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have a first…hand knowledge of the workings of a poet's mind； Denis；
perhaps you can explain。〃
〃What could be simpler；〃 said Denis。 〃It's a beautiful word； and Ivor
wanted to say that the wings were golden。〃
〃You make it luminously clear。〃
〃One suffers so much；〃 Denis went on； 〃from the fact that beautiful
words don't always mean what they ought to mean。 Recently； for example；
I had a whole poem ruined； just because the word 'carminative' didn't
mean what it ought to have meant。 Carminativeit's admirable； isn't it？〃
〃Admirable；〃 Mr。 Scogan agreed。 〃And what does it mean？〃
〃It's a word I've treasured from my earliest infancy；〃 said Denis；
〃treasured and loved。 They used to give me cinnamon when I had a cold…
…quite useless； but not disagreeable。 One poured it drop by drop out of
narrow bottles； a golden liquor； fierce and fiery。 On the label was a list of
its virtues； and among other things it was described as being in the highest
degree carminative。 I adored the word。 'Isn't it carminative？' I used to
say to myself when I'd taken my dose。 It seemed so wonderfully to
describe that sensation of internal warmth； that glow； thatwhat shall I call
it？physical self…satisfaction which followed the drinking of cinnamon。
Later； when I discovered alcohol； 'carminative' described for me that
similar； but nobler； more spiritual glow which wine evokes not only in the
body but in the soul as well。 The carminative virtues of burgundy； of
rum； of old brandy； of Lacryma Christi； of Marsala； of Aleatico； of stout；
of gin； of champagne； of claret； of the raw new wine of this year's Tuscan
vintageI compared them； I classified them。 Marsala is rosily； downily
carminative； gin pricks and refreshes while it warms。 I had a whole table
of carmination values。 And now〃Denis spread out his hands； palms
upwards； despairingly〃now I know what carminative really means。〃
〃Well； what DOES it mean？〃 asked Mr。 Scogan； a little impatiently。
〃Carminative；〃 said Denis； lingering lovingly over the syllables；
〃carminative。 I imagined vaguely that it had something to do with
carmen…carminis； still more vaguely with caro…carnis； and its derivations；
like carnival and carnation。 Carminativethere was the idea of singing
and the idea of flesh； rose…coloured and warm； with a suggestion of the
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jollities of mi…Careme and the masked holidays of Venice。 Carminative
the warmth； the glow； the interior ripeness were all in the word。 Instead
of which。。。〃
〃Do come to the point； my dear Denis；〃 protested Mr。 Scogan。 〃Do
come to the point。〃
〃Well； I wrote a poem the other day；〃 said Denis； 〃I wrote a poem
about the effects of love。〃
〃Others have done the same before you；〃 said Mr。 Scogan。 〃There is
no need to be ashamed。〃
〃I was putting forward the notion；〃 Denis went on； 〃that the effects of
love were often similar to the effects of wine； that Eros could intoxicate as
well as Bacchus。 Love； for example； is essentially carminative。 It gives
one the sense of warmth； the glow。
'And passion carminative as wine。。。'
was what I wrote。 Not only was the line elegantly sonorous； it was
also； I flattered myself； very aptly compendiously expressive。
Everything was in the word carminativea detailed； exact foreground； an
immense； indefinite hinterland of suggestion。
'And passion carminative as wine。。。'
I was not ill…pleased。 And then suddenly it occurred to me that I had
never actually looked up the word in a dictionary。 Carminative had grown
up with me from the days of the cinnamon bottle。 It had always been
taken for granted。 Carminative： for me the word was as rich in content
as some tremendous； elaborate work of art； it was a complete landscape
with figures。
'And passion carminative as wine。。。'
It was the first time I had ever committed the word to writing； and all
at once I felt I would like lexicographical authority for it。 A small
English…German dictionary was all I had at hand。 I turned up C； ca； car；
carm。 There it was： 'Carminative： windtreibend。' Windtreibend！〃 he
repeated。 Mr。 Scogan laughed。 Denis shook his head。 〃Ah；〃 he said；
〃for me it was no laughing matter。 For me it marked the end of a chapter；
the death of something young and precious。 There were the yearsyears
of childhood and innocencewhen I had believed that carminative meant
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well； carminative。 And now； before me lies the rest of my lifea day；
perhaps； ten years； half a century； when I shall know that carminative
means windtreibend。
'Plus ne suis ce que j'ai ete Et ne le saurai jamais etre。'
It is a realisation that makes one rather melancholy。〃
〃Carminative；〃 said Mr。 Scogan thoughtfully。
〃Carminative；〃 Denis repeated； and they were silent for a time。
〃Words；〃 said Denis at last； 〃wordsI wonder if you can realise how much
I love them。 You are too much preoccupied with mere things and ideas
and people to understand the full beauty of words。 Your mind is not a
literary mind。 The spectacle of Mr。 Gladstone finding thirty…four rhymes
to the name 'Margot' seems to you rather pathetic than anything else。
Mallarme's envelopes with their versified addresses leave you cold； unless
they leave you pitiful； you can't see that
'Apte a ne point te cabrer； hue！ Poste et j'ajouterai； dia！ Si tu ne fuis
onze…bis Rue Balzac； chez cet Heredia；'
is a little miracle。〃
〃You're right；〃 said Mr。 Scogan。 〃I can't。〃
〃You don't feel it to be magical？〃
〃No。〃
〃That's the test for the literary mind；〃 said Denis； 〃the feeling of magic；
the sense that words have power。 The technical； verbal part of literature
is simply a development of magic。 Words are man's first and most
grandiose invention。 With language he created a whole new universe；
what wonder if he loved words and attributed power to them！ With fitted；
harmonious words the magicians summoned rabbits out of empty hats and
spirits from the elements。 Their descendants； the literary men； still go on
with the process； morticing their verbal formulas together； and； before the
power of the finished spell； trembling with delight and awe。 Rabbits out
of empty hats？ No； their spells are more subtly powerful； for they evoke
emotions out of empty minds。 Formulated by their art the most insipid
statements become enormously significant。 For example； I proffer the
constatation； 'Black ladders lack bladders。' A self…evident truth； one on
which it would not have been worth while to insist； had I chosen to
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formulate it in such words as 'Black fire…escapes have no bladders；' or； 'Les
echelles noires manquent de vessie。' But since I put it as I do； 'Black
ladders lack bladders；' it becomes； for all its self…evidence； significant；
unforgettable； moving。 The creation by word…power of something out of
nothing what is that but magic？ And； I may add； what is that but
literature？ Half the world's greatest poetry is simply 'Les echelles noires
manquent de vessie；' translated into magic significance as； 'Black ladders
lack bladders。' And you can't appreciate words。 I'm sorry for you。〃
〃A mental carminative；〃 said Mr。 Scogan reflectively。 〃That's what
you need。〃
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