIII.112, XXVI.119, XXVIII.14). But the most important preceding use of volume comes in Inferno I, where Dante also pairs �-27- it with amore, "love." "Or se' tu quel Virgilio e quella fonte che spandi di parlar si largo fiume?" rispuos' io lui con vergognosa fronte. "O delli altri poeti onore e lume, vagliami 'l lungo studio e' 1 grande amore che m'ha fatto cercar lo tuo volume. Tu se' lo mio maestro e 'l mio autore; tu se' solo colui da cu' io tolsi lo bello stilo che m'ha fatto onore ••• " "Are you that Virgil, then, that famous spring from which pours forth so great a stream of speech?" I answered him with shame upon my face. "O light and honor of all other bards, Let the great zeal and love avail me now That long have made me .search throughout your volume. You are my master, my original; And you alone are he from whom I took The style whose beauty brings me honor too." (Inferno I.79-87) The honorific word volume, applied first to Virgil's work, refers to the epic inclusiveness that allows him to involve and encompass so vast a world within his poem. But its last use in Dante's poem, framing the Commedia at the other end, as it were, shows how much larger a claim he makes for his own volume. The time-honored of the World" is here adapted to two purposes: ima~e of the "Book It expresses the sense of integrity .and oneness that Dante the pilgrim perceived in all of creation, with the power of the vision vouchsafed to him in the highest of the heavens; but it also self-referentially implies the power of Dante's- poem to convey this same sense, though mediated by ' lanquage, to his audience. The encyclopedic claims of epic are made literal. But at the end of the passage there is a sudden reversal: One instant is to me more Lethe-like Than twenty-five centuries of oblivion For Neptune, marvelling at the Argo's shadow. The all-inclusive power of epic has also been internalized and made contingent on the visionary power and articulateness of the poet. �-28If his capacity for beatitude proves to be fleeting, as is the common case for living human beings, his volume will be in effect sguadernato-scattered in single pages throughout the universe. Remarkably, however, by locating himself and his own failure of v.ision within the narrative, Dante asserts the scope and lasting power of the vision that he admittedly fails to depict or even evoke in a lasting way. Unlike Virgil, whose survival and fame seemed to depend on the continuance of an_ earthly empire, Dante links his own poem to the eternal actuality and truth of God's empire. That he is not able to convey it directly somehow guarantees that it is there. This rhetorical strategy accounts for the great paradox of the last canto of the Commedia: that in the most successful evocation of divine presence in any work of literature, the inexpressible is expressed precisely through a failure to express it. Thus when Dante appropriates Virgil's image of the Sibylline leaves, it has a quietude and sweetness remote from Virgil's disturbing melancholy. Dante is here revising and subsuming not only Virgil's poem but his own: Qual ~ colui che somniando vede che dopo il soqno la passione impressa ·rimane, e l'altro alla mente non riede, , cotal son io, che quasi tutta cessa mia visione, ed ancor mi distilla nel cor il dolce che nacque da essa • Cosi la neve al sol si disigilla: cos~ al vento nelle foglie levi si perdea la sentenza di Sibilla. . As .-is the man who, in his dreaming, sees And then, the dream past, still its imprinted power Remains, but all the rest from him is gone, So too am I now: Almost all the vision Palls off from me apace: yet there distills Within my heart the sweetness born of it. Thus in the sun the snow unseals itself: Thus in the wind, among ·the delicate leaves, The prophecies of Sibyl went. astray. (Paradiso XXXIII.58-66) ****************** �-29- skipping over three hundred fifty years and some notable episodes in this family history, we come to a new death of leaves, newly reborn, in Milton's Paradise~· Satan, cast into hell, rears himself up from the burning lake and struggles massively to the shore. Nathless he so endur'd, till on the Beach Of that inflamed Sea, he stood and calld His Legions, Angel Forms, who lay intranst Thick as Autumnal Leaves that strow the Brooks In Vallombrosa, where th' Etrurian shades High overarcht imbowr: or scatterd sedge Afloat, when with fierce winds Orion armd Hath vext the Red-Sea Coast, whose waves orethrew Busiris and his Memphian Chivalrie, While with perfidious hatred they persu'd The Sojourners of Goshen, who beheld From the safe shore thir floating Carcasses And Brok'n Chariot Wheels. So think bestrown Abject and lost lay these, covering the Flood, Under amazement of thir hideous change. (Paradise~, I.299-313) I have time only to sketch in the most compressed and cryptic way how Milton receives and transforms this legacy of the simile of the leaves. Like Homer he locates the passage generally in a context of huge, heroic battlefield conflict. Like Virgil he compares the leaves in their multitude to the number of the fallen. Like Dante he gives us the final sight of the leaves on the ground, in the fallenness of a Christian Hell. And there are numerous other particular points of allusion as well, to these authors and others, like the epic poet Tasso, the Biblical narrator of Exodus, and most especially the prophet Isaiah: And all the h~~~ of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from a fig tree. (Is.34:4) The richness, the plenitude of this catalogue of allusion testifies to the inclusiveness of Milton's encyclopedic epic. Yet the sheer �-30- range of the field surveyed, the number of sources invoked, is dizzying to us: The leaves of these preceding volumes lie as thick as those in Vallombrosa, and we surveying them are like the fallen angels, amazed at the wild declension of images and the change from one to another. The passage becomes a kind of labyrinth, as the pun on "amazement" suggests. What are the sources of our difficulties? Perhaps we can enumerate some. First, the different sources alluded to are made to work against each other. Let me give two examples. Vallombrosa, a pretty rural convent outside of Florence, seems to provide a concrete, naturalistic, this-worldly location for the fallen leaves. That suggests that the simile will be faithful· in spirit to Homer's practice of contrasting the violent scenes of his narrative with incongruously peaceful vignettes of country life. But the place Vallombrosa is chosen for the particular reason that its name is significant: It means "Shady Valley," the Valley of the Shadow of Death, an allegorical landscape like Dante's. our satisfaction at recognizing this wordplay does not last long. At the end of the line, •Etrurian shades" adumbrates, if I may use that word, the presence of the Etruscan or pre-Roman ghosts of the Aeneid, in whose underworld there is also a valles umbrosa. gives us time to be confused~ The lineation then the enjambed remnant of the clause · inakes us realize that the word "shades" refers not . to ghosts, but metonymically to trees. We are back in the placid natural landscape again. A second example: Our awareness of the presence of Virgil and Dante within and behind Milton's text conditions us to think of spirits waiting on the near side of a body of water, preparing to cross over. It is on the hither shore that both Aeneas and Dante the pilgrim stand, contemplating the numberless dead. But here the simile of Pharoah's �-31- chariots C"Busiris and his Memphian Chivalrie") chasing the fleeing Israelites ("the Sojourners of Goshen") leaves us with no firm place to stand: At first we are with Pharoah, pursuing from the near shore: then, by the magic of a subordinate clause, our perspective . shifts to the farther shore and we are with the Hebrews, looking back. But what we are looking at is the wreck of Pharoah's army, now not on either shore- but scatter~d in or on the water; like the fallen angels. The shift from one invoked source to another enforces on us abrupt dislocations in space and time. Another source of difficulty for us comes from the unique temporal setting of Milton's story. As his poem goes on to show, the fall of Satan and the rebel angels helps to cause the fall of humanity and of all of terrestrial nature. Such phenomena as the change of seasons, the coming of storms, the death of leaves or of any other living thing-all these result from and instantiate the first coming of death that Milton depicts. It is thus incongruous for him to use these later, more familiar phenomena in similes: To do so is to compare a thing with itself, or a subset of itself, as if I were to say, "The earth's rotation on its axis is as regular as the alternation of night and day.