Big (maybe massive) spoilers for Sunrise on the Reaping
ACTUALLY ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP BASHING THIS OVER MY HEAD SUZANNE???? FUCKING SERIOUSLY?????? I CAN’T TELL IF IT’S TOO OBVIOUS FOR A RED HERRING
She’s been doing this for the entire book, but THIS just- oh my GOD man
Plutarch pours himself a glass of amber liquid. “Can I offer you something?”
“I don’t drink.” Professional curiosity wins out though, and I cross to examine the booze. The bottles have little silver nameplates on chains. Vodka. Rye. Cognac.
Then I spy a name I recognise. Not only have I heard of it, I know it from the poem that gave my love her name.
“Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe…?”
“… and forget this lost Lenore! Of course, it’s unclear in the poem if nepenthe’s the liquor or the drug added to the liquor.’
I remember having this same discussion with Lenore Dove.
She said ‘quaff’ means ‘to drink’, usually something with alcohol. And the guy telling the story in the song is trying to stop thinking about how he lost his true love.
“I think the important part is it makes you forget terrible things,” I say.
GIRLYYYYYYY WHATT??????? “I KNOW IT FROM THE POEM THAT GAVE MY LOVE HER NAME”???? THE POEM ABOUT A GUY DRINKING TO FORGET HOW HIS LOVE DIED????? HAYMITCH????????????????
“I THINK THE IMPORTANT PART IS IT MAKES YOU FORGET TERRIBLE THINGS”???????
Also he KEEPS saying “I don’t drink” and it KEEPS breaking me