Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Dark & Stormy Jams reinterpreted...


Norman takes an interest in all things shiny, & if he were to become a toast fan, like our resident Amazon parrot, Pappagano (ahem...more on him in another post), then I am convinced he would give a full Wings Up Salute to the latest jam iteration, Nevermore Jam: plump blackberries, juicy blueberries, & a touch of Doug Fir tip syrup, plus just a hint of insouciance to round things out. Out of condiments? (This just begs for the response...) NEVERMORE!
And, lest you think this entire enterprise is simply all fun &games, please consider for your edification this smidgeon of esoterica:


In this poem, one of the most famous American poems ever, Poe uses several symbols to take the poem to a higher level. The most obvious symbol is, of course, the raven itself. When Poe had decided to use a refrain that repeated the word "nevermore," he found that it would be most effective if he used a non-reasoning creature to utter the word. It would make little sense to use a human, since the human could reason to answer the questions (Poe, 1850). In "The Raven" it is important that the answers to the questions are already known, to illustrate the self-torture to which the narrator exposes himself. This way of interpreting signs that do not bear a real meaning, is "one of the most profound impulses of human nature" (Quinn, 1998:441). 
Poe also considered a parrot as the bird instead of the raven; however, because of the melancholy tone, and the symbolism of ravens as birds of ill-omen, he found the raven more suitable for the mood in the poem (Poe, 1850). Quoth the Parrot, "Nevermore?"

And with this, I wish you all good reading, delightful toast & tea, & an endless supply of jam!

PS We consider Norman to be an extremely good omen, we adore him & value all his many opinions.

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