• A~ _ Wallace Stevens once remarked, identity is the vanishing point of resemblance. Milton's implicit claim is that the primary ·truths of human history, told in his poem, are more intelligible in themselves than any poetic comparison could make them. At worst, poetic comparison will mislead us, like the inappropriately tranquil scene of Vallombrosa. In trying to reduce the subject to the narrow limits of our fallen human comprehension, poetry causes us to make mortal errors again and again. The sheer difficulty, the deception and complexity of Milton's verse are often attempts to make us aware of this repeated �-32- process. Even at best, any statement of likeness would be redundant, strictly speaking. The originating status of Milton's subject matter is so all-encompassing that no comparison can be found which is not absorbed into the thing compared to. sense is possibl~: Hence no epic simile in the ordinary If the normal action of the similes is to include other realms· of experience in an epic narrative, here we find that all of those realms are .already automatically included. we, the beholders. And so are The poem cannot offer us a god-like or privileged place to stand, from which we can contemplate in detachment the unity and comprehensiveness of creation. It is our very fallenness, our implication in the events narrated, that causes our difficulties in reading. Milton's poem thus conspires rhetorically against itself, but only after disposing of its precursors. We saw Virgil rewriting Homer and Dante rewriting Virgil: but for Milton there is no single epic forerunner, no fatherly master-poet to whom he is irretrievably indebted and whose precedent he must overcome. In place of an intricate counterpointing of two texts, we get_ from Milton an all-out assault on what he portrays as a monolithic tradition of epic poetry. As he claims in the invocation at the start of Book IX, all conventional heroic narrative is intrinsically inferior to the story that he alone is trying to tell. But he too, .of course, is fallen, dependent on the inspiration of a heavenly muse. His greatest·source of information and also of difficulty is Holy Scripture itself. A revisionist treatment of Genesis can only dramatize its >wn futility, and that of all human poetic artifice. As I've claimed, other epics try to swallow up their predecessors and preempt their successors. Milton's more radical project is to chop down the whole ~amily tree, and his own branch with it. �-33It is somewhat alarming to reflect that he may well have succeeded. Many literary historians consider Paradise epic poem in Western literature. ~ to be the last true I do not know whether this is true: if it is not, I am similarly puzzled by the question of who the legitimate heirs are, in the generations that follow. . seen suggests at least a direction: But the succession we have inward, away from the narrative representation of physical experience. As the tradition goes on, more of the poem's essential content consists, not in its self-containedness as a· text, but in its interaction with its own past and future. The burden of the successor poet is to inherit the tradition and make it new, to use an intimate familiarity with the work of another as the new material for a radically originating act. Perhaps this process . can be a paradigm for you and me, not writers of epics but readers of them. We too must remake the poems we read, approaching them with qualified piety and then dismembering them, assimilating them into ourselves. They are the true and valid sources of our self-making, lenses through which we view the whole of things, tokens of admission not only into other worlds but into our deep selves, the underworld in which we learn our destiny. If we don't appropriate what we find in these pages, making them ours by wrenching them out of their own place and time, then they are dead leaves indeed. But if they find ·new life in us, if our !:!,-vision of these received texts becomes a new mode of vision, ours and yet not ours alone-- then we too might be able to see the whole world as one place, bound up by love into a single volume, for as long as the vision lasts. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts. For more information, and a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a>. Click on <a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context formallectureseriesannapolis Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 35 pages Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Dead leaves: illustrations of the genealogy of the epic poem Description An account of the resource Typescript of a lecture delivered on April 8, 1988 by Jonathan Tuck as part of the Formal Lecture Series. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tuck, Jonathan Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1988-04-08 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College has been given permission to make this item available online. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Relation A related resource <a href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3789" title="Sound recording">Sound recording</a> Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context lec Tuck 1988-04-08 Friday night lecture Tutors https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/33d8bdf668357f018794f3d5dd7ee124.jpg e428736f91a971a4ce0f7496c1a2356c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials. The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a>. Click on <a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 13 x 17.5 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-0657 Title A name given to the resource Deborah J. Ross as Francis during the King William Players Rehearsal of "Henry IV, Part I" by William Shakespeare, St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Subject The topic of the resource King William Players (St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland) Henry IV, King of England, 1367-1413 -- Drama. Ross, Deborah J. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1970-11 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Villere, James Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource still image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Alumni King William Players https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/f3a46eae28c56afe5d311b1e44686c0d.jpg f42dcc4590645142a37c2b93bdca7e5b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials. The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a>. Click on <a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 18 x 12.5 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-0715 Title A name given to the resource Deborah Traynor, Judy Hochman and Pearl Rosenberg at a Reception for the Greer Garson Film Festival, St. John's College, Santa Fe, New Mexico Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1970-05-23 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Parran, Tom Subject The topic of the resource Film festivals Traynor, Deborah Hochman, Judy Rosenberg, Pearl Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/84f3a2c99c6400da69166b6c4c66d3e7.jpg 4af71cc8f47ab4718ab05da057807dae Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials. The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a>. Click on <a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 20.5 x 25.5 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-1639 Title A name given to the resource Delagates and Faculty March to the Inaugural Platform near the Liberty Tree on Front Campus, Annapolis, Maryland, Fall 1980 Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1980-09 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. Inauguration Liberty tree https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/f4a3e000c6d0e4ccb24220dbf9801f3e.jpg 08c7051dfc5c3eae491f2aac907500ef Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials. The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a>. Click on <a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 20.5 x 25.5 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-1638 Title A name given to the resource Delegates and Faculty Assemble in the Great Hall of McDowell Hall for the Inaguration of Edwin J. Delattre, Fall 1980 Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1980-09 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. Inauguration https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/cc8de005a7fc40dd7a067061e03ef90b.jpg b0a458abad13174bb96545a6565a700d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials. The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a>. Click on <a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 25.5 x 20.5 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-1792 Title A name given to the resource Delegates, in Academic Robes, at the Inauguration Ceremony for Edwin J. Delattre, Annapolis, Maryland, Fall 1980 Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1980-09 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/f29dd0b1fcad4ad4b6ef900e31b88a45.jpg 12c383bf4088dbab498bef68fe508297 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials. The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a>. Click on <a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 25.5 x 20.5 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-1793 