Speak Memory Essay

As written about extensively in his autobiography, Speak, Memory, Nabokov cared deeply for the sounds, colors and shapes of words. Nabokov’s prose, therefore, is often pleasing to read aloud, for his words are carefully placed upon their audio qualities. For example, even in a seemingly regular phrase within Lolita, Nabokov clearly cares for how the words sound together, and possibly even which colors they produce. He writes, “I am loathe to dwell so long on the poor fellow”(183). Except or “fellow,” every word is one-syllable, creating a quick pace to the phrase. In addition, the two-word phrase, “so long,” is technically unnecessary, for he could have cut it and still made his point. However, adding “so long” creates an iambic rhythm when

Vladimir Nabokov was fluent in many languages, and could write in at least three: Russian, English, and French. Besides using Russian phrases to explain his Russian childhood in Speak, Memory, Nabokov almost exclusively adds little touches of French to his prose, for two reasons: French is a highly esteemed language, often cited in both Russia’s and America’s intellectual elite, and the language has a distinctly sot, fluid sound, much to Nabokov’s pleasure. In Lolita, European intellectual Humbert Humbert uses phrases like “en escalier,”(40) “Je m’imagine cela,”(43) and “ne montrez pas vos zhambes”(44). Nabokov does not always give translations either, as I he either experts his readers to be multilingual or figure out the words from context and at least appreciate how they sound. Pale Fire’s Charles Kinbote, another European intellectual of the imagined land of Zembla, uses French too. He uses phrases such as “feuilles-d’alarme”(152) and “Bon voyage!”(145) and dtcetera. Again, almost no translations are given, Nabokov just likes the diverse and colors that adding French to his prose

Every sound and punctuation is placed precisely for its oral and humorous qualities. It also demonstrates how meticulous Nabokov was. Vladimir Nabokov uses Symbolism as a basic literary tool. In his poetic masterpiece, Pale Fire, Nabokov’s fictional poet and professor, John Shade, whom Nabokov most definitely speaks through to some degree, wrote, “On students’ papers: ‘I am generally very benevolent. But there are certain trifles I do not forgive. Not having read the required book. Having read it like an idiot. Looking in it for symbols” (156) is the statement of John Shade when he examines three of Nabokov’s, Lolita, Pale Fire, and Speak, Memory, for their symbolic elements. Nabokov did not use beautiful symbolism to advance his novels instead of it he uses beautiful language. Nabokov uses symbolism into his prose writing works. In Lolita, for example, the first description of the nymphet is followed directly by a quote from the girl’s mother: “That was my Lo[lita]… and these are my lilies.” To which, the ped ‘o’ plile-narrator, Humbert Humbert, responded, “Yes. They are beautiful,