He lived the Life of Ambush 1
And went the way of Dusk
And now against his subtle name
There stands an Asterisk
As confident of him as we－5
Impregnable we are－
The whole of Immortality intrenched
Within a star－
And went the way of Dusk
And now against his subtle name
There stands an Asterisk
As confident of him as we－5
Impregnable we are－
The whole of Immortality intrenched
Within a star－
(F.1571/J.1525)
[1] He:: a star-nosed mole.
[2] way of Dusk:: it lives in burrows.
[3] subtle name:: a discriminating name based on its snout.
[4] an Asterisk:: the shape of its snout.
[5] confident:: bold, impudent, with its snout as human's nose up.
[6] Impregnable:: unconquerable as a stronghold (but underground, as some bold men).
[7] whole of Immortality:: a grave.
[7, 8] intrenched, star:: furrowed, a hint on the answer that lives underground.
The condylures, or star-nosed moles, are confined to North America; they closely resemble the common mole in their feet, general aspect, and habits, but the tail is longer, and the disc at the end of the snout is encircled by little moveable cartilaginous processes like the rays of a star. The eyes are extremely minute; external ears are wanting; fur deep, thick, and fine. ─ Sketches in Natural History (1849)