"Death by Water" Annotations
From The Waste Land Wiki
(→Stanza 2-3) |
(→Lines 312-318, Ancient History) |
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And the profit and loss. | And the profit and loss. | ||
| + | A current under sea | ||
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| + | Picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell | ||
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| + | He passed the stages of his age and youth | ||
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| + | Entering the whirlpool. | ||
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"Phlebas" may be name derived from the latin adjective "flebilis" meaning "lamentable, to be wept over," which only makes sense if he's a fortnight dead. Phoenicians are historically best known for their rich trade network, and so this passage shows a man who probably lived to make money, dies at the hands of cruel nature. | "Phlebas" may be name derived from the latin adjective "flebilis" meaning "lamentable, to be wept over," which only makes sense if he's a fortnight dead. Phoenicians are historically best known for their rich trade network, and so this passage shows a man who probably lived to make money, dies at the hands of cruel nature. | ||
