Line 48: "En fict, she's no age atoll: she's orl her silves at whence, curdle to gravey, won insight the ether like a sat of Rushin' dirlls."
Non-Lucy-Lips Version: "In fact, she's no age at all: she's all her selves at once, cradle to grave, one inside the other like a set of Russian dolls."
"En"
Like the "Russian dolls" at the end of the sentence, Lucia is within herself. Every age experienced at once. This is the way I've always explained aging and why in my early to mid 20s, I fell in love with the cartoon Sailor Moon. It wasn't because I was a 20-something year old pervert. It was because I was also still my junior high school self remembering those heartaches and crushes and the intimacy of close young teenage friendships. It's why older people still feel so young; they were younger for many more years than the age they are now. They'll always feel all of those years mixed up. Your past experiences make you who you are and you don't stop being a five year old staring in awed wonder at your first butterfly simply because that time has passed. You are always that five year old. You will never again be that five year old. Lucia, though, it is suggested that she even remembers her future ("cradle to grave") as Snowy Vernall did.
"fict"
"Fact" twisted into "fiction." Lucia's isn't literally different ages depending on her mood. But she metaphorically is and, within her mind, metaphorical is a good enough "fiction" to become "fact."
"atoll"
A ring-shaped reef formed by coral. The shape is reminiscent of a torus, the shape Snowy Vernall was obsessed with. Also "a toll" in that Lucia's "age" may be taking "a toll" on her.
"orl"
Lucia is "all" of her selves at once meaning she is one age "or" another, varying from moment to moment and place to place.
"silves"
Golden years are the years spent by an elderly person. "Silver" would probably mean middle-aged years then? Perhaps meaning currently she feels younger than her actual age. This could also reference "sylvan/elves" as she's out in nature, crossing the lawn and heading toward the grove of trees.
"whence"
Lucia is the source of all her selves?
"curdle"
Suggestive of milk as a baby in a "cradle" would drink. Milk also "curdles" or sours as it ages. Lucia has soured to certain aspects of life. But not all as we'll see!
"gravey"
Lucia's death is imminent as she flounces toward the grave. But also every year is "gravy," to be savoured and enjoyed. If Lucia has soured over time, she still greets every day with "delight" and "joy."
"won insight"
Wisdom and "insight" are hard "won." "Inside" Lucia are many "insights" "won" from her many years of "experience," possibly mainly due to all of her "errors."
"ether"
The sky. Or an anesthetic. Being under the open sky sedates Lucia in a pleasant, stress-free fog.
"sat"
Lucia has a "set" of dolls of herself "sat" inside her.
"Rushin' dirlls."
"Russian dolls" with "rushing girls." Rivers "rush" and so Lucia is a "rushing girl" or "rushing river." "Dirlls" could also be "drills" as in if a person were to "drill" down into Lucia, they would find smaller and smaller, or younger and younger, versions of herself.
Non-Lucy-Lips Version: "In fact, she's no age at all: she's all her selves at once, cradle to grave, one inside the other like a set of Russian dolls."
"En"
Like the "Russian dolls" at the end of the sentence, Lucia is within herself. Every age experienced at once. This is the way I've always explained aging and why in my early to mid 20s, I fell in love with the cartoon Sailor Moon. It wasn't because I was a 20-something year old pervert. It was because I was also still my junior high school self remembering those heartaches and crushes and the intimacy of close young teenage friendships. It's why older people still feel so young; they were younger for many more years than the age they are now. They'll always feel all of those years mixed up. Your past experiences make you who you are and you don't stop being a five year old staring in awed wonder at your first butterfly simply because that time has passed. You are always that five year old. You will never again be that five year old. Lucia, though, it is suggested that she even remembers her future ("cradle to grave") as Snowy Vernall did.
"fict"
"Fact" twisted into "fiction." Lucia's isn't literally different ages depending on her mood. But she metaphorically is and, within her mind, metaphorical is a good enough "fiction" to become "fact."
"atoll"
A ring-shaped reef formed by coral. The shape is reminiscent of a torus, the shape Snowy Vernall was obsessed with. Also "a toll" in that Lucia's "age" may be taking "a toll" on her.
"orl"
Lucia is "all" of her selves at once meaning she is one age "or" another, varying from moment to moment and place to place.
"silves"
Golden years are the years spent by an elderly person. "Silver" would probably mean middle-aged years then? Perhaps meaning currently she feels younger than her actual age. This could also reference "sylvan/elves" as she's out in nature, crossing the lawn and heading toward the grove of trees.
"whence"
Lucia is the source of all her selves?
"curdle"
Suggestive of milk as a baby in a "cradle" would drink. Milk also "curdles" or sours as it ages. Lucia has soured to certain aspects of life. But not all as we'll see!
"gravey"
Lucia's death is imminent as she flounces toward the grave. But also every year is "gravy," to be savoured and enjoyed. If Lucia has soured over time, she still greets every day with "delight" and "joy."
"won insight"
Wisdom and "insight" are hard "won." "Inside" Lucia are many "insights" "won" from her many years of "experience," possibly mainly due to all of her "errors."
"ether"
The sky. Or an anesthetic. Being under the open sky sedates Lucia in a pleasant, stress-free fog.
"sat"
Lucia has a "set" of dolls of herself "sat" inside her.
"Rushin' dirlls."
"Russian dolls" with "rushing girls." Rivers "rush" and so Lucia is a "rushing girl" or "rushing river." "Dirlls" could also be "drills" as in if a person were to "drill" down into Lucia, they would find smaller and smaller, or younger and younger, versions of herself.
No comments:
Post a Comment