Christopher Smart – 5 (Christopher’s Alphabet)

Allen Ginsberg on Christopher Smart continues

AG: Then there’s a series on the Hebrew alphabet.

Then there’s a series on the English alphabet:

For A is the beginning of learning and the door of heaven,

For B is a creature busy and bustling.

For C is a sense quick and penetrating

For D is depth.

For E is eternity—such is the power of the English letters taken singly.

For F is faith.

For G is God—whom I pray to be gracious to Livemore my fellow prisoner.

For H is not a letter, but a spirit—Benedicatur Jesus Christus, sic spirem!

For I is identity. God be gracious to Henry Hatsell.

For K is king. For L is love. God in every language.

For M is musick and Hebrew מ [Hebrew character mem] is the direct figure of God’s harp.

For N is new. 

For O is open. 

For P is power. 

For Q is quick. 

For R is right

For S is soul.

For T is truth. God be gracious to Jermyn Pratt and to Harriote his Sister.

For U is unity, and his right name is Uve to work it double.

For W is word.

For X [drawn as a backwards G and a G stuck together] is hope — consisting of two check G — God be gracious to Anne Hope.

For Y is yea. God be gracious to Eennet and his family!

For Z is zeal.

For in the education of children it is necessary to watch the words, -which they pronounce with difficulty, for such are against them in their consequences

For A is awe, if pronounced full. Stand in awe and sin not….

And then he goes through different… (the letters again, (but) with slightly different pronunciation).

[Audio for the above can be heard here, beginning at approximately sixty-four-and-three-quarter  minutes in and concluding at approximately sixty-six-and-quarter minutes in]

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