Title A name given to the resource Delegates, in Academic Robes, at the Inauguration Ceremony for Edwin J. Delattre, Annapolis, Maryland, Fall 1980 Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1980-09 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/ce7d6e4cacc5795b046200e276f0d1c4.mp3 bc0bf14b64c717ddaa8f9c40abe297e0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Lecture Recordings—Santa Fe Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Meem Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Santa Fe, NM Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data M4A Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:48:28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Democracy, Empire, and the Pharmakon in Thucydides Description An account of the resource Audio recording of a lecture given by Larry George on February 28, 2025 as part of the Dean’s Lecture & Concert Series. The Dean’s Office has provided this description of the event: “Does Thucydides believe that empire and democracy are compatible? Do war, conquest, domination, and the exploitation of other polities actually safeguard and protect political space for imperial democratic regimes to flourish, or do they instead corrupt, sicken, and poison the democratic body politic? Does imperial wealth and power perhaps function like a powerful, addictive political drug—strengthening, invigorating and revitalizing the polis, while at the same time intoxicating its democratic way of life by rewarding injustice and inflaming internal factionalism and polarization, leading to the demonization and scapegoating of individuals and groups, tyranny, treason, civil war, and other forms of political derangement, including even plagues and epidemics, both biological and political? In this lecture, we will seek clues to the great historian’s own understandings and teachings regarding these matters, by casting a raking light on Thucydides’ use of the strange word ‘pharmakon’, whose various contradictory and complex meanings include both medicine and poison, as well as addictive drug, and which is etymologically related to the curing of political derangement through the apotrapaic expulsion of scapegoars. As Americans embark on a new political era, is it possible that Thucydides’ history (which he called a “possession for all times”) may offer insights into some of the unprecedented challenges facing our country’s foreign policy, and our fragile democracy, today?” Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource George, Larry Nelson Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Santa Fe, NM Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-02-28 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Meem Library has been given permission to make this item available online. Type The nature or genre of the resource sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource mp3 Subject The topic of the resource Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War Democracy Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SF_GeorgeL_Democracy_Empire_and_the_Pharmakon_in_Thucydides_2025-02-28 Friday night lecture https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/1c0101ce28ea085841d2551fe7afa90b.pdf d472e0fafadaccca3c77b8438c426d05 PDF Text Text DEPTH AND DESIRE EVABRM-IN St. John's College Annapolis, Friday, August 31, 1990 �DEPTH AND DESIRE Eva Brann Annapolis, Friday, August 31, 1990 li5l y an old tradition the first lecture •)f the year is dedicated to lQJ the new members of our college, to the freshman students and the freshman tutors. It is a chance to tell you something about the shape and the spirit of the Program that pverns St. John's College- and not only to tell you but perhaps even to show you. I think I am right in this spirit when I begin by examining the class-name I just called you by: freshmen. A freshman, my etymological dictionaries tell me, is a person "not tainted, sullied or worn," a still-fresh human being, where "fresh" means, so the dictionary points out, both "frisky" and "impertinent." Later on in the year you will learn a weighty Greek word applicable to persons of frisky impertinence. They are said to have thymos, spiritedness or plain spunk, a characteristic necessary for serious learning. This spirited frame of mind is perfectly compatible with being shy and secretly a little scared. In fact, to my mind, it is a sign of quality in newcomers to be anxious for their own diJnity in the way that shows itself in spirited shyness. It is our business, the business of the faculty and of the more responsible upper class students, to help your spiritedness to become serious, to emerge from the shyness-- whether it be of the quiet or the boisterous sort, to help you channel your energy into a steady desire for learning and to direct your boldness toward the discovery of depth and, moreover, to help you without leaving you tainted, sullied, and worn out. I keep saying "help," because although great changes are bound to take place in you in these next years-- do but behold the seniors: unsullied, untainted, unworn and transfigured-- we none of us know who should get the most credit besides yourself: the Program, our teaching, your friendships or just plain time passing. At any rate, the spirit of the college is invested in seriousness, a certain kind of seriousness-- not dead seriousness but live seriousness, you might say. This seriousness shows itself on many occasions: in deep or heated conversations in the noon sun or at midnight, in marathons of effort and in the oblivion of sleep, in devoted daily preparation and in glorious goofing-off, in the 1 �BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE willingness to try on opinions and in the need to come to conclusions. What does your school do to induce this very particular kind of seriousness? When you chose to come to St. John's you were, perhaps, attracted by the fact that the mode of teaching normal in higher education is quite abnormal here. I mean lectures. Only one lecture a week is an integral part of the Program, on Fridays at 8:15 P.M. Now the chief thing about a lecture is that it is prepared ahead of time. For instance, I began working on this lecture in March. A lecture Ol!ght to be the temporarily final word, the best a speaker has to give you at the moment. It should not matter whether the surface of the speech is brilliant or drab, as long as it is a deliberate and well-prepared opening of the speaker's heart and mind to the listeners. As such it carries authority. These authoritative occasions are obviously important to the life of the school. Yet our normal way is not the prepared lecture but the focused conversation which is effervescent rather than prepared, provisional rather than authoritative, and participatory rather than reactive. Your tutors will not tell you but ask you; they will not demonstrate acquired knowledge, but the activity of learning. One reason why the teaching of new tutors-- and some of your classes will be taught by newcomers-- is often most memorable to freshmen is that their learning is genuinely original and keeps sympathetic pace with yours. There is an irresistible but false local etymology of the word tutor as "one who toots," perhaps his own horn. What the word tutor really signifies is a person who guards and watches learning. We are deliberately not called professors because we profess no special expertise. Since you will not be told things, you will have to speak yourselves. What will you speak about? The Program wiH ask you to focus your conversation on certain texts-- they might be books or scores or paintings. These texts have been selected over the years by us because they have the living seriousness I am trying to speak about. To my mind texts, like people, are serious when they have a surface that arouses the desire to know them and the depth to fulfill that desire. Here then, is my announced theme for tonight: the depth that calls forth desire. To delineate that depth I must once again distinguish our kind of conversation, the kind associated with such texts, from the 2 �BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE kind of fellowship to be found in other places. All over this country, and wherever the conditions for some human happiness exist, there are people who know all there is to know about some field that they till with a single-minded love. This is the blessed race of buffs, aficionados and those rare professionals who have had the grace to remain amateurs at heart. They study history or race stock cars or do biology or fly hot-air balloons. My own favorite fanatic is the young son of a graduate of St. John's. This boy is persistently in love with fish, with the hooks, flies, sinkers, leaders, reels and rods for catching them, with the books for studying them, with the aquaria, ponds, lakes and oceans for observing them. When I first met him he looked up at me shyly and asked if I knew what an ichthyologist was. Since I knew some Greek I knew the etymology of the word and could tell him