antediluvian - relating the period before the (Biblical) flood; made, evolved, developed a long time ago.
prolix - unduly prolonged or drawn out; marked by or using an excess of words.
ineluctable - not to be avoided, changed or resisted
In some ways James Joyce's book ULYSSES might be called prolix by some, but if it was prolix it was also strangly poetic in places. In the antediluvian times when I was a college student, I took a course on the book and that was the first (and pretty much last) time I saw the word "ineluctable." I was really sick at the time and not functioning very well, but for some reason the first sentence of the third chapter stuck in my brain instantly (ineluctably?). The chapter started as follows:
"INELUCTABLE MODALITY OF THE VISIBLE: AT LEAST THAT IF NO MORE, thought through my eyes. Signatures of all things I am here to read, seaspawn and seawrack, the nearing tide, that rusty boot. Snotgreen, bluesilver, rust: coloured signs. Limits of the diaphane. But he adds: in bodies. Then he was aware of them bodies before of them coloured. How? By knocking his sconce against them, sure. Go easy. Bald he was and a millionaire, maestro di color che sanno. Limit of the diaphane in. Why in? Diaphane, adiaphane. If you can put your five fingers through it, it is a gate, if not a door. Shut your eyes and see.When I was looking for the quote, I found a cool website where you could read the book on-line. I was going to share the link but I lost it (long story). However, my nephew's fiance (he's getting married!) sent me this link which might be of interest to book and word lovers. Free literature... emailed to you in segments on a schedule you set. It's called DailyLit.com. Cool.
Stephen closed his eyes to hear his boots crush crackling wrack and shells. You are walking through it howsomever. I am, a stride at a time. A very short space of time through very short times of space. Five, six: the nacheinander. Exactly: and that is the ineluctable modality of the audible. Open your eyes. No. Jesus! If I fell over a cliff that beetles o'er his base, fell through the nebeneinander ineluctably. I am getting on nicely in the dark. My ash sword hangs at my side. Tap with it: they do. My two feet in his boots are at the end of his legs, nebeneinander. Sounds solid: made by the mallet of Los Demiurgos. Am I walking into eternity along Sandymount strand? Crush, crack, crick, crick. Wild sea money. Dominie Deasy kens them a'.
Guess that's it from me. Trying not to be prolix though I have been ineluctably drawn to being so from the antediluvian times of my youth on into the present.
9 comments:
It amazes me what stays with us through the years.
If only I could remember that well. You are very perspicacious indeed :)
Funny, I was just talking about James Joyce elsewhere on the net. He did contribute much to my vocabulary.
Lovely use of the words. You've managed to make them both biographical and a book reivew! Oh! AND an ad!
you have brought the challenge to a new level. and interesting and unique way to use the words.
I loved your use of the words.
I have also been surprised in some of my recent reading to run into some of Quilly's words.
What a thing to stay with you, but literature is a powerful thing. :)
What a new and interesting way to use the words. You also have a good memory.
Great post, Raven. When I was in grade 8 or 9 I read a silly poem that I liked, and all these years later, I still remember it. Can't remember what I ate today, and yet..... oh so strange, haha.
I loved reading this Raven, not prolix at all, but very interesting reads you offer here. ( like the previous post for instance!)
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