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The poetry of brand names. (how authors have made brand names commonplace terms in their writings; includes references to works of John Milton, Aleksandr Pushkin and Charles-Pierre Baudelaire) (Column)

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From: National Review
Date: 19921116
Author:Lubin, Peter

Authors, from Milton to Pushkin, Baudelaire to Grace Paley have used brand names for watches, wine and cereal to elevate emotional intensity in their poetry. Baudelaire did not just prefer wine to the taste of his mistress's lips. He had Nuits St Georges on his mind.

THERE CAN be a poetry to proper nouns. Once, poets gave us names of exotic kings and distant lands. Think of Marlowe:

Is it not passing brave to be a king,

Techelles, Usumcasane, and

Theridamas?

Is it not passing brave to be a king

And ride in triumph through

Persepolis ?

Or Milton:

...

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