that it is a person who can give an account of fish, so he was satisfied with me. This boy may have his troubles but he is also acquainted with bliss. This kind of concentrated bliss we cannot deliver to you, except perhaps in limited extracurricular ways. Instead we, or rather the Program, will drive you through centuries of time and diversities of opinion, while depriving you of the freedom and the serenity to till and to master a well-defined field of your own choosing. You will study Greek and invest hours in mem01 izing paradigms, but your tutorial is not a Greek class-- it is a language tutorial in which Greek is studied only partly for its own virtues, and partly as a striking and, for you, a novel example of human speecl1 and its possibilities. You will study Euclid and demonstrate rna 11y prepositions, yet your tutorial is not intended to make you geometers but to allow you to think about the activity of mathematics. In short, you will be asked to read many books carefully and to stcdy many matters in some detail only to find them passing away, becoming mere examples in the conversation. And these fugitive texts will almost all bear their excellence, their worthiness to be studied exhaustively, on their face, for we try to pick the ideal examples. This procedure is practically guaranteed to keep you off-balance, even to drive you a little crazy, since you will not often have the satisfaction of dwelling on anything and of mastering it. How do we dare do this to you? Here is a strange but unavoidable fact: Those who plow with devotion and pleasure and increasing mastery some bounded plot on the globe of knowledge often undergo a professional 3 �BRANN DEPTI-I AND DESIRE deformation. They lose first the will and then the ability to go deep. To be sure, specialists are often said to know their subjects "in depth," but that is not the depth I mean. Let me illustrate with an example I have a special affection for. I began my academic life as an archaeologist, and the first thing archaeologists do is to dig deep past the present surface of the earth, or rather they scrape it away layer by layer. But with every stratum they scrape away they find themselves at a new surface, the surface of a former age. They poke into time-- a magical enough activity--but they do not pretend to pierce the nature of things. For example, there would come up from the depths of a well-shaft an ancient pot. I would catalogue it by naming its form, say: kotvle, a kind of cup; by giving its dimensions: H. 0.108 m.; diam. 0.135 m; by describing its proportions: deep bodied, narrow-footed; by interpreting the picture painted on it: a rabbit-- this is the pot-painter being funny-- jumping a tracking hound from behind; by conjecturing about the provenance and the stylistic influences: made in Attica under Corinthian influence; and by assigning a date: third quarter of the seventh century B.C. Was I required to consider what I meant by dimensions, proportions, styles, images, funniness, influences, places? Not a bit- that would have meant time out and profitless distraction from my business, which was to know all about the looks and appearances of the pottery of Athens in early times. What this Program of ours offers you is exactly that time out, and that splendid distraction. People will say of you, when you have graduated, that you have 4 �BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE acquired a broad background. But your education will have been broad only in a very incidental and sketchy way-- certainly not in the fashion of a close-knit tapestry that is a continuous texture of interwoven warp and woof. Many of the books you are about to read do tie into one another. Sometimes a book written by an ancient Greek will (I am not being funny) talk back to one written by a modern American, or the opposite-- the strands that connect these books seem to run back and forth and sideways through time. But some books will stand, at least as we read them, in splendid isolation, and all in all the texts we study do not add up to a texture of knowledge: There is no major called "Great Books." How could there be competence in a tradition whose moving impulse is to undercut every wisdom in favor of a yet deeper one? There is not even agreement whether this tradition of ours advances or degenerates with time, whether its authors are all talking about the same thing, though in a different way, or in apparently similar ways about quite incomparable things. Here is what the books do seem to me to have in common: They intend to go into the depths of things. All the authors, even those subtly self-contradictory ones who claim that there are no depths but only surfaces, are deep in the way I mean. This desire for depth, then, is what will hold your studies here together. There is a word for this effort, to which it is my privilege to introduce you tonight. The word is philosophy. The term is put together from two Greek words, philos, an adjective used of someone who feels friendly, even passionate love, and sophia, which means wisdom or deep knowledge. When I say that your school is devoted to philosophy, the love of deep knowledge, I mean that all our authors want to draw you deep into their matter, whether by words, symbols, notes or visual shapes. Incidentally, in a few weeks a lecturer, a tutor from Santa Fe, will come and contradict me; he has told me that he will say that what we do needn't bear the name of philosophy at all. Let that be a subject for future discussion, and let me come to the heart of my lecture tonight. It is ;he question what depth is and how is possible. I think we are all inclined to suppose that literal, actual depth belongs to bodies and space and that people or texts are deep only by analogy, metaphor .cally speaking. I want to propose that here, as Sl often in philosophy, it is 5 �BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE really the other way around: it is the body that is deep merely metaphorically, as a matter of speaking, while the soul and its expression alone are deep in the primary sense. Certainly the depth of a body or a space is elusive. If a body has a perfectly hard and impenetrable surface, its depth must be forever beyond our experience-- a kind of hard, inaccessible nothingness. On the other hand, let the physical body have a hollow in it-- such caves are powerful allegories of depth and you will in the next four years come across some famous holes: the grotto of Calypso, the underground chamber in Plato's Republic, Don Quixote's cavern of Montesinos. Now ask yourself: Where actually is the depth? The containing boundaries of the hollow are all faces of the body, and no matter how deep you seem to be inside the body, you are still on its surface, just as I argued before about archaeological excavations. Now consider matterless bodies, geometric solids. Euclid says in Book XI that a solid has length, breadth, and depth, but he gives us no way to tell which is which: it depends on your perspective-- in fact all three dimensions are lengths delineating the surfaces that he says are the extremity of the solid. What is inside that solid, what its inwardness or true depth is, he does not feel obliged to say. These are questions you might want to raise in your mathematics tutorials: Can one get inside a geometric solid? How? Bodies, I am suggesting, are either too hard or too involuted or too featureless or too empty to have true depth. Only divine or human beings and the texts they produce-- texts made of words, notes, paint, stones, what have you-- can be literally deep or profound. For I attribute depth or profundity to that which is of a truly different order from the surface that covers and hides it. And it must be the inside and foundation of just that surface, so that we can gain entrance to it through that particular outside and through no other. Every depth must be sought through its own proper surface which it both denies or negates and supplies with significance: the surface that hides its own depth is never superficial. Human beings seem to me the most obvious example of such depth. All human beings have a surface, namely the face and figure they present. I personally think that in real life almost all people also have an inside, their soul, their depth. But there are some famous novels in which characters are described who are nothing but 6 �BRANN DEPTI-1 AND DESIRE empty shells. Against their impenetrable surface those whom they attract by the insidiously unflawed beauty peculiar to facades that hide nothing break themselves, or if they tear through, they fall into nothingness. However, these are fictions, and actual human beings have by the very fact of their humanity an inner sanctum. We begin by noting, casually, their face, their demeanor. As our interest awakens we proceed to read more carefully, to watch their appearance ardently for what it signifies. If we are lucky, they may open up to us, as we do to them. If we go about it right, this interpretative process need never come to an end, for the human inside, or to give