<I>

  <&>Wellington Corpus of Spoken New Zealand English Version One</&>
  <&>Copyright 1998 School of Linguistics & Applied Language Studies</&>
  <&>Victoria University of Wellington</&>

  <&>side one</&>
  <&>the recording begins with a recital of a poem</&>
  <&>2:29</&>
  

  <WSC#MUS001:0005:FG>
      all right it's very <,> you can see the same lines as <title>lady
      lazarus</title> there <,> but if you have a look at the um <,>
      the writing you know the notes that i gave you <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0010:FG>
      what i've said there is um it's on the back <,> um it reads from
      <,> three and four <,,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0015:FG>
      um <,,> plath said this poem is about two kinds of fire <,> the
      fires of hell which merely <&>3:00</&> agonise and the fires of
      heaven which purify and during the poem the first sort of fire
      <?>suffers</?> itself into the second

  <WSC#MUS001:0020:FG>
      <?>now</?> i'll go through the poem with you and show you that
      <,,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0025:FG>
      at first the theme seems to be that illness and pain are
      cumbersome and intolerable but if they go on long enough they
      can set you free and the purity of death takes over but the <.>progre</.>
      <?>though</?> through is not actually haphazard because death's
      there from the start dull fat cerberus

  <WSC#MUS001:0030:FG>
      who is cerberus <&>3:35</&> <&>dialogue not transcribed</&>
      <&>4:11</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0035:FG>
      um <,,><&>4</&> so <.>what's</.> <.>what's</.> <O>voc</O> as we
      go through the poem you'll find it works away at this idea of
      heavy and mundane death <,> and you've got AGAIN this typical
      plath image of heaviness of yellow cloud until it's purged of
      ALL extraneous matter

  <WSC#MUS001:0040:FG>
      imagine this this total purification <,> and ONLY the essential
      remains <,,><&>3</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0045:FG>
      now <,> secondly <,> and i think we'll trace this through
      catherine that the movement is a kind of personal catharsis?

  <WSC#MUS001:0050:FG>
      catharsis is a kind of working out of something in you

  <WSC#MUS001:0055:FG>
      if <.>you're</.> a catharsis <,> is where you um <,,> you might
      come to a climax over some emotional problem and then all of a
      sudden it's resolved <&>5:05</&> <O>laughter</O> <&>5:18</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0060:FG>
      RIGHT we will continue <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0065:FG>
      now <,,><&>5</&> what's happening <,> is there's a movement and
      feeling and this ALWAYS happens in people <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0070:FG>
      sometimes your feelings are cluttered and you're feeling totally
      heavy about something and then at some point a kind of
      revelation and an ease and a purity comes forward and that's
      what you will notice coming through in this poem and she lets
      image breed in <.>this</.> a kind of thought association

  <WSC#MUS001:0075:FG>
      we've seen this with plath before <&>6:00</&> and this kind of
      thought association that goes on

  <WSC#MUS001:0080:FG>
      the baby becomes the orchid the spotted orchid the leopard and
      the beast of prey becomes the adulteress and by which point the
      tension of the fever has built up to a kind of atomic explosion
      <,> and <.>she</.> i <.>mean</.> <.>sh</.> ONLY plath could join
      adultery and irradiation atomic explosion <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0085:FG>
      it's an idea of purging <,,> and i'll think we'll look later and
      see that <title>lady lazarus</title> actually takes this a
      little bit further but they've both got that same sort of theme
      <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0090:FG>
      now <,> you know this whole idea of purity

  <WSC#MUS001:0095:FG>
      one of the things i'm doing with the sixth form at the moment is
      the crucible which is exactly the same

  <WSC#MUS001:0100:FG>
      it's the notion of being purified in the fires <,> um of a
      crucible <.>i</.> which is <.>a</.> an experiment you know you
      the crucible and you actually purify things and you put it into
      a crucible the fire can purify <,> um <&>7:01</&> <&>dialogue
      not transcribed</&> <&>7:10</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0105:FG>
      now <,,><&>3</&> right <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0110:FG>
      what is purity is literally what she's asking

  <WSC#MUS001:0115:FG>
      the tongues of hell you know the fires of hell aren't the
      purifying ones <,> are dulled her use AGAIN note the repetition
      of DULL <,> as the tongues of dull fat cerberus who wheezes at
      the gate

