Original illustration of "Less Than The Dust" by Byam Shaw |
Zahir-ud-Din means "Defender of the Faith" in Arabic, and
Collins British Dictionary identifies this specific spelling as the
common name of Baber. Baber was a Persian conqueror of old, who lived up to his legend of being
descended from both Tamerlane and Ghengis Khan by fighting his way into
becoming the first Mughal Emperor of India. This dashing fellow was called "Tiger" by his peers,
and Victorian readers might have noted that he was born on St. Valentine's Day. Certainly if a girl plans to literally
spill out her heart over a man, it should be a romantic warrior type, like him.
"Tiger" |
But there is another possibility - there is an argument that the
poem is symbolic of the abject subjugation of one poet to another far greater, who
serves as inspiration and guide. It turns out that Zahir-al-Din
was also the name of a Persian poet in the Sufi tradition, which celebrates absolute
self-annihilation before the godlike Other, which is the most Holy. "...the Sufist model is based on a desire for self-abnegation in the Other. Such negation of self seems to be necessary for the Sufi subject to be liberated from his ego/self." (Pg. 51) An entire study could be made of the poem's Eastern religious and philosophical subtext, but that is not our task today. We will press on, as we are only at the threshold of our journey.
"It" Girl Louise Brooks |
The heavy use of holy pronouns in this opening poem is a little unusual for
Hope. On the contrary, most of her work is suffused with a very natural, even surprisingly modern voice. To my ear,
this first poem does not partake of the wild honesty that characterises LH's signature style. For this reason, I've always pretty much skipped over it without a second thought,
as "not one of Violet's best".
No doubt the poet's
publisher was a forward-thinking chap. Even so, a hint of piety suited any new endeavour which sought approval from the fierce female rulers of Edwardian drawing rooms. Violet also had good reasons to
follow a more careful path at this juncture in her life. Her husband the Colonel had just retired, she had just given birth to a son, and the couple had returned to England to begin a new chapter together. Social propriety must have figured into her decision to adapt a male pen name to serve as fig leaf over her identity.
It stands to reason that the first poem of the volume, the poem that casual viewers were more likely to glance at, the poem that presumably strikes the mood and sets the tone for what is to come, should suit all sensibilities, including the morally delicate. A saintly sounding poem might even throw do-gooders and moralists "off the scent" of further investigation. In short, while Less Than The Dust certainly has merit as a study in Sufic inspired adoration, I believe its main function was to act as another piously ornamental fig leaf of social protection for the book, assuring readers that it was acceptable to possess.
It stands to reason that the first poem of the volume, the poem that casual viewers were more likely to glance at, the poem that presumably strikes the mood and sets the tone for what is to come, should suit all sensibilities, including the morally delicate. A saintly sounding poem might even throw do-gooders and moralists "off the scent" of further investigation. In short, while Less Than The Dust certainly has merit as a study in Sufic inspired adoration, I believe its main function was to act as another piously ornamental fig leaf of social protection for the book, assuring readers that it was acceptable to possess.
Colonel Malcolm Nicolson |
As recently as 2000 "Less Than The Dust" inspired this humorous ghazal by poet John Hollander called "The Shade Of The Author Of India's Love Lyrics Speaks" -
"Less than the weed that grows beside thy door
Even less am I, smaller than wee tonight."
Even less am I, smaller than wee tonight."
The good natured mockery demonstrates how the poem's false notes embody all that is heavy, yet trite to the ear when it comes to poesy.
Thus Hope's unique
voice and cultural preoccupations bled profusely into the pulse of Western pop culture,
culminating in still familiar icons like the
irresistibly exotic Shalimar Perfume, and Rudolf Valentino's "Sexy Sheik" persona, which we will encounter as we go.
So, even though we must begin with a somewhat clunky first poem, we are now launched into the body of the Love Lyrics and have only one place to go - Up, up, upwards, towards the Eastern stars.
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