Dear George,
Thank you for the thought, and for your possible solution, which I agree
is the most likely meaning.
My note will read:
Archangels feature in the theology of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim
faiths. In the Christian faith there are seven well-known Archangels, and
five lesser ones. None of them, it would seem, is specifically associated
with twilight. In English literature, it may be suggested that 'Paradise
Lost', John Milton's epic poem (written between 1658 and 1667), contains the
best-known references to the Archangels.
In Book 1, Satan (a fallen archangel who had rebelled against
God) is described as follows:
"His form had yet not lost
All her original brightness, nor appeared
Less than Archangel ruined, and th' excess
Of glory obscured: as when the sun new-risen
Looks through the horizontal misty air
Shorn of his beams, or, from behind the moon,
In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds
On half the nations, and with fear of change
Perplexes monarchs."
It would thus seem that Satan may be the archangel referred to,
and the phrase may be interpreted as "drove like the devil".
(Our thanks to George Simmer who provided the reference and
suggested interpretation.)
----- Original Message -----
From: "George Simmers" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Alastair Wilson" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 12:56 AM
Subject: Re: The Archangel of the Twilight
>
> In Paradise Lost, Book 1 Satan is described thus:
>
> His form had yet not lost
> All her original brightness, nor appeared
> Less than Archangel ruined, and th' excess
> Of glory obscured: as when the sun new-risen
> Looks through the horizontal misty air
> Shorn of his beams, or, from behind the moon,
> In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds
> On half the nations, and with fear of change
> Perplexes monarchs.
>
> So could the phrase mean "drove like the devil"/
>
> Just a possibility.
>
> George
>
> Alastair Wilson wrote:
>> Can any one provide a reference, please?
>> In 'Steam Tactics' (p. 207, line 6) the Kipling-narrator says of Kysh
>> that "he drove like the Archangel of the Twilight" The Old Reader's
>> Guide has a heading for the quote, but no explanation.
>> Is there a specific reference? Is it, perhaps, from 'Paradise Lost'
>> (which I 'did' for School Certificate more than half-a-century ago)? Did
>> this Archangel have any particular characteristic - and what was his
>> name?
>> All help gratefully received
>> /Alastair Wilson/
>>
>>
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>
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> Snakeskin Poetry Webzine is at
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>
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