#lenore posting

DON'T MAKE ME CRYYYYY

Mina always carries herself in such a way that she believes her emotions can't get the best of her, or at least, they shouldn't. She's a rational woman! She does not linger on her sadness, she does not divulge it to others!! She bottles it all up like a brave man would, I tell you!!

But her tone in that part of the entry, most specifically that line is that of a child crying out "it just isn't fair!" because it isn't! Jonathan should be home by now. And that is the extent of her exploration of her emotions, she permits herself one line, but all her anxiety and sadness are contained in that line.

Up rose Lenore as the red morn wore From weary visions starting; “Art faithless, Wilhelm, or, Wilhelm, art dead? 'Tis long since thy departing.”

LENORE POSTING IS BACK BABY.

And here and there and everywhere, Along the swarming ways, Went old man and boy, with the music of joy, On the gallant bands to gaze; And the young child shouted to spy the vaward, And trembling and blushing the bride pressed forward: But ah! for the sweet lips of Lenore The kiss and the greeting are vanished and o'er.

She's all alone on a cliff, she sees a band playing and a Salvation Army meeting taking place, and though they don't know the other is there, she sees them both, and as such, she is separate from them. She wishes she could see Jonathan, wherever he is, just to reassure herself that he's alive, that nothing awful's happened. But more than that, she wishes he were here with her, to see the sights, hear the sounds, to kiss in these moments alone.

From man to man all wildly she ran, With a swift and searching eye; But she felt alone in the mighty mass, As it crushed and crowded by: On hurried the troop, —a gladsome group,— And proudly the tall plumes wave and droop: She tore her hair and she turned her round, And madly she dashed her against the ground.

When she was surrounded by Lucy and the boisterous group of old men, she was still isolated, but she could never express that loneliness. When she remarks on Mr. Swales not pestering Lucy and instead giving her "double share" it isn't... bitterness per se. But it reflects how she feels the world is treating her right now. Things look bright for Lucy -- not so bright as they could be, but she will be well as soon as her fiancé visits. The same could be said for Mina, but she has no assurance that Jonathan is even alive. Short messages are customary coming from Mr. Holmwood, what with his affinity for sending telegrams, but coming from Jonathan? It's wrong. He's not even present in his letters home. Unlike Lenore, she is not fooled by the false Jonathan portrayed by his letters. If Death came masqueraded to sweep her away, she would not be hoodwinked.

“What pity to me does God impart? Woe, woe, woe! for my heavy heart!”

It just isn't fair that something awful would happen to them, now. They've done everything right! All their lives, they've never tried to make any waves, to cause a stir, to rock the boat-- they've been good, why would they be punished when all they've done is be good?!

One of the most influential lines in vampire literature was in a poem that features no vampires: "Denn die Todten reiten schnell" from Lenore by Gottfried August Bürger.

For fun, I must first address that this phrase also appears in what is considered Bram Stoker's first draft of Dracula: Dracula's Guest.

Impelled by some sort of fascination, I approached the sepulchre to see what it was, and why such a thing stood alone in such a place. I walked around it, and read, over the Doric door, in German: COUNTESS DOLINGEN OF GRATZ IN STYRIA SOUGHT AND FOUND DEATH 1801 On the top of the tomb, seemingly driven through the solid marble—for the structure was composed of a few vast blocks of stone—was a great iron spike or stake. On going to the back I saw, graven in great Russian letters: “The dead travel fast.”

Why it is in Russian when the engraving on the tomb is in German and why proto-Jonathan is able to read both languages when his first draft self knew not even a lick of German, I cannot say. What I can say is that Styria is a reference to Carmilla, of course, and we know from the engraving: "sought and found death" that the Countess likely committed suicide, which is often deemed a sin in Christianity that can condemn one to vampirism. Eternal life as punishment for seeking death against God's will. You could take this paired with the quote as a reference to Bürger's Ballad of Lenore, in which a grieving woman curses God for the death of her beloved and is punished with death... but it doesn't fit as well as it should. That bitch Dolingen ain't travelling nowhere.

Okay, okay, right to the book:

The parallels to Bürger's ballad start before the line is spoken. The driver drives dangerously fast, urged on by his other passengers, much to Jonathan's chagrin. How was it that Lenore was led to her death? A man resembling her beloved, Wilhelm, appeared on a horse and bid her to join him to go to their marriage bed. On the way, he rides wildly, distressing her. He inquires:

“What ails my love? the moon shines bright: Bravely the dead men ride through the night. Is my love afraid of the quiet dead?” “Ah! no;—let them sleep in their dusty bed!”

(By the way, here, "Denn die Todten reiten schnell" is translated as "Bravely the dead men ride through the night")

"You are early to-night, my friend." The man stammered in reply:— "The English Herr was in a hurry," to which the stranger replied:— "That is why, I suppose, you wished him to go on to Bukovina. You cannot deceive me, my friend; I know too much, and my horses are swift." As he spoke he smiled, and the lamplight fell on a hard-looking mouth, with very red lips and sharp-looking teeth, as white as ivory. One of my companions whispered to another the line from Burger's "Lenore":— "Denn die Todten reiten schnell" — ("For the dead travel fast.")

Here, the reference is a better fit. Jonathan's fellow passenger makes the comment in reference to the stranger, who we know is the Count, being one of the dead, or rather, Un-Dead. He's travelling. Rather fast. As the dead do.

As the ballad goes on, "Wilhelm" invites a passing funeral procession to drop their mourning and sing him and his bride cheery marriage songs, which they do.

The driver and passengers (who could, in a way, be described as Jonathan's funeral procession), do not follow the Count, instead leaving for Bukovina, lamenting their failure to outpace the dead. But no matter, they are replaced by the wolves, whose singing is praised by the Count:

"Listen to them—the children of the night. What music they make!"

MINA FINALLY ATTAINS NEWS OF HER BELOVED. And she lets Lucy take care of her luggage (bring her with you please bring her with you please Mina) because it will be a long journey and possibly a longer stay. The moment she knows where he is, she rushes to where, feeling so blessed to know he is still alive. He's truly still alive, he's only waiting for her. She shall travel fast like Lenore to get to her love and finally have their wedding night, but unlike Lenore, her love is not already dead.

Always, Seward says something, and I am like "I.. hum... please don't say that. Oh, don't say that." Jacky-boy, I know it hurts your little ego to not be seen as higher than your employees... but comparing yourself to an eagle and all others to sparrows? It seems you are the one who will soon call himself God. Especially considering that sparrows are Renfield food. He's wondered previously if Renfield would eat a man, but he considers himself higher than other men. So, we know that, if Seward were to abandon his morals (thankfully, he won't), he's not going to put his own life at stake, not when he is a mighty eagle and he has sparrows to spare.