  <WSC#MUS001:0120:FG>
      the fires of hell they're no good they won't lick clean the sin
      <,,><&>3</&> and she has this image if you follow through now
      all of these images <,> of a kind of <,> claustrophobic fire
      yeah <&>7:54</&> <&>dialogue not transcribed</&> <&>8:20</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0125:FG>
      um <,,><&>3</&> all of her image of <.>this</.> USE your
      imagination make the pictures in your mind of this with <.>the</.>
      the low smoke rolling from her like isadora's scarves

  <WSC#MUS001:0130:FG>
      isadora duncan and this is worth noting isadora duncan was a
      famous um <,> exponent of early modern dance and what happened
      was her scarf caught in the wheel of a car

  <WSC#MUS001:0135:FG>
      she was famous for her scarves <&>laughter and talking not
      transcribed</&> <&>9:00</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0140:FG>
      <.>and</.> WELL I DON'T WANT TO GO THAT WAY <,> <.>her</.> she
      <.>was</.> choked <&>9:07</&> <&>dialogue and laughter not
      transcribed</&> <&>9:27</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0145:FG>
      well it's similar i mean isadora duncan dressed for that kind of
      effect but can you see that she's comparing the smoke <,> so
      again she's scared that this kind <.>of</.> the fire of this
      kind of pain this kind of burning will ANCHOR her in the wheel
      such yellow sullen smokes make their own elements

  <WSC#MUS001:0150:FG>
      think of that awful smoke yellow smoke on the ground almost
      sulphurous <,> it's cloying <&>9:57</&> <&>dialogue not
      transcribed</&> <&>10:04</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0155:FG>
      now <,> and NOW of course being plath she has to extend what
      she's talking about on her personal level to the whole WORLD <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0160:FG>
      she MOVES from her own personal pain or you know this kind of
      cloying fire pain to <,> the smokes that won't rise but trundle
      around the globe <,> <?>traking</?> choking everyone the aged
      and the meek and the weak hothouse baby in its crib

  <WSC#MUS001:0165:FG>
      this awful image <.>even</.> if you think about it it's like the
      world being a greenhouse and um <,> yeah this is long before um
      we'd really thought about it <&>dialogue not transcribed</&>
      <&>11:02</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0170:FG>
      um <,,><&>4</&> <.>i</.> i think you know and then she moves on
      the image the orchid perhaps because of yellow and black orchids
      through toward the image of a <.>de</.> a beast of PREY <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0175:FG>
      now and THEN <,,><&>5</&> radiation turned it white and killed
      it in an hour and somehow she makes this amazing leap to
      adultery and comparing adultery and hiroshima so from this tiny
      little bit of fire here because the fires of hiroshima <,> were
      destructive <&>dialogue not transcribed</&> <&>11:47</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0180:FG>
      NOW <,,> at THIS point <,> i think we see a movement <,> in the
      poem <,> because she moves BACK to her own fever

  <WSC#MUS001:0185:FG>
      <.>catherine</.> now <&>dialogue not transcribed</&>
      <&>13:13</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0190:FG>
      well <.>ther</.> i mean <,> it's a poem about <,,> mental
      anguish <,> is a fever

  <WSC#MUS001:0195:FG>
      if you are TORN in the way that i think you know that <.>n</.>
      <.>i</.> high pitch of mental anguish when the very <.>THOUGHT</.>

  <WSC#MUS001:0200:FG>
      i heard a person talk about sexual jealousy as like acid
      dropping on your soul

  <WSC#MUS001:0205:FG>
      she's now <.>just</.> you know she's SITTING there thinking <,>
      he's WITH her <&>dialogue not transcribed</&> <&>14:18</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0210:FG>
      right now we have a movement in the poem and i think that's
      worth noting <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0215:FG>
      <.>it's</.> she comes back from the MARVELLOUS <,,> <?><.>b</.>
      <.>b</.></?> BREADTH that she's put at this cosmic WORLD <.>a</.>
      aspect of suffering and she's back to the personal <quotes>darling
      all night i've been flickering off on off on</quotes>

  <WSC#MUS001:0220:FG>
      it's a WONDERFUL image <.>if</.> you know the tossing with a
      fever? sort of off on and you <?>ju</?> you know one also thinks
      of an electric light bulb <?><.>thish</.></?>