it, once again, its proper name, the soul, is a true mystery. By a true mystery I mean a profundity whose bottom we can never seem to plumb though we have a persistent faith }n its actuality. I think that for us human beings only depths and mysteries induce viable desire. For love entirely without longing is not possible among human beings. Many a failure of love follows on the-- usually false- opinion that we have exhausted the other person's inside, that there is no further promise of depth. It is not only in respect to living human beings that depth calls forth desire. This college would not be the close human community that it is if you did not get to know some human beings deeply-- which is called friendship. But such love is only the essential by-product (to coin a contradictory phrase) of our philosophical Program, a program that encourages the love of certain para-human beings. These para-human beings are the expressions of the human soul, our texts, as well as the things they talk about. Let me take a moment to ask wl>ether this particular desire for depth I keep referring to is common among human beings or even natural. I say it is absolutely natural and very common. You will see what I mean when I tell you what I think is the nature of desire. Desire seems to me to be a kind of negative form or a shaped emptiness in the soul, a place in the spirit expecting to be filled, a kind of psychic envelope waiting to be stuffed with its proper contents. Now take a long leap and ask yourself what a question is. A question is a negative form or shaped emptiness in the mind, a place in thought waiting to be filled, a psychic envelope ready to be supplied with its proper message. Questions therefore have the same 7 �BRANN DEPTII AND DESIRE structure as desires. In fact questions are a subspecies of desire: a question is desire directed upon wisdom or knowledge. Therefore I might go so far as to say that this school teaches the shaping of desire-- because here we practice asking deep questions. Now I think that very many, probably all, human beings would like to ask such questions if they only knew how. That is why the desire for depth is both common and natural. What we most often, or at least most programmatically, ask questions about are those texts I have been mentioning. As I have intimated, such a text, particularly a text of words, is a curious kind of being, neither a living soul nor a mere rigid thing. What a book might be, such that it could have genuine depth, is a question that should arise over and over in the tutorials and the seminars. That books do have depth is shown by the fact that they induce questions, the directed desire to open them up. I want to end by giving a sample of a deep text and a demonstration of the beginning of a reading, a mere knock at its gate, so to speak. The text is a saying by Heraclitus. Heraclitus flourished about 500 B.C. He was early among those who inquired into the nature of things, and he had a contemporary antagonist, Parmenides. You will see from your sheets that Heraclitus said that it is wise to agree that "All things are one. • Parmenides said things that, on the face of it, seem similar, but whether he meant the same thing as Heraclitus, or something opposite or something incomparable-- that is a matter of ever-live debate. In any case, Heraclitus and Parmenides together embody the great principle of our tradition that I mentioned before; you might call it the "the principle of responsive differentiation." However, I shall not try to talk about Heraclitus's actual wisdom tonight-- that along with the previous questions: "What is philosophy?," "What is a solid?," "What is a cave?," "What is a book?," I leave to future discussion. I shall attend only to the preliminaries with which Heraclitus surrounds his wisdom. Heraclitus's book is largely lost, though as far as we know it was not a treatise but a book of sayings. Even in ancient times it had a reputation for depth; the tragedian Euripides said of it that it required a Delian diver-- the divers from the island Delos (which means the "Manifest" or "Clear") were evidently famous for diving deep and bringing things to light. 8 �DEPTH AND DESIRE BRANN The sayi�g I have chosen goes: OVK IIJOU &:ua TOU Aoyou aKQU aaVTas 611oAoydv aoq�ov AaTw lv 1rav-Ta dva& Transliterated it reads ouk emou alia tou logou akousantas homologein sophon estin ben panta einai. On the surface this saying is in Greek and needs to be translated. Since I have argued that surfaces are, like traditional Japanese packaging, an integral part of the contents, they must be carefully and patiently undone. Now to put Heraclitus's Greek into English is, up to a certain point, not hard. Your Greek manual will tell you about the "accusative absolute" and about various infinitives, and your Greek dictionaries will give you the meaning of "listening," of "wise" (which you are already familiar with in philosophy), and of "agree." "Logos" is one of the But then you look up logos. tremendous words of our tradition, to which it is, once again, my privilege to introduce you. Without even looking it up, I can give you the following meanings: Word and speech, saying and story, tally and tale, ratio and relation, account and explanation (that was the meaning which occurred in the word "ichthyologist"), argument and discussion, reason and reasoning, collection and gathering, the word of God and the son of God. As you learn Greek you will see what it is about the root-meaning of logos that makes this great scope of significance possible. But how are you to choose? You are caught in a vicious circle: Unless you know what Heraclitus means by logos you cannot choose the right English translation, and unless you discover the right English word you cannot know what he means by his saying. However, sensible people find ways to scramble themselves out of this bind. Try a meaning that makes good immediate sense: choose "reasoning." Listening not to me but to my reasoning, it is wise to agree that all things are one. This yields a saying that is particularly pertinent to us, since 9 �BRANN DEPTII AND DESIRE it might be posted over every seminar door. For though we must look into each other's faces, we must not get stuck on personalities. Each seminar member has a right to say: "Never mind me, answer my argument." Heraclitus is introducing a great notion into the Western world here: Not who says it matters but what is said. But there is more signifying surface to the saying. Listen to its sound and notice that in the second line the word homologein sounds like logos. "Agree" is a good first meaning but it does not preserve the similarity of sound. Homologein literally means "to say the same." Let me try that, and for "my reasoning" I will substitute "the Saying." If you listen not to me but to the Saying, it is wise to say the same: that all things are one. Now what sense does that make? What Saying? Whose saying other than Heraclitus's own? Suppose the translation did make sense, then Heraclitus is saying that there is a saying that can be heard beyond his own, a speech to which we must listen, a speaking that it would be the part of wisdom to echo in what we say. What impersonal speech could that be? Heraclitus in fact tells us not what the logos is, but what it says, for he bids us to say the same: "All things are one." What if this saying, of which no human being is the author, where a power whose saying and doing were one and the same? What if its speech were an act? Let me play with a third, somewhat strange, version: Once you have listened not to me but to the Gathering, it is wise similarly to gather all things into one. Here logos is translated as gathering or collection. It is the power that gathers everything in the world into a unified whole, the organizing power we are invited to imitate by giving a comprehensive account of the universe in speech. The logos speaks primally; our logos becomes deep by imitating it. I think by now the text has begun to draw us through its surface into its depth. You can see that it demands of you the playful seriousness I mentioned at the beginning, a seriousness that calls out all your capacity for careful attention to surface detail as well as your willingness to dive into the depths. io �BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE Here I shall stop. But although I am ending, I am not finished-- and neither, of course, are you. If you have in fact listened not only to me but also to my argument, and if you are possessed by the proper freshman spirit, now is your moment, the part of the Friday night lecture that is the true St. John's: the time for questions. 11 �A NOTE ABOUT THE TEXT This lecture was written and edited in WordPerfect 5.1. All headings, subheadings, and body text are set in Times Roman. Typesetting, editing, and printing were done at the St. John's Print Shop. