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When read in chronological order, Mina Loy's poem "Lunar Baedeker" may appear to depict a narrative involving substances, sexual encounters, and a sense of hopelessness. However, it truly serves as an encoded reflection of Loy's personal experiences and symbolizes the recurring patterns of existence. To begin our analysis, we shall focus on the significance of the title.
In "Lunar Baedeker," the term 'lunar' refers to the moon, as well as anything connected with it, specifically its cycles. However, the word 'Baedeker' is less familiar.
It originates from Karl Baedeker, a German who released a collection of guidebooks in 1859. Consequently, Mina Loy's title can be interpreted as "a guide to the moon" or "a guide to the moon's various cycles."
In this stanza, Loy reflects on her personal experience of falling in love with her second husband, Arthur Cravan, also known as Fabien Avernarius Lloyd. The line "A silver Lucifer serves cocaine in cornucopia" can be interpreted in different ways. "Silver" could represent a shiny, white color or something highly persuasive.
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"Lucifer" can refer to a fallen rebel or a fallen star. Regarding Loy's celestial theme, "Lucifer" can be read as a fallen star. However, it is more accurate to see it as a fallen rebel because Cravan, her husband, was always on the run for avoiding military service. Describing him as "silver" portrays him as beautiful, pure, and persuasive. Furthermore, emphasizing that silver has the highest thermal and electrical conductivity suggests his strong sex appeal and intense chemistry with the poet.
Additionally, Loy mentions cocaine, a highly addictive substance that induces euphoria. The phrase "served... in cornucopia" portrays Loy as infatuated with her lover and unable to get enough of his presence, much like a giddy young girl.
A description of the intimate life of the couple is portrayed in the following stanza: "To some sleepwalkers/ with young thighs/ covered/ in sarcastic coverings." Despite having two children from a previous marriage, these lines depict Loy as a novice in her husband's bed. The term 'sleepwalkers' implies activities related to the night. Thighs often symbolize sexuality due to their proximity to the genital area, and by referring to her own thighs as "young," Loy suggests that her own sexuality is immature, inexperienced, vulnerable, and unexplored. By being "covered/ in sarcastic coverings," Loy suggests that her immaturity is concealed, but only superficially, by fabric or garments that intentionally expose and criticize her youthful naiveté.
In the third stanza, Fabienne, Loy's third child, is mentioned. The stanza states, "Peris in livery / prepare / Lethe / for posthumous parvenus." It is important to note that Peris is not a misspelling of Paris but rather the plural form of the noun Peri. Peris are women or girls who are descendants of fallen angels and are excluded from Paradise. They can also be seen as beautiful girls. The term "livery" refers to the clothing worn by servants, hinting that this "Peri" does not come from a wealthy family. Lethe is the name of the river in Hades that would erase one's memories if they were to drink from it. The reference to "posthumous parvenus" connects this stanza to Fabienne. Loy's husband, Cravan, married her in Mexico while he was avoiding military service.
They separated and were supposed to meet up just before they returned to the United States, but Cravan never appeared, nor was he ever seen again. Loy searched for him, and later it was assumed that he was dead. Loy was already pregnant with Fabienne, and posthumous can mean 'born after the father's death.' Even better, a parvenu is someone who is not used to wealth or power but has recently acquired such a position without gaining the prestige that this status brings. Fabienne, as a newborn, is completely unaware that she has just entered the human race.
The fourth stanza of Loy's poem describes her search for her missing husband. The reference to "chandelier souls" from Pharaoh's tombstones symbolizes the illuminated pathways she seeks. This chandelier imagery is significant as Loy later opens a lamp shop where she designs the lamps herself. It is believed that at the time she wrote the poem, she was already exploring this artistic endeavor. The phrase "Delirious Avenues" represents Loy's relentless and clueless quest to find her husband in every possible location. The individuals associated with Cravan, such as Fabienne and Mina, bring brightness to these avenues as they are connected to her husband. The mention of "Pharaoh's tombstone" suggests that Loy has come to accept the likelihood of her husband's death.
In the next stanza, Loy acknowledges the acceptance of losing Cravan with the phrases "lead/ to mercurial doomsdays/ Odious oasis/ in furrowed phosphorous." The word "lead" carries multiple meanings here. It can signify Loy being brought to a conclusion by the previous stanza, or it can allude to the initial punch in a boxing match. This is significant because Cravan, known as the "boxer poet," relied on prize fighting to supplement his income as a mediocre poet. Furthermore, "mercurial" refers to Mercury, the Greek deity associated with travel, cunning, theft, and swiftness. It also serves as the second mention of a shiny, silver-hued element in the poem, representing a poisonous substance in this instance. Loy maintains her celestial motif by connecting Mercury to being the planet closest to the sun.
In summary, the rapid arrival of her husband's death on this fateful day is comparable to a poison that deeply affects her heart. Furthermore, the intense heat experienced on the planet Mercury can be likened to the fires of Hell. The phrase "Odious oasis" combines contradictory terms. Loy's only solace in accepting the reality that her husband will never return is that she can cease searching for him. Her refuge, described as an "in furrowed phosphorous" oasis, represents her profound loneliness during the nighttime hours. The term phosphorous, which signifies something luminous and radiant, specifically alludes to the stars in the sky.
