J. H. Prynne

[yyaldrin]

the baby monitor is an "outpost"

 

[yyaldrin]

Cartoon


Eyes burning like owlets reaching filmic
attention, shadow across the face of outpost
plummet capture. To keep a head warm into
see more, quick-quick not yet seriously in
dark enough, lovers both wrapped. Alembic
clip these flicker lids filament iodine they
part into shield lucid plane

What aircraft was used in Shield?

The CXD-23 Airborne Mobile Command Station is a modified Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft used by agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..

lucid plane = dreaming
shield is to defend/protect?

 

[Benny Bunter]

Never realised before now that lucid literally means translucent or luminous, cos we usually use it to mean clear minded.

 

[Benny Bunter]

wield in front.

Owls' distinctive “wise” appearance comes from the intense stare resulting from the position of their piercing eyes, both of which are located facing forward on the front of the head, like our own. This arrangement is actually an adaptation for tracking the movements of potential prey.

Where their two eyes' fields of view overlap, owls have 3-D or “binocular” vision, a trait they share with humans and the many other predatory animals. This provides them with acute depth perception that allows them to gauge distance to perfectly time their attacks. In fact, owls have the most forward-facing eyes of any group of birds!

 

[Benny Bunter]

To keep a head warm into
see more, quick-quick not yet seriously in
dark enough, lovers both wrapped. Alembic
clip these flicker lids filament iodine they
part into shield lucid plane, wield in front.

Iodine is used in tungsten filament lamps, also known as halogen lamps, to increase the life of the bulb and improve the quality of the light:

• Longer life
  A chemical reaction between the iodine and tungsten in the lamp creates tungsten iodide, which redeposits tungsten on the filament. This process extends the life of the bulb to more than double that of a standard incandescent lamp.

• 
  
• Brighter light
  Iodine enhances the intensity of the light produced by the lamp.
  
  
• 
  
• Higher temperature
  The iodine vapor in the lamp allows the tungsten filament to operate at a higher temperature, which produces light with a higher color temperature and luminous efficacy.
  
  
• 
  
• Clearer envelope
  The chemical reaction between the iodine and tungsten maintains the clarity of the lamp's envelope.

Halogen lamps are compact and can be used in optical systems for projectors and illumination. The small glass envelope of the lamp is sometimes enclosed in a larger outer bulb to protect the inner bulb and make it more similar to a conventional lamp.

Eye-odine

 

[Benny Bunter]

Never realised before now that lucid literally means translucent or luminous, cos we usually use it to mean clear minded.

So 'lucid' and "candour" both refer to bright light and, figuratively, open/clear mindedness.

 

[Benny Bunter]

Hold fast to dial while opt readiness
candour, next blips their night-cry mounted
in socket trim, hot white partition cryolite.

"Put (a lamp) in proper order for burning by cleaning it out or leveling the wick" (1550s)

"Mounted in socket" obviously refers to the eye, but you'll have realised that already

 

[yyaldrin]

on the one hand you got the eyes of the baby lighting up like owl eyes in the night

on the other hand you got mom and dad (lovers both wrapped) in another room. they are in a dark room and one of them has to switch the lights on and go out of bed to check out the baby.

Alembic
clip these flicker lids filament iodine they
part into shield lucid plane, wield in front.

the lucid plane being the bright lights and the lids (shield) pinched and the arms wielding around blocking the light.

any way, that's the scene i have in my mind but i don't quite get the second half of the poem

 

[luka]

I never get the 2nd half he always does thiz to me

 

[luka]

Sterling work lads way better than the Americans could ever do

 

[luka]

Version no help at all

 

[yyaldrin]

i thought some stuff could be about breastfeeding but i think i'm stuck in tunnel vision and i'm just looking for things that fit the image i have in my head already and i don't think that's the proper way.

"heart (temper) to gut" would then be the mouth of the baby on the breast (heart) of the mother and the milk passing over to its guts. "hot white" in the last sentence would be warm milk and in the word "partition" you could even distinguish the word tit. 😂

but yeh i'm stuck in tunnel vision and i think it's the wrong path.

