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Bibliographic InformationX

Thistledownflight

Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven

Original Source:

The Baroness' poems and papers are contained in the Archives and Manuscripts Department at the University of Maryland Libraries. Complete papers cover the period from 1917-1933 and consist of manuscripts, drafts, notes, correspondence, drawings and photographs.

Textual transcription and analysis of the seven poems encoded here were undertaken in Fall 2003 by graduate students in William H. Sherman's English 601 class, "Literary Research and Critical Contexts."

Text editing of "Thistledownflight" was performed by Helen Lucille DeVinney.

Witness a1: Thitledownflight: Version 1 - Most-Finished version () ()
Witness a2: Thistledownflight: Version 2 - Typed () ()
Witness a3: Thistledownflight: Version 3 ()
Witness a4: Thistledownflight: Version 3 - Rewritten Second Half ()
Witness a5: Ghinga: Version 4 - Images Only () ()
Witness a6: Ginga: Version 5 - The Early Draft of Thistledownflight ()

Textual Notes: There are five versions of "Thistledownflight," presented here in the following order: four handwritten versions and one typewritten version (Version 2) by the Baroness (in the order of the "most-finished" version to the earliest draft, as determined by the editor). Since Baroness rewrtoe the sencond half of the version 3 and it to the version 3, the second half version is separately encoded as Witness a4. The version 4 (Witness 5) is available only as the images. Titles of the latest three versions are "Thistledownflight". "Ginga" is used as titles for the earlier two versions. The poem is unpublished.

The following is an excerpt from Helen Lucille DeVinney's transcription rationale:

The handwriting is her typical use of majuscule letters, and the letters themselves are slightly larger than her standard print. It is presented as a visual poem; the Baroness has taken pains to add her own artistic decorations to the paper. Her use of the page is sparse, and the layout of the words themselves is artistic. The placement of the line groupings is irregular, and, in the case of the final word “Thistledownflight,” she arranges the word itself in an artistic way. Interestingly, the poem is unsigned, as are each of the subsequent drafts.

In some cases her handwriting seems to be slightly different in the corrections, but this alone is not enough to determine that the revisions occurred at another time. Her arrangement suggests that the poem was beginning to take shape: certain words or lines are clearly grouped and begin to suggest the arrangement of 2r/2v [Version 2]. She clearly leaves room for possibility....In 4r/4v [Version 4] we see the appearance of the later title "Thistle down flight," which are also the last lines of the poem. This version seems to precede 3r/3v [Version 3]; in 3r/3v we see the adoption of the title "Thistledownflight," as well as the arrangement and corrections of some of her revisions in 4r/4v.



Read Helen Lucille DeVinney's essay "Thistledownflight."

Additions appear in a green, fixed-width font. Deletions appear in a red, fixed-width font with strikethrough.

Electronic Edition Information
Encoded by Kenichiro Shimada
All annotations by Helen Lucille DeVinney except those explicitly prefaced with "Encoder's Note."

Published by Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries

Researchers can gain access to the Papers of Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven in the Maryland Room, Hornbake Library, University of Maryland Libraries, College Park, MD 20742

"Thistiledownflight" manuscripts located in Series III, Box four, Folder 11; microfiche id numbers 5/920-5/927, 5/969.

Special Collections at the University of Maryland provides more information about the microfilm edition of the papers.

Images and manuscripts drafts of this poem may not be reproduced or downloaded and used on another site without the explicit permission of UMD Archives. They may not be reproduced or downloaded and used on another site without the explicit permission of UMD Archives. Though the intellectual property of Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven is in the public domain, all annotations and editorial commentary are copyrighted.


2004Encoding Principles

DTD constructed from TEI poetry base with tagsets for linking, figures, analysis, transcr, textcrit.


X Version
View ImagesView ImagesView ImagesView ImagesView ImagesView ImagesView ImagesView ImagesView Images Thistledownflight


Thistledownflight


Thistle down flight


Thistle down flight-Second half of Version 3 n Baroness rewrote the second half (second column) of Version 3. This part is separately encoded in order to enjoy advantages of the Versioning Machine.


