[Xmca-l] Re: The True Story of Eleanor Marx

[Tom Richardson]

David Kellogg and the 'summary' of Bergin's 'Eleanor Marx;-

Thank you very much, David - I bought the book but was not able to
understand / absorb the narrative as you have laid it out and I was
disappointed - I shall go back to the poems now - so perceptive.
Tom Richardson Middlesbrough UK

On 4 November 2017 at 23:08, David Kellogg <dkellogg60@gmail.com> wrote:

> The True Story of Eleanor Marx in Ten Parts
> From: Bergin, T. (2017). The Tragic Death of Eleanor Marx. London:
> Carcanet.
>
> 1. Eleanor of the eight-hour day
>
> Gets betrayed by Edward of the two faces.
>
> She orders: chloroform, with just some traces
>
> Of prussic acid—blue—a beautiful imitation.
> 2. She says it is for the dog but she is the dog.
> 3. The Housekeeper finds her dressed in white.
>
> It’s not her bridal dress, she’s not a bride.
>
> It’s from her childhood. She lies as if asleep.
>
> She has strangely purple cheeks.
> 4. In her ‘white muslin dress’ she is laid out.
> 5. The Corner is exasperated with feeble Edward.
>
> Coroner: Was the deceased your wife?
>
> Edward: Legally?
>
> Coroner: Were you married to the deceased?
>
> Edward: Not legally.
>
> Coroner: What was her age?
>
> Edward: Forty.
>
> (She was forty-three.)
> 6. On Tuesday:
>
> Fire—
>
> But the Phoenix,
>
> God of Suicide,
>
> Doesn’t rise.
>
> And Edward doesn’t claim her.
>
> Because now he has a real wife.
> 7. So the urn that holds the ashes of the soft summer dress
>
> And of the woman who knew the power of the proletariat
>
> And of the chunk of poisoned apple that she bit
>
> Are taken to the offices of the SDF.
> 8. The offices are in Maiden Lane.
> 9. And in the offices in Maiden Lane,
>
> There is a cupboard with two glass panes.
>
> And there they place her to remain
>
> For years and years.
>
> Her tears are dew.
>
> And she crushes nothing.
> 10. Nearly all of this is true.
>