  <WSC#MUS001:0225:FG>
      NOW <,,> that sexual imagery <.>just</.> sit think about it <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0230:FG>
      a LECHER is someone who um is it's a very negative connotation
      it means someone who's interested in sex but it's actually <.>i</.>
      if someone <.>an</.> <.>an</.> you talk about somebody as a
      DIRTY OLD LECHER <,> um <&>dialogue not transcribed</&>
      <&>15:24</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0235:FG>
      right <,,><&>4</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0240:FG>
      okay we've got the suffering of the fever three days three
      nights <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0245:FG>
      um lemon water lemon <.>chicken</.> i mean lemon water chicken
      water

  <WSC#MUS001:0250:FG>
      this is what you have is lemon drink and chicken broth you know
      when you're sick

  <WSC#MUS001:0255:FG>
      water makes me retch and <?><.>use</.> you</?> yeah <,,> right
      <&>dialogue not transcribed</&> <&>16:05</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0260:FG>
      okay <,,><&>4</&> coming through <,,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0265:FG>
      can you see <,> catherine?

  <WSC#MUS001:0270:FG>
      coming through can you see the character <,,><&>3</&> the
      character of the lady lazarus person this rising up from through
      the fever <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0275:FG>
      now the <.>nex</.> <quotes>i am too pure for you or anyone your
      body hurts me as the world hurts god</quotes>

  <WSC#MUS001:0280:FG>
      just think about that image

  <WSC#MUS001:0285:FG>
      you're SO purified and sensitive that i wouldn't WANT any
      contact with <O>voc</O> with this man's body catherine <&>dialogue
      not transcribed</&> <&>18:35</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0290:FG>
      SIT <,> <.>ya</.> sit quietly for a minute <,> and imagine <,>
      the kind of <,,> texture of what she's talking about there

  <WSC#MUS001:0295:FG>
      a lantern like a japanese lantern or my head is a moon of
      japanese paper <,> my gold beaten skin infinitely delicate and
      <,> infinitely expensive that beautiful thin gold leaf
      <,,><&>3</&> and now this is <.>the</.> the the good old plath
      bravado <,,><&>3</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0300:FG>
      does not my heat astound you <,> and my light all by myself i'm
      a huge camellia <&>dialogue not transcribed</&> <&>19:48</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0305:FG>
      this notion of rising up <,> this beads of hot metal flying out
      and think of an acetylene torch?

  <WSC#MUS001:0310:FG>
      she's this PURE FLAME now <,> and then a pure acetylene virgin
      attended by roses

  <WSC#MUS001:0315:FG>
      what is she evoking there what religious event

  <WSC#MUS001:0320:FG>
      anyone know <&>dialogue not transcribed</&> <&>20:31</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0325:FG>
      she <.>was</.> when mary died she <.>wasn't</.> or i'm not sure
      if she's actually <.>with</.> if she DIED or she was assumed in
      her old age god in legend assumed her up into heaven and all of
      those pictures have her attended by little cherubim you know
      little angels? so she's likening herself this this ascending
      acetylene flame to the virgin mary being ASSUMED into heaven
      <&>21:00</&> attended by all these little cherubim and that
      WONDERFUL way that she's got of the colloquial coming in?

  <WSC#MUS001:0330:FG>
      <.>she's</.> she's carried away here

  <WSC#MUS001:0335:FG>
      i am a pure acetylene virgin attended by roses by kisses by
      cherubim by whatever those pink things mean you know the way she
      breaks register there?

  <WSC#MUS001:0340:FG>
      do you get it? you know it's just a throw away line <,,> and
      AGAIN this whole <,> thing that we've seen relentlessly through
      <?>him</?> NOT by her father NOT by ted and all of her old self
      is dissolving she's going up to paradise

  <WSC#MUS001:0345:FG>
      she calls all her old self her suffering self like an old whore
      petticoat <,> A MARVELLOUS image you know discarding petticoat
      and <.>the</.> <O>voc</O> i see some sort of <,,> sort of tart
      in the west in the er in the old west in <&>22:00</&> her
      petticoat <,> um so it's a very very clever poem <&>dialogue not
      transcribed</&> <&>22:07</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0350:FG>
      um <,> now somebody said about the the way that they go um what
      <.>the</.> i looked at <title>lady lazarus</title> yesterday
      because you don't WORK when you're set work in the afternoon <&>inhales
      and laughs</&> so i set you the work on <title>lady lazarus</title>
      yesterday

