“A”-3

1928, rev. 24 July 1942

9.1        At eventide, cool hour: from J.S. Bach, St. Matthew Passion (see 1.1.2), No. 64 recitative (Bass); when Christ’s body is taken down from the cross. Wray argues that this latter phrase is an early instance of LZ’s homophonic adaptation, suggested by the original Ger. text: “wo es kühle war” (when it was calm) (Catullus 50)

9.3        Ricky: Richard Godfrey Chambers (d. 9 Sept. 1926), also known as “Dickie,” brother of Whittaker Chambers (1901-1961) and both friends of the young LZ. Ricky committed suicide at age 23 by sticking his head in a gas oven with a pillow under his head (9.8-9; see Whittaker Chambers’ Witness (1952): 181-182). Whittaker’s elegy, “October 21st, 1926,” was included in the “Objectivists” issue of Poetry (Feb. 1931) (Odlin 555-556). Ricky is also referred to in “Poem beginning ‘The’” (CSP 11-12), 2.6.24 and 7.42.3.

9.19      Out of memory / A little boy, / It’s rai-ai-nin’: Odlin points out (555) that this recalls an childhood incident recounted in Whittaker Chambers’ Witness (95-96).

10.3      Coeur de Lion / Lion hearted: nickname of Richard I (1157-1199), King of England and Aquitaine.

10.16    Arimathaea: Joseph of Arimathaea recovered the body of Jesus after his crucifixion and buried it in the tomb originally intended to be his own; see Matthew 27:57-61.

10.19    Go, / Beg His corpse: from Bach, St. Matthew Passion, No. 64 (see 9.1).

11.8      dicky-bird: a small bird