No one has mentioned it so far, but I've always taken the "pressed grass"
to catch up some memory of "fairy rings," circles of darkened or
discoloured grass, sometimes surrounded by mushrooms, apparently caused by
subterranean fungi, but in Germanic/English folkore supposed to be
produced by fairies dancing at night. So, a trace of fantasy or
superstition? Or is it "the pressed grass of waking experience" (a phrase
which sticks in my head from, I think, Don Cheney's book). There would be
a bigger fairy ring on Mount Acidale.
It's the "NOUGHT BUT pressed grass..." that makes it work in part. What
else could there be?
Ken Gross
On Mon, 14 May 2007, William Oram wrote:
> Do remember the pressed grass that Arthur notices when he awakes, though. Pressed by Arthur as he tosses and turns? Who knows, but Spenser didn't need to have Arthur mention it. Bill Oram
>
> >>> "David L. Miller" <[log in to unmask]> 5/14/2007 9:38 AM >>>
> Thanks to both Jim Nohrnberg and Stephen Foley for their suggestions.
> I'm travelling and won't be able to consult chapter and verse of the
> Analogy of the FQ until I get home, but it'll be very useful to have the
> references.
>
> My thought is that Arthur has done what Britomart was afraid she had,
> i.e. fallen in love with an image.
>
> DM
>
>
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