The image of white feathers in the snow, or white on white is a
fascinating one, and the kind of ironic image Eliot seems to have
made his own from the metaphysical poets. The straits business
reminds me of a Donne line about "per fretum febris, through these straits
to die".

I must confess, Carrol, that I've lost the thread of exactly what you're
after, so if I've totally blown it here, I guess you'll have to put me in
your
kill file too. This was an earnest attempt to contribute to your search.

Cheers,
Peter
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carrol Cox" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 10:10 AM
Subject: Re: Eliot's Readership & the Poems


> Both "claims" and "the gulf claims" are instances in which the local
> context is completely ambiguous and explication must appeal to a larger
> context, how much larger I don't know. From the local context it is not
> even clear whether "claims" is a singular verb or aplural noun, with
> "gulf"  either the subject of the v erb or a noun modifier of "claims"
> as a plural noun: the claims of the gulf.
>
> Carrol