 

[yyaldrin]

this is the part that confuses me:

Did you complete assembly by slot marks in-
distinct for a brief plume staying, these
all inaugerate habit, now than. What will do
open work heart temper to gut, lights burn
brim to surge or wave a crass suiting fore-
shore.

 

[william_kent]

quick

I was thinking of the burning a candle to its "quick" because there is a lot of "light" imagery in the poem, references to burning, but then I fell down a rabbit hole of etymology where "quick" indicates the presence of life, etc.,

one of the many meanings of quick is:

Of a sense organ, esp. the eye or ear

see next post for the full list....

Summary​

A word inherited from Germanic.
Cognate with Old Frisian quik (West Frisian kwik, kwyk), Old Dutch quic (Middle Dutch quic, Dutch kwik, kwiek), Old Saxon quik (Middle Low German quik- (apparently only in compounds; compare also quik, noun: see below), German regional (Low German) quick), Old High German quec, quek, also (late) chechh-, cheg (Middle High German quec, also kec, German keck pert, bold, and Queck- (in compounds); compare also German quick lively (< Low German)), Old Icelandic kvikr, kykr, Old Swedish qvikker, kviker (Swedish qvick), Old Danish qwik, qwig, qweg (Danish kvik, also kvæg), apparently related to Gothic qius alive, and also to Sanskrit jīva, classical Latin vīvus, Lithuanian gývas, Old Church Slavonic živŭ, Early Irish béu, béo (Irish beó), Welsh byw (13th cent.) alive, living, ancient Greek βίος life, although the exact nature of the relationship is uncertain (see below).

Notes​

The second velar in the North and West Germanic forms (as opposed to the simple stem-final ‑w in Gothic) poses problems in explaining the etymological relationship with the Gothic form and with the forms in other branches of Indo-European; it has been variously explained as resulting from either dissimilation or reduplication in Germanic, or from an extended form of the Indo-European base.
The Old English forms cwicu, cucu reflect Germanic inflection according to the paradigm of the u-stems, whereas the form cwic shows the regular paradigm of Old English strong adjectives.
With use as noun in sense B.1c, compare Old Frisian quik, quek, kuic, Middle Dutch quec, quec (Dutch †kwik), Middle Low German quik, quīk, quek, quēk, Danish kvæg (perhaps after Middle Low German). With sense B.3 compare Middle Dutch quecke living flesh (early modern Dutch quick), Old Icelandic kvikva, kvika flesh beneath the nails or hooves. With sense B.4 compare slightly earlier quickset n.1 and earlier quickwood n.
With use as adverb compare quickly adv.

Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “quick (adj., n.1, & adv.), Etymology,” December 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/9436072104.

"There are 69 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word quick, 23 of which are labelled obsolete."

They could see no quicke things left but onlie Owles.

J. Speed, History of Great Britaine ix. xiii. 599/2

To keep quick time unto the owl.

T. Middleton in C. M. Ingleby & L. T. Smith, Shakespeare's Centurie of Prayse (1879) 51

 

[william_kent]

Quick

adjective
I.
Characterized by the presence of life.

I.1.a.
Old English–
Living, endowed with life, animate. Now only in extended uses (see senses A.I.1b, A.I.1c).


I.1.b.
Old English–
Of possessions or property: consisting of live animals; (of animals, esp. cattle) owned as livestock. Cf. quick-aucht n. Now English regional (northern) and rare.
agriculture
English regional (northern)

I.1.c.
Old English–
Applied to things properly inanimate in various extended or figurative uses. Cf. branch A.II Now rare.


I.2.a.
Old English–
Of a person or animal: in a live state, alive. Now chiefly regional and archaic.

archaic
I.2.b.
Old English–
As a complement to the subject of intransitive and passive verbs, or to the object (and occasionally the subject) of transitive verbs. In early use frequently preceded by intensive all. Now archaic and literary.


archaic
poetic and literary
I.2.c.
a1200–1895
† In extended and figurative use, of a quality, feeling, etc. Cf. branch A.II Obsolete (rare after early 18th cent.).


