On Recognising Allusions

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 66, 19 March 1938, Page 3 (Supplement)

On Recognising Allusions

4' y°u know the old name for Otago?" a friend asked me the ocher day. I thought hard for a moment, and said I did not; what was it? He handed me a piece cf paper on which was written an extract from an old newspaper: "Mr. X 's speech has fluttered the dove-cotes of Porioli, that is, Otago." I looked at my friend to see if he was jmlling triv leg. No, he really thought that Corioli was the old name of Otago. II e was, I should explain, a man of more than average education and reading. I Blight have said, "You silly ass, don't you know that allusion? Go and read your Shakespeare!" But I felt embarrassed. We were not alone, and I did not like to correct harshly one for whom I had a great respect. Besides, I rememiberecl my own shortcomings in this respect—how I used to be puzzled by references to the "Erclee* vein,"' thinking in a vague way that it had some connection with Eccles in Robertson's "Caste,' and how for years I had supposed that the "gin" in Omar's "with pitfall and "with gin," was the liquor and not the trap. However, I told him gently where it came from. It is Coriolanue, formerly a Roman general, who is speaking:— Cut mo tr> pieces. Voices : men and lads. Stain nil your edgP9 on me. Boy 1 False hound ! If you have writ your annals true, 'tis there. Thnt like an easle in a dove-cote, I Fluttered vmir Volsclans in Corioli; Aluue I did it. My friend enjoyed the joke against himself, and presented me in return with a story 1 would not have missed for the world. He was living in a New Zealand country town when H. B. Irving played "Hamlet" there 25 years ago. Naturally enough people came from miles around to see the eminent actor. Some of the farmers in the audience thought Irving had "gagged" the play! They heard so many familiar sayings, and they did not realise that these came originally from Shakespeare. Here, come to life again, was the dear old lady of the story, who found "Hamlet" so full of quotations. Shakespeare, of course, is like that. You may think you know a play pretty well, and then you see it acted, and sayings leap out at you with barbs of surprise. The truth is that Shakespeare, like the Bible, has become woven into the very stuff of our speech, till we take much of it as a matter of course. I suppose thousands of men have spoken or written of\ fluttering the dove-cotes, and exclaimed "Alone I did it!" without having read "Coriolanus," just as they say, "Lead on. Macduff!" (which is incorrect) without having read "Macbeth," or talked about "escaping by the skin of one's

—By Cyrano

teeth," without having read "Job." (The original saying is "with the skin of my teeth.") A successful business man will say he never reads poetry, doesn't care for it, thinks it weakening stuff, not realising that he talks it, in snatches, every day of his life. Having delivered himself of this indictment of poetry, he may remark to his listener that he doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, or that discretion is the better part of valour, or that something or other is more honoured in the breach than in the observance. Then they have a quick one and talk about the stock market. Recognition of allusions, however, should be considered relatively. Only a combination of Macaulay's schoolboy, Macaulay himself and James P.ryce, who, like Macaulay, took all knowledge for

THE Monarch butterfly has been much in the news this season. Formerly a great rarity in New Zealand, this butterfly has suddenly become quite common in certain suburban areas round Auckland. It is not a truly native species, for it owes its origin here to its great ability as a flyer. Its recent increase in abundance, however, is due to tjje spread of one of its food plants, the swan or duck plant. This plant has recently gained favour with local gardeners and so the Monarch has lately enjoyed a special advantage. Lately not a day has passed without numerous letters and 'phone calls being received informing of occurrences of this striking butterfly in and around Auckland. An average of 12 records per day has been received of late. Devonport supplied the bulk of them. Next came Stanley Bay, Epsom, Mount Eden, Onehunga, Mangere, Point Chevalier and Orakei. Mr. Hemingway, honorary entomologist at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, has given me some interesting particulars of the Monarch, as follows: — The Monarch, also known as the Wanderer, is a member of the great butterfly family known as the Danaidae. Few members of this family ure found in New Zealand, but it is represented by 75 species in Australia. The distinguishing feature of the Monarch is a sex mark on the hind wing. The male Mo iarch

his province, could be expected to recognise everything. But one does come across some amazing failures. Far more surprising than the non-recognition of the Corioli references was a question I was asked years ago in the home of a couple who were earnest and studious. Talk had turned to "In Memoriam," and I found that my hosts did not think much of it. What, I was asked, did I make of the following passage:— To rest beneath the clover sod, That takes the sunshine and the rains, Or where the kneeling hamlet drains The chaiice of the grapes of God. Was this a reference to village sanitation? I was staggered; could people like these be ignorant of the supreme sacrament of the Anglican Church? Pity the poet who writes what to him is as clear as noon-day. But the poet has some obligation to his readers. The most obscure poem of Browning's is "Sordello," which was so incomprehensible to Douglas Jerrold that he feared

■ ho was going mad, and somebody else : (Tennyson. I think) said that there were ; only two intelligible lines in it, the first f and the last; and both of them were [ untrue —"Who will, may hear Sordello's l story told," and "Who would has heard . Sordello's story told." 1 The prose writer and the speaker are c under the same obligation. Once Theo- ' dore Roosevelt, wishing to pulverise an opponent, called him a "Byzantine logothete." Not half of one per cent of , those who heard or read the criticism knew what the reference was. I believe you have to remember your Gibbon to - appreciate the allusion. Popular invec- ; tive is not framed on such lines. ; To return to poetry, there is still much j to be said for Milton's rccipe—that it s should be simple, sensuous and passion - 5 ate. It is certain that unless it is fairly e simple it won't be read to any great s extent. Learning tempts a writer to - recondite allusions, but if he is wise he 1 will resist the impulse.