The life of the bee. Translated by Alfred Sutro

Beelines: Joyce’s Apian Aesthetics

“…A key reason for this was Maeterlinck's unapologetically literary style, with him frequently dramatizing his subject matter, and drawing conclusions from his observations that verge on flights of fancy. Describing the inhabitants of the hive as they prepare to swarm, the author remarks gnomically: 'Never is the hive more beautiful than on the eve of its heroic renouncement, in its unrivalled hour of fullest abundance and joy' (Maeterlinck [1901(Maeterlinck [ ] 1995. In his preface to the text, Maeterlinck explains that instead of functioning as a 'practical manual or scientific monograph', the text unfolds in a 'somewhat livelier fashion' with 'freer ( .…”

“…. ) reflections' (Maeterlinck [1901(Maeterlinck [ ] 1995. As though emulating the 'riotous' energies of the hive, Maeterlinck posits that this 'livelier' approach to bees 'consists in giving free rein to the spirit of initiative possessed by the bees' thus 'providing ( .…”

“…. ) opportunities for veritable discoveries' (Maeterlinck [1901(Maeterlinck [ ] 1995. To be open to the language of bees, Maeterlinck suggests, is to become bee-like in one's observations, adopting freer patterns of thought than the more fixed trajectories of scientific enquiry.…”

“…4 In contrast to von Frisch's more circumscribed account of the "round dance" and the "waggle dance" of bees, Maeterlinck's informal understanding of bee language emphasises the limitlessness of apian communication, frequently marvelling at the 3 Joyce references Maeterlinck in Stephen Hero, which he began writing in early 1904, see (Joyce [1944(Joyce [ ] 1969. In Ulysses, Stephen Daedalus quotes Maeterlinck before paraphrasing his ideas: 'We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love, but always meeting ourselves', see (Joyce [1922(Joyce [ ] 1986 ways in which their gestures 'elude comprehension' (Maeterlinck [1901(Maeterlinck [ ] 1995. With this context in mind, Bloom's impression of bees in Ulysses as occupying a unique position 'beyond the art of man' appears to correspond to a particular moment in the history of apiculture, in which the language of bees was newly recognised, but not yet 'caged' within scientific parameters.…”

“…to give expression to thoughts and feelings, by means either of a phonetic vocabulary or more probably of some kind of tactile language or magnetic intuition, corresponding perhaps to senses and properties of matter wholly unknown to ourselves (Maeterlinck [1901(Maeterlinck [ ] 1995).…”