  <WSC#MUS001:0355:FG>
      we should have done it in a different order <,> but then you
      don't DO anything in the afternoons SO <O>laughs</O> <title>lady
      lazarus</title> <,,><&>3</&> um and i'll just read this through

  <WSC#MUS001:0360:FG>
      go back to the notes that i've given you because um <,,> <title>lady
      lazarus</title> is actually a stage further than <title>fever
      one oh three</title> <,,> because according to the notes its
      subject is the TOTAL purification of the achieved death

  <WSC#MUS001:0365:FG>
      you will note too that it's much more intimately connected with
      the drift <O>voc</O> <&>23:00</&> plath likes <,> and the deaths
      you know she talks in <title>lady lazarus</title> of her own
      suicide

  <WSC#MUS001:0370:FG>
      the deaths of the poem correspond with her own crises and that
      MIGHT make the poem more direct than <title>fever one oh three</title>

  <WSC#MUS001:0375:FG>
      <.>some</.> the details don't CLOG one another

  <WSC#MUS001:0380:FG>
      um it's got a much more forward movement with sweep <,,> and um
      <,,> you can have a look at some of that um

  <WSC#MUS001:0385:FG>
      the critics this is just what one critic has said about <title>lady
      lazarus</title>

  <WSC#MUS001:0390:FG>
      she does actually handle her own personal material quite
      objective <,> but she's talking also not just of her OWN
      suffering but about ALL suffering because she becomes an
      imaginary jew and relates her father to the oppressors <,> and
      what <title>lady lazarus</title> does which it <.>doesn't</.>
      <,> and she doesn't do in <title>daddy</title> is that wonderful
      assertion of her OWN <,> absolute <&>24:00</&> omnipotence
      <softly>power

  <WSC#MUS001:0395:FG>
      i rise with my red hair and i eat men like air</softly> whereas
      think of the rhythm of <title>DADDY</title>

  <WSC#MUS001:0400:FG>
      it just goes down down down DADDY i'm true

  <WSC#MUS001:0405:FG>
      there's no sense of transcendence? <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0410:FG>
      they're all talking about suffering they're all dealing with
      suffering of some description <,> but <title>DADDY</title> is a
      relentless kind of anger and it doesn't transcend <&>dialogue
      not transcribed</&> <&>24:30</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0415:FG>
      um <title>FEVER</title> <,> is is i think is one of the best
      personally because i love <.>the</.> the sheer virtuosity which
      she moves from image to image but the absolute assertion of um
      <title>lady lazarus</title> probably makes that a good <?>autocedonym</?>
      as <title>daddy</title> um <title>fever</title> and then <title>lady
      lazarus</title> <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0420:FG>
      what i want to do with you though is probably now her last poem
      <,> and it's chilling <,,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0425:FG>
      there is none of this assertion

  <WSC#MUS001:0430:FG>
      it's a perfect work of art <softly>cos it's totally still</softly>
      <,,> um and that is <title>edge</title>

  <WSC#MUS001:0435:FG>
      can you find that <&>dialogue not transcribed</&> <&>25:56</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0440:FG>
      no i would like everyone to look at this because it's one of the
      poems where form is very important <,,><&>4</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0445:FG>
      okay who needs to look on who has no access at all to one <,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0450:FG>
      yeah well just have a look at one for now <O>laughter</O>
      <&>26:20</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0455:FG>
      now i want you to very carefully to <.>l</.> watch FORM here <.>her</.>
      the way she's structured <.>the</.> <&>reciting of the poem
      follows</&> <&>27:23</&>

  <WSC#MUS001:0460:FG>
      <softly>it is an immensely visual poem <,,>

  <WSC#MUS001:0465:FG>
      look at it you know?

  <WSC#MUS001:0470:FG>
      what do you see <,> in that poem

  <WSC#MUS001:0475:FG>
      describe what's <?>the</?> you know the images that you can see</softly>
      <&>dialogue continues to end of side</&> <&>27:37</&>
</I>
