The Russian Orthodox

[herm melville]

All,

   That Clarel begins on the Epiphany or January 7, Orthodox Christmas, has importance. It establishes the orality of poetry over prose,

    

    Russian culture in the 19th century must have been more of an ear culture than it is today. Of course Russia had prominent prose people---Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy. 

   We might say that Clarel  , like Russia, represents ear over eye. Poetry should be oral. Clarel should be spoken either aloud or spoken in one's mind.

   Of course, all dualities must coalesce as they will in Clarel with Easter Sunday representing all Christaian faiths.

  A word in an oral culture is an event. A word in a literal society is a thing.

   How far does one take orality? Melville's words can be pregnant. Where does one draw the line between an oral meaning and a literal one? Or should draw one at all?     John Gretchko