tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21432259.post7090519606604113473..comments2023-09-07T18:57:41.344+01:00Comments on Early Modern Whale: Arbor vitaeDrRoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351695058512676554noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21432259.post-49579832959837335782009-06-01T16:31:13.779+01:002009-06-01T16:31:13.779+01:00Ah, Noel, thanks, I rather think you may have gone...Ah, Noel, thanks, I rather think you may have gone more deeply into this than I have... RoyDrRoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01351695058512676554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21432259.post-24700061008178771192009-05-29T15:13:41.336+01:002009-05-29T15:13:41.336+01:00Hello Roy,
Good to catch you blogging -- if in pa...Hello Roy,<br /><br />Good to catch you blogging -- if in passing -- about the big Du B himself. There seems to have been less of this since about, er, 1620 or so. The trees in Eden are a fun-time for Du Bartas the playful Huguenot(he does a lot of this too in the First Week -- though not all of it comes through in Sylvester). There's a main set-piece of 9 'plant' primates/zoophytes (sorry, but this does appear to be what's going on). They're arranged in 3-3-3 formation (centre 3 very +blood etc in classic Christocentric symbolism form). All 9 represent the precise link in the chain between plants and animals and are thus symbols (ie x9, playfully contra Pseudo-A's 9 angel hierarchy, MULTI-rungs-to-God etc) of that ONE true link between man and God etc etc. So there are various levels of play alluding to (a) a precise link of the chain of being x9 as 'in-between', ONE-link, centre point symbols, as well as (b) more traditional symmetrical centre points in terms of the 3-3-3 christocentricty. [I know, you had to be there really.]I've forgotten how this goes on from this now but obviously the 'highest tree' motif is in there somehow. As far as Milton is concerned, in the PL bower scene the centre of the 9 flowers is red and I've attempted to claim (including at Milton Studies conferences) this may recall Sylvester's translation of Eden which does preserve the 'red centre' 3-3-3 of the original.<br /><br />Ah, Kent Hiatt (sp?) would have been proud -- or perhaps not. Now, where did I put my glasses.<br />NoelNoel Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12415730952693258744noreply@blogger.com