I.3.
Old English–
Of the flesh or a part of the body: living; †capable of movement (obsolete); capable of sensation, sensitive to pain. Chiefly in quick flesh. Also in figurative context.

anatomy
I.4.a.
Old English–
Of a plant or part of a plant: alive, growing. Cf. quickwood n. Now rare.

plants
I.4.b.
c1425–
Composed of living plants, esp. hawthorn, as quick fence, quick hedge, †quick mound. Cf. sense B.4, quickset n.1 & adj.1
[Compare also the following early place-name evidence: Quictunstal (12th cent.; now Whittonstall, Northumberland), Quicham (late 12th cent.; now Whickham, Durham), both apparently originally having reference to places with a quickset hedge.
With quick hedge compare early modern Dutch quickhaeghe.]

I.5.a.
Old English–
Of a fetus: alive; spec. that has reached the stage of quickening (quickening n.1 1b). Chiefly in with (also †mid) quick child.

embryology
I.5.b.
a1450–
Pregnant with a live fetus; spec. at a stage of pregnancy when movements of the fetus have been felt (cf. quicken v.1 I.4, quickening n.1 1b). Chiefly in quick with child. Also figurative. Now archaic and rare.
quick with child may have arisen by the inversion of the phrase with quick child at sense A.I.5a.

obstetrics
archaic
I.6.
1837–
Alive with or characterized by some feeling, quality, etc.
In some cases probably overlapping with sense A.III.21.

II.
Of a thing: having a specific quality characteristic or suggestive of a living thing.
II.i.
In a sound or natural condition; fresh; productive.
II.i.7.a.
Old English–
Of sulfur: occurring naturally, native. Now archaic.

archaic
II.i.7.b.
a1500–1798
† Of rock: still in situ, forming part of the earth's mass; = living rock n. Obsolete.

geology
II.i.7.c.
1620
† Of earth: that has never been ploughed. Obsolete.

agriculture
II.i.8.
?c1225–1693
† Of the complexion: ruddy, fresh. Obsolete.

medicine
II.i.9.
c1400–1591
† Of something seen: lifelike, vivid. Obsolete.

 

[william_kent]

quick, continued...

II.i.10.a.
1676–1881
† Mining. Of a vein or other source of mined material: containing ore, productive. Cf. dead adj. A.I.7. Obsolete.

mining
minerals
II.i.10.b.
1681–
Of stock, assets, etc.: floating, liquid; (in early use) esp. available to liquidate a debt.
finance
II.ii.
Having some form of activity or energy.
II.ii.11.a.
Old English–
Of a coal: live, burning. Now archaic and rare.

archaic
II.ii.11.b.
?a1425–
Originally (of a fire or flame): burning strongly (now somewhat archaic). In later use (chiefly of an oven): that provides a strong flame; hot. Also figurative.

food and cooking
archaic
II.ii.12.
?c1225–1635
† Of speech, writing, etc.: lively; full of wit or acute reasoning. Obsolete.

II.ii.13.
c1395–1918
† Originally (of a place or time): full of activity; busy. In later use (of trade): brisk. Obsolete.

economics and commerce
II.ii.14.
1620–1763
† Of wine or beer: light, lively; effervescent. Obsolete.

drink
II.iii.
Producing a strong effect on the senses or mind.
II.iii.15.
†
II.iii.15.a.
c1275–1703
Of the voice: loud, clear. Obsolete. rare.

II.iii.15.b.
c1425–1851
With reference to colour: vivid, bright, dazzling. Obsolete. rare.

II.iii.16.
c1449–
Of a feeling: keen, strongly felt. Now somewhat archaic.

archaic
II.iii.17.a.
1542–1890
† Of speech or writing: sharp, caustic. Obsolete.

II.iii.17.b.
1578–1797
† Of a taste or smell: sharp, pungent. Also of a thing: having a sharp taste or smell. Obsolete.

II.iii.17.c.
1609–
Chiefly poetic. Of light or air: sharp, piercing.

poetic and literary
II.iii.17.d.
a1716
† Of that which causes pain. Obsolete. rare.