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts. For more information, and a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a>. Click on <a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context formallectureseriesannapolis Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Depth and desire Description An account of the resource Typescript of a lecture delivered on August 31, 1990 by Eva Brann as part of the Formal Lecture Series. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brann, Eva T. H. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1990-08-31 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College has been given permission to make this item available online. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Bib # 57332 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Taken from the St. John's Review, Volume XXIX, Number 3, 1989-90. It was originally the opening lecture of the 1990-91 academic year at St. John's College, Annapolis. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Relation A related resource <a title="Audio recording" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/326">Audio recording</a> Deans Friday night lecture St. John's Review Tutors https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/b70c11230755fc2c9e5a92d0bdc64ed4.mp3 7a33a2c43ca112db6876e3c9e72f677b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts. For more information, and a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a>. Click on <a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context formallectureseriesannapolis Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data audio cassette Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:35:24 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Depth and desire Description An account of the resource Audio recording of a lecture delivered on August 31, 1990 by Eva Brann as part of the Formal Lecture Series. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brann, Eva T. H. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1990-08-31 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College has been given permission to make this item available online. Type The nature or genre of the resource sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource mp3 Subject The topic of the resource Heraclitus, of Ephesus Communism Relation A related resource <a title="Typescript" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/5">Typescript</a> Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Bib # 10245 Deans Friday night lecture Tutors https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/89b849ef04ab118959d4c10bc7a0b8b6.pdf df1e351180fe413f4f4c503ea6df510c PDF Text Text This .naienai may De protected by Gopynght iavi- (Title 17 U.S. Cod^ 1794 DEPTH AND DESIRE EVA BRAl'IN St. John’s College Annapolis, Friday, August 31, 1990 �St. John’s College Library. .Apn.T.iolis. Marv'and- DEPTH AND DESIRE Eva Brann Annapolis, Friday, August 31, 1990 y an old tradition the first lecture of the year is dedicated to ____the new members of our college, to the freshman students and the freshman tutors. It is a chance to tell you something about the shape and the spirit of the Program that governs St. John’s Collegeand not only to tell you but perhaps even to show you. I think I am right in this spirit v/hen I begin by examining the class-name I just called you by: freshmen. A freshman, my etymological dictionaries tell me, is a person "not tainted, sullied or worn," a still-fresh human being, where "fresh" means, so the dictionary points out, both "frisky" and "impertinent." Later on in the year you will learn a weighty Greek word applicable to persons of frisky impertinence. They are said to have thvmos. spiritedness or plain spunk, a characteristic necessary for serious learning. This spirited frame of mind is perfectly compatible with being shy and secretly a little scared. In fact, to my mind, it is a sign of quality in newcomers to be anxious for their own dignity in the way that shows itself in spirited shyness. It is our business, the business of the faculty and of the more responsible upper class students, to help your spiritedness to become serious, to emerge from the shyness- whether it be of the quiet or the boisterous sort, to help you channel your energy into a steady desire for learning and to direct your boldness toward the discovery of depth and, moreover, to help you without leaving you tainted, sullied, and worn out. I keep saying "help," because although great changes are bound to take place in you in these next years- do but behold the seniors: unsullied, untainted, unworn and transfigured- we none of us know who should get the most credit besides yourself: the Program, our teaching, your friendships or just plain time passing. At any rate, the spirit of the college is invested in seriousness, a certain kind of seriousness— not dead seriousness but live seriousness, you might say. This seriousness shows itself on many occasions: in deep or heated conversations in the noon sun or at midnight, in marathons of effort and in the oblivion of sleep, in devoted daily preparation and in glorious goofing-off, in the B 1 �BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE willingness to try on opinions and in the need to come to conclusions. What does your school do to induce this very particular kind of seriousness? When you chose to come to St. John’s you were, perhaps, attracted by the fact that the mode of teaching normal in higher education is quite abnormal here. I mean lectures. Only one lecture a week is an integral part of the Program, on Fridays at 8:15 P.M. Now the chief thing about a lecture is that it is prepared ahead of time. For instance, I began working on this lecture in March. A lecture ought to be the temporarily final word, the best a speaker has to give you at the moment. It should not matter whether the surface of the speech is brilliant or drab, as long as it is a deliberate and well-prepared opening of the speaker’s heart and mind to the listeners. As such it carries authority. These authoritative occasions are obviously important to the life of the school. Yet our normal way is not the prepared lecture but the focused conversation which is effervescent rather than prepared, provisional rather than authoritative, and participatory rather than reactive. Your tutors will not tell you but ask you; they will not demonstrate acquired knowledge, but the activity of learning. One reason why the teaching of new tutors- and some of your classes will be taught by newcomers- is often most memorable to freshmen is that their learning is genuinely original and keeps sympathetic pace with yours. There is an irresistible but false local etymology of the word tutor as "one who toots," perhaps his own horn. What the word tutor really signifies is a person who guards and watches learning. We are deliberately not called professors because we profess no special expertise. Since you will not be told things, you will have to speak yourselves. What will you speak about? The Program will ask you to focus your conversation on certain texts- they might be books or scores or paintings. These texts have been selected over the years by us because they have the living seriousness I am trying to speak about. To my mind texts, like people, are serious when they have a surface that arouses the desire to know them and the depth to fulfill that desire. Here then, is my announced theme for tonight: the depth that calls forth desire. To delineate that depth I must once again distinguish our kind of conversation, the kind associated with such texts, from the 2 BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE kind of fellowship to be found in other places. All over this country, and wherever the conditions for some human happiness exist, there are people who know all there is to know about some field that they till with a single-minded love. This is the blessed race of buffs, aficionados and those rare professionals who have had the grace to remain amateurs at heart. They study history or race stock cars or do biology or fly hot-air balloons. My own favorite fanatic is the young son of a graduate of St. John’s. This boy is persistently in love with fish, with the hooks, flies, sinkers, leaders, reels and rods for catching them, with the books for studying them, with the aquaria, ponds, lakes and oceans for observing them. When I first met him he looked up at me shyly and asked if I knew what an ichthyologist was. Since I knew some Greek I knew the etymology of the word and could tell him that it is a person who can give an account of fish, so he was satisfied with me. This boy may have his troubles but he is also acquainted with bliss. TTiis kind of concentrated bliss we cannot deliver to you, except perhaps in limited extracurricular ways. Instead we, or rather the Program, will drive you through centuries of time and diversities of opinion, while depriving you of the freedom and the serenity to till and to master a well-defined field of your own choosing. You will study Greek and invest hours in memoiizing paradigms, but your tutorial is not a Greek class- it is a language tutorial in which Greek is studied only partly for