#The Plight of Familiarity

68 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

crimson walrus
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All ye unwary, all ye darkling, come fall within the white embrace.
Prithee, let it wash away your sin, let it seep through your sanctum sanctorum
Bear with it the color of purity
For, of course, bear thyself unto it
Relict not upon your ankle
None may be exempt
Go abreast with thine quintessence
For now it is yours
Wallow, wallow, go heartily so it may be imbibed, be it your blood
In his image, meet Mnemosyne, and assign it to yours;
walk across the oxbow.
-Empress of empresses, lethargy

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I am ready to offer a full explanation if anyone is curious

crimson walrus
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@lapis mauve

main topaz
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Alright so it seems I have to read archaically

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Uno momento

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Is this a poem about a mythological being you deem to be good called lethargy?

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And how it can cleanse thy sins

crimson walrus
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I will provide you with hints

unreal wedgeBOT
crimson walrus
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You do not necessarily have to read archaically

vapid sable
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All ye all ye🔥🔥

crimson walrus
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That language is a purposeful choice

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it should be a realization once you reach the end of the poem

crimson walrus
main topaz
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Is the poem about God?

crimson walrus
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how familiar are you with the greek pantheon?

main topaz
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not at all

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seemingly

crimson walrus
main topaz
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I see some parts of the poem are written in latin

crimson walrus
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That's latin

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it translates literally to holy of holies

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honestly this poem is incredibly allusive and cryptic

main topaz
crimson walrus
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it takes multiple close reading I think

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you said greek

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...?

main topaz
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😂

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Im only kidding

crimson walrus
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ohhh okay mb😭😭

main topaz
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How many poems have u written?

crimson walrus
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depends on what you count

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formally probably about 50 or so

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but like my notes app has "ideas" for about 200 or so now

main topaz
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informally?

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So a lot of poems

crimson walrus
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i suppose so

main topaz
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Would you mind checking mine out?

crimson walrus
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i wouldn't mind why not

main topaz
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Alrighty then. Which genre; sadness, romance, or serene

crimson walrus
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serene

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make sure to put it in the post own thing though

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so other people have a better chance of seeing it

main topaz
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I have

crimson walrus
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bet

vapid sable
crimson walrus
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The Plight of Familiarity is a deceptive lament of oblivion

obtuse tulip
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The tone is almost ceremonial n gives a religious imagery. It sounds good n has good rhythm. The imagery also is very good like “white embrace” and “wallow…be it your blood”. The only major critiques I got it 1) images like relict not upon ur ankle” and “go abreast w thine quintessence” r so ambiguous they disrupt the imagery of the poem and 2) the ending w empress of empresses, lethargy” is compelling n I like it but it don’t fit like it seems abrupt like there is context missing

crimson walrus
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That is it

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this poem is an exercise in understanding

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Lethe is the Goddess of oblivion

obtuse tulip
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I didn’t understand any of it or what it might b about lol

crimson walrus
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precisely

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I will try to explain it in my own words

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but the poem itself is already the verbalization of the thought

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so this will still be somewhat cryptic

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"All ye wary, all ye darkling" is a homage to nativity and the birth of Jesus, which is partially why I start the poem with it. It is a beginning of beginnings, and one of the most well recognized calls to salvation. Its quite the popular hymn on christmas day

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"come fall within the white embrace" is not separate from the previous because the two are aligned with the same goal, and spoken by the same person. White, after all, is most commonly associated with purity and holiness, as well as death and remembrance. These concepts are absolutely vital to the rest of the poem

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"Prithee, wash away your sin, let it seep through your sanctum sanctorum" is colligated as a whole and not broken like the previous line for the exact same reason--it is spoken by the same person for the same purpose. It has 3 main meanings: Prithee, the plea, softly urging the reader to let themselves slip into the white embrace(the embrace of purity, innocence, remembrance, death, and holiness); wash away your sin, the baptism, as Lethe itself is a river, and the first baptisms orchestrated by Jesus himself were done in the river Jordan--this also coincides with the beginning, as baptisms are renewal as well; and Let it seep through your sanctum sanctorum.

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that last part is literal latin for "holy of holies" so the the speaker(still unknown to the reader) is softly directing the reader to let the white embrace into their holiest place--their heart, soul, mind, or wherever the consciousness is centered. However, sanctum sanctorum is most often used when talking about the most sacred part of a temple or church, where god himself already lies. Why would the lord need admission into this place he is already innate in? This should be the clearest hint at Lethe.

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Imma continue this later I jsut don't feel like it rn

unreal wedgeBOT
alpine pine
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Good work on the poem and an introduction to Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory), i get what you mean it's almost a prayer to her.

crimson walrus
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the confrontation with mnemosyne at the end is a final goodbye and a testament to vanity

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ill get into it

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but what you say is an interesting take

unreal wedgeBOT