II.iv.
Possessed of motion.
II.iv.18.
a1300–
Of sand, the ground, etc.: mobile, shifting, readily yielding to pressure. Chiefly in quicksand n. Cf. quick clay n.
Recorded earliest in quicksand n.

soil science
II.iv.19.
a1300–
Of a well, spring, stream, etc.: running, flowing; (now chiefly) spec. fast-flowing.

III.
Possessing the vigour or energy characteristic of life; distinguished by or capable of prompt or rapid action or movement.
In predicative use, frequently followed by a to-infinitive or a preposition, as of, in, about, at, †for, †unto. Cf. to be quick off (occasionally also on) the mark at mark n.1 VII.33c.
III.20.a.
Old English–
Of the mind and its qualities or operations, esp. wit: alert, active, keenly perceptive; ready, lively, agile.
In some cases overlapping with sense A.III.26; cf. also sense A.III.24.

III.20.b.
c1449–
Of a person: mentally alert or agile; prompt to learn, think, or understand; intelligent; of ready wit.

III.21.a.
c1300–
Of a person or animal: full of vigour or energy; prompt to do something; acting or able to act without delay. Chiefly predicative, in later use esp. with to-infinitive.
In modern use usually with the suggestion or implication of speed and passing into sense A.III.22.

III.21.b.
a1425–
Of a quality in a person or animal.


III.21.c.
1545–1883
† Of a thing (material or immaterial). Obsolete.

 

[william_kent]

quick, part III

III.22.a.
c1300–
Moving, or able to move, with speed; swift; doing something swiftly or in a short time.
In quot. a1398: (of a root) fast-growing.
[Apparently attested earlier as an element in a byname: Willemot Quikeuot, apparently lit. ‘quickfoot’ (c1125).]

III.22.b.
1899–
Cricket. Of bowling: delivered at speed. Also of a bowler: fast. Cf. sense B.8.

cricket
III.23.
c1325–
Of movement: rapid, swift; (of a succession or sequence of objects, events, etc.) rapidly moving or occurring.

III.24.
Keenly perceptive; capable of ready perception, alert.
III.24.a.
c1395–
Of a sense organ, esp. the eye or ear.

anatomy
III.24.b.
?1526–
Of the senses. Now somewhat archaic.

archaic
III.24.c.
1612–
Of (a part of) a person or animal with regard to a sense (with of). Now somewhat archaic.


archaic
III.25.a.
a1400–
Hasty, impatient, hot-tempered. Now English regional (Herefordshire) and Irish English (northern).

English regional (midlands)
English regional (northern)
Irish English (northern)
III.25.b.
a1665–
Of temper, disposition, etc.: easily roused; readily moved to anger or impatience.

III.26.
1548–
Of an action, event, process, etc.: that is done or happens with speed or with little or no delay; esp. that lasts or takes a short time; that is soon finished.

III.27.
1678
† Of steel: breaking readily; brittle. Obsolete.

metal industry
III.28.
1725–
Of a curve, turn, etc.: (originally) pointed rather than rounded (now rare); (now usually) involving a sudden change of direction. Also figurative. Cf. sharp adj. A.10c.

noun
1.a.
Living people as a class; the living; (also occasionally) a living person.
1.a.i.
Old English–
Without article. Chiefly in quick and dead, echoing Acts 10:42 or the Apostles' Creed. Now rare.


1.a.ii.
Old English–
With the. Usually with plural agreement. Contrasted with the dead.

1.b.
Old English–1275
† That which is alive. (In Old English and early Middle English in partitive genitive singular as postmodifier.) Obsolete.