its own virtues, and partly as a striking and, for you, a novel example of human speech and its possibilities. You will study Euclid and demonstrate many prepositions, yet your tutorial is not intended to make you geometers but to allow you to think about the activity of mathematics. In short, you will be asked to read many books carefully and to study many matters in some detail only to find them passing away, becoming mere examples in the conversation. And these fugitive texts will almost all bear their excellence, their worthiness to be studied exhaustively, on their face, for we try to pick the ideal examples. This procedure is practically guaranteed to keep you off-balance, even to drive you a little crazy, since you will not often have the satisfaction of dwelling on anything and of mastering it. How do we dare do this to you? Here is a strange but unavoidable fact: Those who plow with devotion and pleasure and increasing mastery some bounded plot on the globe of knowledge often undergo a professional 3 �BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE deformalion. They lose first the will and then the ability to go deep. To be sure, specialists are often said to know their subjects "in depth," but that is not the depth I mean. Let me illustrate with an example I have a special affection for. I began my academic life as an archaeologist, and the first thing archaeologists do is to dig deep past the present surface of the earth, or rather they scrape it away layer by layer. But with every stratum they scrape away they find themselves at a new surface, the surface of a former age. They poke into time- a magical enough activity-but they do not pretend to pierce the nature of things. For example, there would come up from the depths of a well-shaft an ancient pot. I would catalogue it by naming its form, say; kotvle. a kind of cup; by giving its dimensions: H. 0.108 m.; diam. 0.135 m; by describing its proportions: deep bodied, narrow-footed; by interpreting the picture painted on it: a rabbit- this is the pot-painter being funny- jumping a tracking hound from behind; by conjecturing about the provenance and the stylistic influences: made in Attica under Corinthian influence; and by assigning a date: third quarter of the seventh century B.C. Was I required to consider what I meant by dimensions, proportions, styles, images, funniness, influences, places? Not a bitthat would have meant time out and profitless distraction from my business, which was to know all about the looks and appearances of the pottery of Athens in early times. What this Program of ours offers you is exactly that time out, and that splendid distraction. People will say of you, when you have graduated, that you have 4 BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE acquired a broad background. But your education will have been broad only in a very incidental and sketchy way- certainly not in the fashion of a close-knit tapestry that is a continuous texture of interwoven warp and woof. Many of the books you are about to read do tie into one another. Sometimes a book written by an ancient Greek will (I am not being funny) talk back to one written by a modern American, or the opposite— the strands that connect these books seem to run back and forth and sideways through time. But some books will stand, at least as we read them, in splendid isolation, and all in all the texts we study do not add up to a texture of knowledge: There is no major called "Great Books. How could there be competence in a tradition whose moving impulse is to undercut every wisdom in favor of a yet deeper one? There is not even agreement whether this tradition of ours advances or degenerates with time, whether its authors are all talking about the same thing, though in a different way, or in apparently similar ways about quite incomparable things. Here is what the books do seem to me to have in common: They intend to go into the depths of things. All the authors, even those subtly self-contradictory ones who claim that there are no depths but only surfaces, are deep in the way I mean. This desire for depth, then, is what will hold your studies here together. There is a word for this effort, to which it is my privilege to introduce you tonight. The word is philosophy. The term is put together from two Greek words, philos. an adjective used of someone who feels friendly, even passionate love, and sophia. which means wisdom or deep knowledge. When I say that your school is devoted to philosophy, the love of deep knowledge, I mean that all our authors want to dravv you deep into their matter, whether by words, symbols, notes or visual shapes. Incidentally, in a few weeks a lecturer, a tutor from Santa Fe, will come and contradict me; he has told me that he will say that what we do needn’t bear the name of philosophy at all. Let that be a subject for future discussion, and let me come to the heart of my lecture tonight. It is .he question what depth is and how is possible. 1 think we are alj inclined to suppose that literal, actual depth belongs to bodies and space and that people or texts are deep only by analogy, metaphor cally speaking. I want to propose that here, as sj often in philosophy, it is 5 �BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE really the other way around: it is the body that is deep merely metaphorically, as a matter of speaking, while the soul and its expression alone are deep in the primary sense. Certainly the depth of a body or a space is elusive. If a body has a perfectly hard and impenetrable surface, its depth must be forever beyond our experience— a kind of hard, inaccessible nothingness. On the other hand, let the physical body have a hollow in it— such caves are powerful allegories of depth and you will in the next four years come across some famous holes: the grotto of Calypso, the underground chamber in Plato’s Republic. Don Quixote’s cavern of Montesinos. Now ask yourself: Where actually is the depth? The containing boundaries of the hollow are all faces of the body, and no matter how deep you seem to be inside the body, you are still on its surface, just as I argued before about archaeological excavations. Now consider matterless bodies, geometric solids. Euclid says in Book XI that a solid has length, breadth, and depth, but he gives us no way to tell which is which: it depends on your perspective- in fact all three dimensions are lengths delineating the surfaces that he says are the extremity of the solid. What is inside that solid, what its inwardness or true depth is, he does not feel obliged to say. These are questions you might want to raise in your mathematics tutorials: Can one gel inside a geometric solid? How? Bodies, I am suggesting, are either too hard or too involuted or loo featureless or loo empty to have true depth. Only divine or human beings and the texts they produce- texts made of words, notes, paint, stones, what have you- can be literally deep or profound. For I attribute depth or profundity to that which is of a truly different order from the surface that covers and hides it. And it must be the inside and foundation of just that surface, so that we can gain entrance to it through that particular outside and through no other. Every depth must be sought through its own proper surface which it both denies or negates and supplies with significance: the surface that hides its own depth is never superficial. Human beings seem to me the most obvious example of such depth. All human beings have a surface, namely the face and figure they present. I personally think that in real life almost all people also have an inside, their soul, their depth. But there are some famous novels in which characters are described who are nothing but 6 BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE empty shells. Against their impenetrable surface those whom they attract by the insidiously unflawed beauty peculiar to facades that hide nothing break themselves, or if they tear through, they fall into nothingness. However, these are fictions, and actual human beings have by the very fact of their humanity an inner sanctum. We begin by noting, casually, their face, their demeanor. As our interest awakens we proceed to read more carefully, to watch their appearance ardently for what it signifies. If we are lucky, they may open up to us, as we do to them. If we go about it right, this interpretative process need never come to an end, for the human inside, or to give it, once again, its proper name, the soul, is a true mystery. By a true mystery I mean a profundity whose bottom we can never seem to plumb though we have a persistent faith )n its actuality. I think that for us human beings only depths and mysteries induce viable desire. For love entirely without longing is not possible among human beings. Many a failure of love follovs on the- usually falseopinion that we have exhausted the other person’s inside, that there is no further promise of depth. It is not only in respect to living human beings that depth calls forth desire. This college would not be the