Pix: Lovecraftian poesy…
A. Landscape of the Ipswich marshes.
B. On Old Ipswich…
C. National Magazine collection.
D. “Shadow Over Innsmouth”, the radio drama adaptation!
E. Root difference between local/control plant & an invasive/water logged weed.
F & G. Expectation & delusion can charm the human mind!!
H. Fen ‘quick’ sand is mostly mud in which living creatures can become stuck in!
Intro: This is, perhaps, Lovecraft’s 1st poem to be published, in The National Magazine, a professional journal.
HPL wrote it before he actually reached Ipswich for a visit…
But, the area made such an impression on him that Howard referenced it in his “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” story of December, 1931 - 14 years later!
Title: “On Receiving a Picture of the Marshes of Ipswich” (January, 1917).
Body Text:
High over the fen the shielding verdure¹ shoots
And hides the marshy rankness² at the roots;
The passing glance a waving plain beholds,
Nor marks the watery waste the green enfolds:³
Thus pleasing prospects charm⁴ the distant eye,
But fade & tarnish as the gaze draws nigh;⁵
Thus sceptered pomp,⁶ magnificently bright,
Turns dross⁷ & tawdry to the closer sight.
Judge not the world by the wealth of outward show,
But test the firmness of the soil below!⁸
Notes:
1. Verdure usually means “lush, healthy vegetation” or “fresh, thriving plants.”
Slang wise, it refers to a “state of high vitality” & “flourishing, vibrant” - even “youthful.”
2. Rankness, in British slang describes a “nasty, disgusting” & “gross smells, bad quality” or “coarse, vulgar behavior.”
Yet,
In American rodeo slang, a rank refers to a “vicious animal.”
Rank is used as a compliment for any “tough bucking horse” or “bull.”
3. Enfold usually means “to surround completely” & “embrace” or “enclose.”
But, here, Lovecraft uses it to describe the natural & mental phenomena of “covering” or “hiding” the dangerous fen due to its distance.
4. Charm, here, is a “compelling quality that attracts one” - usually because of a perceived beauty.
It’s a “persuasive influence” that sets up a mental expectation that enchants &/or blinds one to hidden dangers.
5. Nigh is an old, obsolete word that only exists as a poetic term meaning “at” or “close, nearby.”
This carries over in relation to time, kinship & spiritual “nearness.”
6. Pomp describes a “magnificent, stately” or “ceremonial display” that involves “elaborate, formal” & “splendid shows that are excessively vain.”
These are grand public events like: royal weddings, awards shows, parades, religious processions - even some political inaugurations.
7. Dross is “garbage, (anything) worth- less” or “of low quality.”
Here, it’s the “mass of impurities” or “swamp scum” floating in the watery marsh, which is seen as a danger.
8. The last two lines are the 'lesson’/ poetic advice: Don’t trust the deception of the senses, wealth is a false value & the firmness of morality is a hidden quality that requires effort to utulize…
It mirrors the Bible’s 1 Samuel 16:7, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
One could even say, “Don’t judge The Necronomicon by its cover…”
Enjoy.