1.c.
c1450
† Livestock. Obsolete. rare.

agriculture
2.
Old English–
A living creature; (in later use) spec. an insect, esp. a maggot. Now English regional (northern).

invertebrates
English regional (northern)
3.a.
c1450–
With the. The highly sensitive area of a finger or toe covered by the nail plate; the sensitive structures of the foot of a horse or other ungulate; the proximal, vascular portion of the claw of an animal or bird. Also: any part of a wound, an ulcer, the body, etc., that is sensitive or painful (now rare). Frequently in to the quick. Cf. sense A.I.3.
In early use also without article in †at quick.

anatomy
horses and riding
3.b.
a1529–
figurative. The seat of feeling or emotion in a person; the core of a person's being. In later use, chiefly in phrases denoting acute mental anguish or irritation, as to touch (also gall, sting, etc.) to the quick.
See also to cut to the quick.

3.c.
1532–1892
† A tender, sensitive, or vital part. Chiefly in plural. Obsolete.


3.d.
a1566–
In extended use: the central, vital, or most important part of a thing (now esp. something immaterial).

4.a.
1456–
As a mass noun (occasionally with plural agreement): living hedging plants, esp. hawthorns, esp. as young plants, cuttings, or seedlings. Cf. quickset n.1 A.1b. Now rare.

horticulture
plants
4.b.
1507–
As a count noun: a single hedging plant, esp. a hawthorn, esp. as a young plant, cutting, or seedling. Cf. quickset n.1 A.1a.

plants
4.c.
c1660
† A hedge made of living plants, esp. hawthorn (cf. sense A.I.4b). Obsolete. rare.

4.d.
1727–
A hawthorn used for hedging, esp. Crataegus monogyna or C. laevigata. Cf. sense A.I.4a, quickthorn n. Now rare.

plants
5.
1531–1880
† With the. The living form or exact semblance of something. Chiefly in to the quick. Cf. life n. I.7. Obsolete.

visual arts
6.
1648
† Short for quick-mire n. Obsolete. rare.

7.
1852–82
† U.S. Metallurgy. The amalgam of gold and mercury that is formed when gold is extracted with mercury; (also) the mercury itself (cf. quicksilver n. 1). Obsolete. rare.
[Compare Dutch kwik mercury (1736), German Quick mercury, a solution of mercury used in gilding, (in compounds) amalgam (1812 or earlier; earlier in Quickarbeit (1778)). Compare quick-water n.]

metal industry
metals
U.S. English
8.
1960–
Cricket. A fast bowler. Frequently in plural. Cf. sense A.III.22b.
cricket
adverb
1.a.
c1300–
Rapidly, at a fast rate; (also) without delay, at once; = quickly adv. 2. See also get-rich-quick adj., kiss-me-quick n., PDQ adv.
Except in compounds (see Compounds C.2a, Compounds C.2b), now usually considered less formal than quickly, and found chiefly in informal or colloquial contexts, often in standard constructions (see senses C.1b, C.2).

1.b.
1580–
In similative phrases, as (as) quick as lightning, (as) quick as thought, (as) quick as a wink, (as) quick as a flash, etc.
Phrases are generally recorded earlier with quick as an adjective; see, e.g., quot. ?a1475 at sense A.III.22a.

2.
1593–
As an imperative: ‘be quick!’. See also quick march int.
In some cases perhaps representing the adjective in the phrase be quick! (cf. quot. a1637 at sense A.III.22a).

 

[william_kent]

quick, part IV - more burning imagery

Jumping candlesticks was a form of fortune telling and a sport. Good luck was said to be signalled by clearing a candle without extinguishing the flame

 

[william_kent]

1. 1635
   

   Nor Candles, Torches, nor the Sunne at noone, Nor Spectacles..Can make an Owlet in the day-time see.

   G. Wither, Collection of Emblemes iv. xlv. 253

 

[william_kent]

cryolite typically occurs about 0.1 times per million words in modern written English

1. 1800
   

   It fuses by the flame of a taper, and flows like glass [read ice: Fr. glace] by the blow-pipe: for this reason it has been called at Copenhagen cryolite.

   Philosophical Magazine vol. 7 259

It is translucent to transparent with a very low refractive index of about 1.34, which is very close to that of water; thus if immersed in water, cryolite becomes essentially invisible.

fits with the visibility / lack of sight themes and with flames and glass ( alembic )?

also, "lovers both wrapped" is fusion of sorts?