Need help with interpretation of an excerpt from Moby Dick
Stefan Jakob
I have always been wondering what this excerpt from Moby Dick used by Laurie
Anderson on several occasions means.
Could anyone be so kind as to help me with an interpretation?
##################
Full fathom thy father lies
Of his bones are coral made
Those are pearls that were his eyes
Nothing of him that doth fade
But that suffers a sea change
Into something rich and strange
And I alone am left to tell the tale
Call me Ishmael
##################
Any hint is highly appreciated.
TIA and kindest regards,
Stefan
--
www.nomadland.com
"Heaven is all around -
translated into sound"
Michael Hedges, 1953-1997
Bryce Utting
> I have always been wondering what this excerpt from Moby Dick used by Laurie
> Anderson on several occasions means.
> Could anyone be so kind as to help me with an interpretation?
>
> ##################
>
> Full fathom thy father lies
> Of his bones are coral made
> Those are pearls that were his eyes
> Nothing of him that doth fade
> But that suffers a sea change
> Into something rich and strange
... The Tempest, 1.ii.396-400.
Ariel's song to Ferdinand, leading him into Prospero's realm at
Prospero's bidding. Ferdinand believes his father (Alonso, King of
Naples) drowned in the shipwreck that opens the play. these
words--from a mysterious spirit--get his attention to say the least.
> And I alone am left to tell the tale
Job 1:15, 16, 17, 19: "I alone have escaped to tell you."
Job's suffered a series of catastrophes (well, his family has...), and
each catastrophe is survived by a single servant only who bears the
news.
I've seen claims that Melville paraphrases it in Moby Dick, but I'm
buggered if I can't see where. (there's references on the web to it
being in the Epilogue, but the closest match there is "--Because one
did survive the wreck." folk etymology at work?)
LA's paraphrase is a marvel though, making a rhyme with Moby Dick:
> Call me Ishmael
this one IS from Moby Dick: the very first line.
so: we're seeing Ahab's quest in parallel with Ferdinand's mistaken
belief of his father's death? Ariel's description is broadly how Ahab
ends up, but told more richly and positively. (Shakespeare's "sea
change" is, well, to something rich and strange... Ahab's bones are
more likely to bleach into the same dead-white as his Whale.)
IMO.
butting
nobody
> Hello,
>
> I have always been wondering what this excerpt from Moby Dick used by
> Laurie Anderson on several occasions means.
> Could anyone be so kind as to help me with an interpretation?
>
> ##################
>
> Full fathom thy father lies
> Of his bones are coral made
> Those are pearls that were his eyes
> Nothing of him that doth fade
> But that suffers a sea change
> Into something rich and strange
> And I alone am left to tell the tale
> Call me Ishmael
>
> ##################
>
> Any hint is highly appreciated.
> TIA and kindest regards,
>
> Stefan
Okay, I realize this post is coming up on ten years old at this point and
my reply is therefore pretty much useless, but the quote isn't from *Moby
Dick* at all. It's from Shakespeare's *The Tempest*:"
"Full fathom five thy father lies,
Of his bones are coral made,
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange."
I hope you already know that by now.
As to what it means, I'm afraid I'll have to leave that to you to decide
in the context of the original text.
As I'm no scholar, what this passage means to me may not be what it means
to you, which is certain to be pretty far from the original intent in
either case; considering I have reason to take it out of context to fit
my personal circumstances.
Hope this helps somebody.