GINGA n Version4 (Witness5) was not encoded since there are too many revisions (in this version) to apply parallel segmentation.


 GINGA


1 GHINGHA —
1 GHINGHA –
1 GHINGHA — (DJUNA)
1
1
1 GINGA
2 I
2 I
2 I
2
2
2
3 TREMBLE —
3 TREMBLE –
3 TREMBLE
3
3
3 MUST I TREMBLE
4 DO
4 DO
4 DO
4
4
4
5 NOT
5 NOT
5 NOT
5
5
5
6 LAUGH !


6 LAUGH !


6 LAUGH !


6


6


6 MAY NOT LAUGH —


7 BORN
7 BORN
7 BORN
7
7
7
8 FINE
8 FINE
8 FINE
8
8
8 MOTHER FINE FLOWER
9 FLOWER —
9 FLOWER –
9 FLOWER —
9
9
9
10 BY
10 BY
10 BY
10
10
10
11 ORCHID
11 ORCHID
11 ORCHID
11
11
11 ORCHID SPPECKLED DARK-LIGHT
13 SPECKLED —
13 SPECKLED –
13 SPECKLED
13
13
13
14 DARK —
14 DARK –
14 DARK —
14
14
14
15 LIGHT —


15 LIGHT –


15 LIGHT


15


15


15


16
16
16 DOOMED
16
16
16
17 SHE
17 SHE
17 SHE
17
17
17
18 WEPT
18 WEPT
18 WEPT
18
18
18 WEPT ATMORN NIGHT SUMPTUOUS MEAGER
19 AT
19 AT
19 AT
19
19
19
20 NIGHT !


20 NIGHT !


20 NIGHT


20


20


20


21 CURSED
21 CURSED
21 CURSED
21
21
21 CURSING PROPERSNARING SNARE OF AMPLE LIFE'S PURSE
22 TAUT
22 TAUT
22 TAUT
22
22
22
23 SNARE
23 SNARE
23 SNARE
23
23
23
24 OF
24 OF
24 OF
24
24
24
25 DULLARD'S
25 DULLARD'S
25 DULLARD'S
25
25
25
26 AMPLE
26 AMPLE
26 AMPLE
26
26
26
27 PURSE —


27 PURSE ––


27 PURSE


27


27


27


28 AT
28 AT
28 AT
28
28
28
29 SPIRITLEDGE —
29 SPIRITLEDGE –
29 SPIRITLEDGE
29
29
29
30
30
30 BRIGHT
30
30
30
31 YOUTH
31 YOUTH
31 YOUTH
31
31
31 BRIGHT OF HERS
32 OF
32 OF
32 OF
32
32
32 TORN     SPIRIT BORN
33 HER'S —
33 HER'S –
33 HER'S
33
33
33 AT AGE OFATWSDOM WORN EDGE
34 BRIGHT —
34 BRIGHT ––
34 BRIGHT       WORN
34
34
34 SOUL FORLORN
35


35


35 WORN


35


35


35


36 AT
36
36 AT
36
36
36
37 WISDOMEDGE —


37 AT WISDOMEDGE –


37 WISDOMEDGE


37


37


37 AT WISDOM EDGE


38 TORN !


38 TORN !


38 TORN


38


38


38


39
39
39 BLIGHT
39
39
39
40
40
40
40
40
40 WHY
41 GHINGA —
41 GHINGA –
41 GHINGA —  (DJUNA)
41 GHINGA
41
41 GINGA
42
42
42 WHY —
42 THOUGH
42
42
43 FROM
43 FROM
43 FROM
43 FROM
43
43
44 HER'S
44 HER'S
44 HER'S —
44 HER S S
44
44
45 CURVE
45 CURVE
45 PATH
45 PATH COURSE BED CURVE
45
45
46 DIVERGED —


