COVE

The Soul’s Rubáiyát was published in 1911 and was written by Amelia Woodward Truesdell and illustrated by Marion De Lappé (Figure 3). The illustrations are in black and white. There are 31 pages total, with additional 5 preliminary pages. It was published in San Francisco by AM Robertson and belongs to The Dr. Sigurd H. Peterson Memorial Collection at Oregon State University’s Valley Library. The book is a light brown leather, and the spine is worn, but still somewhat intact. It smells like an “old book” and has minimal water and other stains. On one of the pages, there is a 25c annotation. Additionally, in digitized versions found via Oregon State University’s database are numerous annotations from other libraries, including shelf locations. Throughout the book, there is a border style above the poem (Figure 5).

As described in All the Way: Being the Collected Poems of Amelia Woodward Truesdell, she was a poet, along with being an educator, business manager, club member and mother. She was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on October 20^th, 1839. Truesdell graduated from Mt. Holyoke College on July 27^th, 1858. She arrived in San Francisco, California in 1864, after marrying Orran P. Truesdell (he would pass away in 1869). Then, in 1873 Truesdell’s first son passed away and in 10 years her second son also passed away. She died in November 1912, a year after the book was published. There is no mention in the introduction of her views and how she viewed Persian culture.

One notable feature is the fact that both the book is written and illustrated by two women – men’s writing and status within the literary cannon is more likely to be preserved due to institutional & societal misogyny. A unique aspect of the edition is that it is a small copy, the exact dimensions are 17cm. I would imagine that the book has been in a lot of people’s pockets or bags, before it made it into the collection at Oregon State University. The small size would also make it a perfect giftbook; Another aspect is the addition of writings before and after the Rubáiyát (Figure 1,2,4). 

First bit of additional writing that also appears at end of book:

Fire altars whence the sacred flame has fled; Round them no more, the reverent feet shall tread. Ahurâ-Mazda, Persia’s ancient god; What planets now revere his lifted rod?

Poem before start of The Soul’s Rubáiyát:

O Pars, awake! The humming-bird’s 

a-wing; 

Still thrills the nightingale’s sweet 

welcoming 

Lo, from the hills – the Spring, her hair 

snow-splashed 

Rose gardens burst to wildest 

blossoming 

But night owls hoot around Persepolis; 

Where jeweled feet have trod, the 

serpents hiss; 

To these dead halls there comes no

Springtime bliss: 

My time-old search for truth is but as 

this 

This quest sung he who took the Vine 

to Spouse; 

Nay Pars, why from thy thousand 

dreams arose?

If dark thine ancient doors, where 

dwells the light?

These writings are significant because they are not included in the original FitzGerald translation. The poem before the Rubáiyát does not list the author of the poem, so it is assumed to be Truesdell. The imagery in the poem is very similar to stanzas 6-7 of the FitzGerald version. The usage of birds and nature stood out to me. 

 From stanza 6 of FitzGerald:

“Red wine!” – the Nightingale cries to the Rose. 

That yellow Cheek of her’s to’incarnadine” (19)

From stanza 7 of FitzGerald:

“The Bird of Time has but a little way

To fly – and Lo! The Bird is on the Wing.” (19)

Both stanza and poem center birds in different contexts. FitzGerald’s use of capitalization signals to the reader that they are important religious subtext. Truesdell’s poem is focused on describing a place, specifically, in the first few lines when she writes, 

the Spring, her hair 

snow-splashed 

Rose gardens burst to wildest 

blossoming 

Lastly, “Pars” does not show up in Fitzgerald’s text, making the addition to the text irrelevant to the overall message of Rubáiyát of Omar Kayyám.

The drawings are also significant, because they echo the affinity towards Orientalism that was held during the early 1900s. The inclusion of these drawings could be seen as either how Truesdell saw Persian culture, or an accurate depiction of religious imagery during that time. Both the additional text and drawings retroactively makes the book feel Orientalist. This is due to the lack of annotation/explanation provided by the book. The goddess (figure 6) would be relevant addition to the text if it was understood why Lappé decided to draw her. Furthermore, it adds to the fascination aspect that is associated with Orientalism. In other words, the illustrations in this book are framed as if they are decoration instead of used to enhance the text of the poem.

None of the text that Truesdell decided to add feels relevant to what the original work is trying to convey -- questioning religious beliefs and living life, it creates an impression that they wanted to frame the book as exotic rather than something of substance. This can be seen in figure 1,2, 4 and 6.

WORKS CITED:

Kurtz , Benjamin P., and Amelia W Truesdell . “In Memoriam .” All the Way: Being the Collected Poems of Amelia Woodward Truesdell , A.M. Roberston , San Francisco , CA, 1913, pp. vii-ix.

Truesdell , Amelia  W. The Soul’s Rubáiyát. AM Robertson, 1911.