The following verse is rather enigmatic, but the numerous mentions of white and light, as well as the moon, such as "the eye-white sky-light/ white light district," evoked thoughts of virginity and innocence for me. The last line, "of lunar lusts," implies the sexual cravings or yearnings of someone who is chaste, which is another contradictory concept. It is probably Loy expressing her feelings of solitude.
In this section of the poem, Loy begins to blend words together more frequently. The initial line, "---Stellectric signs," combines the words "constellation" and "electric," suggesting that Loy derives meaning from the constellations in the night sky. The first sign she encounters is "'wing shows on Starway,'" which can be interpreted as a theatrical performance where a wing represents a dance step and the Starway symbolizes a stage akin to Broadway. Loy's next sign is the "'Zodiac carrousel,'" representing the astrological signs depicted by the constellations in the night sky. A carrousel refers to a children's amusement ride featuring animal-shaped seats, which correlates to the zodiac concept. Moreover, a carrousel can also signify a complex and fast-paced cycle of activities that one finds difficult to escape from. This suggests that Loy may have been trapped in an unsatisfying cycle. The zodiac and carrousel are just two examples of numerous references in the poem to circular or cyclical entities.
In the next stanza, there are two references to cyclical occurrences. "Cyclones" are powerful storms with low pressure at the center, and nearly all of them in the northern hemisphere rotate in a counterclockwise direction. This counterclockwise motion could be interpreted as Loy's rebellion against the cycles she feels trapped in or her perception of being caught in a regressive cycle. It could also symbolize her belief in living a backward life. These cyclones are described as consisting "of ecstatic dust/ and ash," which suggests that Loy's grief over the loss of her husband is intense and overwhelming. The dust represents the disintegration of something to its lowest state and can also signify a state of humiliation. The ash, which is the residue left after complete combustion, symbolizes Loy's grief, repentance, and humility. Additionally, ash is also a type of tree with durable and flexible wood, symbolizing Loy's strength and ability to heal from this loss.
In this cyclone, the dust and ashes "whirl," displaying a circular, cyclical pattern. The stanza continues by alluding to "crusaders and their hallucinatory citadels made of shattered glass, and the evacuate craters." The hallucinatory citadels symbolize the supposed safety and security Loy believed she had with Cravan. The shattered glass represents Loy's shattered dreams regarding her ruined marriage. The evacuate craters, likely found on the moon, symbolize the emptiness into which her broken dreams are drained. The mention of craters also holds personal significance for Loy as she was a painter and artist; a crater can also represent a dimple in a painted surface, signifying visible flaws in her life.
Although Loy's dreams of Cravan have shattered, she still possesses goals and aspirations. In fact, she retains a "flock of dreams." These dreams occasionally wander to the Necropolis, symbolizing her frequent thoughts and dreams about her deceased husband. The Necropolis refers to the city of the dead.
The following stanza returns to Loy's lunar theme while also alluding to a worn and stained femininity. "From the shores of oval oceans" invokes the idea of planets and moons with their elliptical and egg-like orbits, as well as the Latin word ovum, which refers to the female reproductive cell. The phrase "oxidized Orient" best represents this tarnished womanhood. Oxidation occurs when something is exposed to oxygen, resulting in a corrosion that is typically black, brown, or green. "Orient" references the moon, which symbolizes purity. It can mean the East, where the sun and moon rise, or symbolize the brightness of a pearl.
Loy proceeds to depict another image, the absence of her passion for life. She portrays this by mentioning "Onyx-eyed Odalisques" and "ornithologists" who are observing the outdated energy of Eros. Loy's dormant desire, symbolized by the Greek god of erotic love, and her instinct for self-preservation, which is also embodied by Eros, are no longer of significance to her. These dark eyed concubines and bird enthusiasts observe, scrutinize, and celebrate Loy's loss of her once vital lust for life.
In the next stanza, Loy mentions her "'Immortality'" as it "mildews/ in the museums of the moon". This concept of immortality encompasses Loy's enduring love for Cravan, as well as the potential fame she may achieve through her writing or art. The fact that immortality can "mildew" suggests its nonexistence, yet if it were real, it would exist in a museum-like space for observation rather than utilization. The choice of the moon as the location for this museum signifies its symbolism of an unattainable place or aspiration.
The following two lines directly refer to the moon. The phrase "'Nocturnal cyclops'" refers to a creature with one eye that is active only during the night. The phrase "'Crystal concubine'" combines the meaning of crystal, which symbolizes transparency and beauty, with concubine, symbolizing an unmarried woman living with a man. This combination represents the moon's relationship with the sun.
The final stanza of "Lunar Baedeker" holds significant meaning as it describes the moon as being "Pocked with personification". This phrase conveys that the moon is not simply marked with craters or indents, but rather with infected pustules. This concept implies that the moon is infected with human attributes. Additionally, the moon is portrayed as "the fossil virgin of the skies", signifying that its representation of purity and chastity is outdated and reminiscent of the past. Moreover, this line also makes an allusion to astrology, as it refers to the virgin or Virgo, a Zodiac sign.
The last three words in this poem carry significant weight. On closer examination, they symbolize an internal conflict and turmoil. To wax signifies growth, intensification, or even rage. Conversely, wane connotes a decrease in size or power, sometimes indicating a loss of authority. "waxes and wanes----" reflects Loy's battle with her anger and sorrow following her husband's death. Ultimately, she succumbs to her emotions as they diminish.
Decoding Mina Loy's "Lunar Baedeker". (2016, Jun 23). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/mina-loys-poem-lunar-baedeker-essay
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