EO phEOnix Cipher Disciphered

The Finding of Facts In Dreams:

"SHAKESPEARE'S" PHOENIX CIPHER

©Elwood LeRoy Miller, 2/17/2016

“Is All That We See Or Seem

But A Cipher In A Cipher’s Dream?” 

                                                 elm

Consumed with exhausting labor,

I took me to my dream-bedraggled bed,

Fresh rimes ringing in my head, all for to savor,

And integrate, with concinnity, what 's said—

   What needs be said, in what I write,

   For Truth is true, only if it’s said right.

And in the depths of my exhausted sleep

I had a dream, a very special One.

As, before my Muses' court, I, bowing deep,

Came to Motion that, my duty done,

   I be released from these demanding labors,

   Which consumes my life, yet none savors.

In my dream, I merely looked upon the scene,

The cluttered pile of books, facsimiles,

Scattered documents and articles--my Poet's Den

Crammed full to overflowing, if you please.

   In my poor rooms, more knowledge than space,

   Yet, here, it happened, that miracle called grace.

Before I could think, in my dream, I quoted:

"Is all that we see or seem, but a dream

Within a dream?"  Suddenly All  was sorted!

Here, in the clutter of my poor poet's den,

  Of highest Order, a Poet's long sought vision:

  "O, my God, the Phoenix has arisen!"

And, awaken'd  to my next mortal day,

I, perfunctorily got up, made my coffee,

Went to my coffee table where I play

At philosophy, art, and poetry—

   Opened my journal to its last page

  And there I read, what may Ever Live An Age:

                                *****

"Yea, the illiterate that know not how

To cipher what is writ in learned books,

   Will cote my loathsome trespass in my looks.

(Rape of Lucrece, p. 75 - Yale Shakespeare, (“cote” = “quote”)

                      *******

And Lastly this:

"So they lov'd as love in twain

Had the essence but in one.

Two distincts, division none,         (“two distincts” = distinctions)

Number there in love was slain."

(The Phoenix and the Turtle, p.113, Yale Shakespeare)

Disciphered:

"So they lov'd as lOvE in twain         [his two identies, O and E]

Had the essence but in OnE.             [OE = EO, the essence of one]

Two distincts, division nOnE,            [two names but OnE, w/o division]

Number there in lOvE was slain."    [“one” was killed as a number]

ELM