‘Follows here the strict receipt For that sauce to dainty meat, Named Idleness, which many eat By preference, and call it sweet: First watch for morsels, like a hound Mix well with buffets, stir them round With good thick oil of flatteries, And froth with mean self-lauding lies. Serve warm: the vessels you must choose To keep it in are dead men's shoes.'
I understand the words and the meaning and the supposed semantic connections in the surface layer, but it looks nonsensical to me. (Please read the description carefully it's not like I don't get that the piece is meant allegorically, I do get that, and on exactly this level I have my problems and am asking)
Could someone explain the more or less exact meaning it to me?
I mean: idleness is said to be preferred by many, okay, that's clear,
but then it is explained how one calls upon idleness or causes it in someone or how it comes into existence due to malicious efforts and due to life events, and this explanation doesn't make sense to me. Why would this have to do with idleness?
You have first to watch for "morsels", clearly "morsels" is just an allegory, but allegory for what?
Then you mix them with "buffets", so you mix them with misfortunes, troubles in someone's life, okay,
but now you add flatteries and self-lauding lies and this altogether should give IDLENESS.
And the best thing is this: one has to keep it in dead men's shoes before serving. That is clearly a reference which one should know and I do not know.
I am completely confused.
Thanks in advance!
Maybe you could help @AmandaYVR , @CoolGuyJoe, @nightdrot (sir nightdrot, I remember that the format is not optimal and causes difficulties to you by such pieces, but I tried to lengthen the lines this time, so that it might be okay. Anyway you are free to participate or not like everyone else, of course.)
I understand the words and the meaning and the supposed semantic connections in the surface layer, but it looks nonsensical to me. (Please read the description carefully it's not like I don't get that the piece is meant allegorically, I do get that, and on exactly this level I have my problems and am asking)
Could someone explain the more or less exact meaning it to me?
I mean: idleness is said to be preferred by many, okay, that's clear,
but then it is explained how one calls upon idleness or causes it in someone or how it comes into existence due to malicious efforts and due to life events, and this explanation doesn't make sense to me. Why would this have to do with idleness?
You have first to watch for "morsels", clearly "morsels" is just an allegory, but allegory for what?
Then you mix them with "buffets", so you mix them with misfortunes, troubles in someone's life, okay,
but now you add flatteries and self-lauding lies and this altogether should give IDLENESS.
And the best thing is this: one has to keep it in dead men's shoes before serving. That is clearly a reference which one should know and I do not know.
I am completely confused.
Thanks in advance!
Maybe you could help @AmandaYVR , @CoolGuyJoe, @nightdrot (sir nightdrot, I remember that the format is not optimal and causes difficulties to you by such pieces, but I tried to lengthen the lines this time, so that it might be okay. Anyway you are free to participate or not like everyone else, of course.)
Updates
+1 y
PROBLEM SOLVED
Oh, sorry for bothering! I guess I get it!! My premise was completely wrong! You don't serve it for someone, your serve it for YOURSELF! That is the meaning, and it turned out the confusing reference could be found in it's literal form.
I don't know, what with the question now, you are free to write your detailed intrepretations if you wish. Maybe they will differ from mine and it'll be interesting to compare.
Oh, sorry for bothering! I guess I get it!! My premise was completely wrong! You don't serve it for someone, your serve it for YOURSELF! That is the meaning, and it turned out the confusing reference could be found in it's literal form.
I don't know, what with the question now, you are free to write your detailed intrepretations if you wish. Maybe they will differ from mine and it'll be interesting to compare.