close human community that it is if you did not get to know some human beings deeply- which is called friendship. But such love is only the essential by-product (to coin a contradictory phrase) of our philosophical Program, a program that encourages the love of certain para-human beings. These para-human beings are the expressions of the human soul, our texts, as well as the things they talk about. Let me take a moment to ask whether this particular desire for depth I keep referring to is common among human beings or even natural. I say it is absolutely natural and very common. You will see what I mean when I tell you what I think is the nature of desire. Desire seems to me to be a kind of negative form or a shaped emptiness in the soul, a place in the spirit expecting to be filled, a kind of psychic envelope wailing to be stuffed with its proper contents. Now take a long leap and ask yourself what a question is. A question is a negative form or shap^ emptiness in the mind, a place in thought waiting to be filled, a psychic envelope ready to be supplied with its proper message. Questions therefore have the same 7 �BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE structure as desires. In fact questions are a subspecies of desire: a question is desire directed upon wisdom or knowledge. Therefore I might go so far as to say that this school teaches the shaping of desire— because here we practice asking deep questions. Now I think that very many, probably all, human beings would like to ask such questions if they only knew how. That is why the desire for depth is both common and natural. What we most often, or at least most programmatically, ask questions about are those texts I have been mentioning. As I have intimated, such a text, particularly a text of words, is a curious kind of being, neither a living soul nor a mere rigid thing. What a book might be, such that it could have genuine depth, is a question that should arise over and over in the tutorials and the seminars. That books do have depth is shown by the fact that they induce questions, the directed desire to open them up. I want to end by giving a sample of a deep text and a demonstration of the beginning of a reading, a mere knock at its gate, so to speak. The text is a saying by Heraclitus. Heraclitus flourished about 500 B.C. He was early among those who inquired into the nature of things, and he had a contemporary antagonist, Parmenides. You will see from your sheets that Heraclitus said that it is wise to agree that "All things are one." Parmenides said things that, on the face of it, seem similar, but whether he meant the same thing as Heraclitus, or something opposite or something incomparable- that is a matter of ever-live debate. In any case, Heraclitus and Parmenides together embody the great principle of our tradition that I mentioned before; you might call it the "the principle of responsive differentiation." However, I shall not try to talk about Heraclitus’s actual wisdom tonight- that along with the previous questions; "What is philosophy?," "What is a solid?," "What is a cave?," "What is a book?," I leave to future discussion. I shall attend only to the preliminaries with which Heraclitus surrounds his wisdom. Heraclitus’s book is largely lost, though as far as we know it was not a treatise but a book of sayings. Even in ancient times it had a reputation for depth; the tragedian Euripides said of it that it required a Delian diver- the divers from the island Delos (which means the "Manifest" or "Clear") were evidently famous for diving deep and bringing things to light. DEPTH AND DESIRE BRANN The saying I have chosen goes: oOk tuou dXXdc Tou Xdyou dxouaavTas dpioXoydv 90ip6v laTiv Iv -irdvTa flvai Transliterated it reads ouk emou alia tou logou akousantas homologein sophon estin hen panta einai. On the surface this saying is in Greek and needs to be translated. Since I have argued that surfaces are, like traditional Japanese packaging, an integral part of the contents, they must be carefully and patiently undone. Now to put Heraclitus’s Greek into English is, up to a certain point, not hard. Your Greek manual will tell you about the "accusative absolute" and about various infinitives, and your Greek dictionaries will give you the meaning of "listening," of "wise" (which you are already familiar with in philosophy), and of "agree." But then you look up logos. "Logos" is one of the tremendous words of our tradition, to which it is, once again, my privilege to introduce you. Without even looking it up, I can give you the following meanings: Word and speech, saying and story, tally and tale, ratio and relation, account and explanation (that was the meaning which occurred in the word "ichthyologist"), argument and discussion, reason and reasoning, collection and gathering, the word of God and the son of God. As you learn Greek you will see what it is about the root-meaning of logos that makes this great scope of significance possible. But how are you to choose? You are caught in a vicious circle: Unless you know what Heraclitus means by logos you cannot choose the right English translation, and unless you discover the right English word you cannot know what he means by his saying. However, sensible people find ways to scramble themselves out of this bind. Try a meaning that makes good immediate sense: choose "reasoning." Listening not to me but to my reasoning, it is wise to agree that all things are one. This yields a saying that is particularly pertinent to us, since 8 ov'er dcor. For J �BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE look into each other’s faces, we must not get stuck on personalities. Each seminar member has a right to say: "Never mind me, answer my argument." Heraclitus is introducing a great notion into the Western world here: Not who says it matters but what is said. But there is more signifying surface to the saying. Listen to its sound and notice that in the second line the word homologein sounds like logos. "Agree" is a good first meaning but it does not preserve the similarity of sound. Homologein literally means "to say the same." Let me try that, and for "my reasoning" I will substitute "the Saying." BRANN DEPTH AND DESIRE Here I shall stop. But although I am ending, I am not finished— and neither, of course, are you. If you have in fact listened not only to me but also to my argument, and if you are possessed by the proper freshman spirit, now is your moment, the part of the Friday night lecture that is the true St. John’s: the time for questions. If you listen not to me but to the Saying, it is wise to say the same: that all things are one. Now what sense does that make? What Saying? Whose saying other than Heraclitus’s own? Suppose the translation did make sense, then Heraclitus is saying that there is a saying that can be heard beyond his own, a speech to which we must listen, a speaking that it would be the part of wisdom to echo in what we say. What impersonal speech could that be? Heraclitus in fact tells us not what the logos is, but what it says, for he bids us to say the same: "All things are one." What if this saying, of which no human being is the author, where a power whose saying and doing were one and the same? What if its speech were an act? Let me play with a third, somewhat strange, version: Once you have listened not to me but to the Gathering, it is wise similarly to gather all things into one. Here logos is translated as gathering or collection. It is the power that gathers everything in the world into a unified whole, the organizing power we are invited to imitate by giving a comprehensive account of the universe in speech. The logos speaks primally; our logos becomes deep by imitating it. I think by now the text has begun to draw us through its surface into its depth. You can see that it demands of you the playful seriousness I mentioned at the beginning, a seriousness that calls out all your capacity for careful attention to surface detail as well as your willingness to dive into the depths. 10 11 �A NOTE ABOUT THE TEXT This lecture was written and edited in WordPerfect 5.1. All headings, subheadings, and body text are set in Times Roman. 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Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context formallectureseriesannapolis Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 9 pages Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Depth and Desire Description An account of the resource Typescript of a lecture delivered on August 31, 1990 by Eva Brann as part of the Formal Lecture Series. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brann, Eva T. H. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1990-08-31 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College has been given permission to make this item available online. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Subject The topic of the resource College freshmen Depth (Philosophy) Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Brann_Eva_1990-08-31 Deans Friday night lecture Tutors