Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0001015, Sun, 3 Mar 1996 11:24:33 -0800

Subject
Re: Transparent Things query (fwd)
Date
Body
From: VESTERMAN@zodiac.rutgers.edu

VN liked the ginkgo tree in Pale Fire:
THE SACRED TREE
The ginkgo leaf, in golden hue, when shed,
A muscat grape,
Is an old-fashioned butterfly, ill-spread,
In shape.
Note to line 49. The spelling variant may be from its being
copied from a book by Shade by Queen Disa whose favorite
trees were the jacaranda and the maidenhair, another name for
gingko (DJ).
2. The centurian fruite is both the oranges consumed
post coitum and the girl possessed by the centeaur Jim, a
runner like Centeaurs in the garland brief allusion to A/.
E. Housman (To An Athlete Dying YOung) whose favorite tree
was the cherry.
William Vesterman
Houseman was a member of VN's college and VN's tutor
presented him with A Shropshire Lad one time