46 DIVERGED ––


46 DIVERGED — YET


46 DIVERGED


46


46 PATH DIVERGED FROM HERSAM I URGEDFROM HERS


47
47
47 AM WHY n This paragraph was revised several times. As well as the other parts of the Version 3, all rewritten parts here are organized in a way of “a word in a line.” See the image of Version 3 in order to acquire the actual locations and layouts. In the far left of the first column, there is rewritten paragraph “YET IS SHE URGED D IN HEIR TO QUAKE ANEW VAGRANT FORLORAN SPILL” ("FORLORAN" is crossed out). Next this paragraph, there is another revised paragraph “YET WITHIN HEIR SHE QUAKES ANEW”("YET" is crossed out). Left side of the second column, there are another revisions. “YET IS SHE URGED TO," “QUAKE ANEW IN HEIR,” “TOO VGRANT SPILL.”
47
47
47
48 WITHIN
48 WITHIN
48 I
48 WITHIN
48
48
49
49
49 F URGED
49
49
49
50 HEIR
50 HERE   HEIR
50 TO TO WITH
50 HEIR
50
50
51 SHE
51 SHE
51
51 SHE
51
51
52 SOB'S
52 SOBS
52 QUAKE
52 QUAKE   WEPS
52
52
53 ANEW :


53 ANEW :


53 ANEW !


53 ANEW    SOBS


53


53 TO MUST I QUAKE ANEW FRESH


54
54
54 IS   FOR   ISFOR
54 IN
54
54 IS HER SPARK WITHIN MY HORSE HOUSEYOUNG SHELL
55 VAGRANT
55 VAGRANT
55 HEIR BULB       VAGRANT
55 VAGRANT
55
55
56
56
56 DOOMED DOOMED
56
56
56
57 SPILL !


57 SPILL !


57 VAGRANCYFOR SPILL DOOM


57 SPILL


57


57 IS IT   IS IT CURSED TOO?


58
58
58 TOO DOOMED       LIGHT
58
58
58 IS THERE NO ISLE HOT BEDSTEAD
59
59
59 BLOOD       VAGRANT HEIR ESS
59
59
59
60
60
60 HAS
60
60
60
61 BEACON —
61 BEACON –
61 BEACON
61 BEACON
61
61 HAS IS       BEACON
62 ISLAND —
62 ISLAND –
62 ISLAND
62 ISLAND
62
62
63 BED —
63 BED –
63 BED
63 BED BED TO
63
63
64 TO
64 TO
64 FOR TO BEAR
64
64
64
65 BEAR —
65 BEAR –
65
65
65
65
66 SPECKELED
66 SPECKELED
66 SPECKELED
66 SPECKELED
66
66 FOR SPECKELED ORCHIDS GLARE
67 ORCHIDS
67 ORCHIDS
67 ORHID'S
67 ORCHIDS
67
67
68
68
68 DARK —
68
68
68
69
69
69 LIGHT
69
69
69
70 GLARE —
70 GLARE –
70 GLARE      DARK—LIGHT
70 GLARE
70
70
71
71
71 HAS    TO BEAR
71 DARK DARK
71
71
72
72
72
72 LIGHT LIGHT
72
72
73
73
73
73 TO FLEW
73
73
74
74
74
74 BEAR
74
74
75 HAS
75 HAS FOUND
75
75 HAS
75
75
76 SITE


76 SITE


76 HAS SITE     FINDS FOUND


76 SITE


76


76


77
77
77 ON
77
77
77
78
78 NOWHERE
78 EARTH
78
78
78
79 NOWHERE !


79 NOWHERE !


79 N x WHERE? RIGHT There is a gray oval from this line to the bottom of the page. See the image.


79 NOWHERE ! ON EARTHILL WILL n There are three rewritten attempts about this part. In the space on the left hand side of the column, there is the rewriting, “SUN WILL EARTH BEARS" ("EARTH" and "BEARS" are crossed out). On the righthad side of the column, there are two revising attempts. One is “SH WE IS ARE NIL ILL" ("WE," "ARE," and "NIL" are crossed out). Another is “SUN WILLED ILL MOTHER RIGHT BIRTH" (This part is actually closed out with the zigzag line). See the image.


79


79 IS IT NOWHERE ? ON EARTH


80 SUN
80 SUN
80 MOTHER   xx GHT
80
80
80
81 WILL
81 WILL
81 NIL !
81
81
81
82 ILL !


82 ILL !


82