Pale Fire

After the end of Shade’s poem, Kinbote provides his analysis. He groups the analysis by line number, beginning with the opening line. Quickly, however, Kinbote’s notations are overwhelmed by his own story. When discussing the waxwing from the opening line, for example, he explains how he saw those birds often when he and Shade were neighbors. The heraldry of the fictional nation of Zembla also contains a waxwing, in addition to a merman and a reindeer. Kinbote points out further possible allusions to Zembla, including reflections glimpsed in windows and an unnamed “crystal land,” which Kinbote believes is his own “dear country” (64). The last king of Zembla, Kinbote explains, was named Charles. King Charles translated Shakespeare and was passionate about literature.

Kinbote believes that Jakob Gradus, a “would-be regicide” (64), is also referenced in “Pale Fire.” Gradus traveled from Onhava in Zembla, leaving the country the day after Shade began working on his poem (July 2, 1959). Kinbote reveals that he has access to previous drafts of the poem. One version, he claims, contains more mentions of Zembla, King Charles, and Gradus. Kinbote told Shade about Zembla, and he believes that this formed the foundation of the poem.