Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[perspectives]

Hi,

What does 'the plotted plain" mean as in the following quotation? I cannot find any meaning on the internet nor in the dictionaries. My wild guess is: is it a small piece of land that has been marked? or is it alter related? Just my wild wild guess.

[redset]

Haha, Bob Dylan eh? Good luck with that, sometimes poetry is hard to decipher I'll say this much - Judas was involved in a plot to betray Jesus in the Bible and received money for it, and 'plotted plain' almost sounds like 'potted plant' (which may or may not be intentional, there's a name for changing the sounds at the start of the words in a phrase to form a new phrase - it escapes me at the moment though). I had a look around the Internet and people have a lot of ideas, but nobody seems particularly sure. It could be nothing more than making a phrase with 'plot' in it that sounds cool, I couldn't tell you. Sorry!

[perspectives]

Thanks, redset, as usual.

I just browsed Acts 1: 18 and it sort of dawned on me:

(Now this man bought a field from the wages of crime and, falling headlong, he burst asunder and all his intestines gushed out,"

I just related 'field of blood' with 'plain'. As for 'plotted', i sort of connected it to Judas' betrayl of Jesus by the act of kissing. Also, the footstool is symbolized as 'enemies', 'traitors', and so forth.

Do you think my assumption a bit far-fetched?

Thanks again.

[redset]

It's possible! Just the mention of Judas and 'priest' is enough to give it a Biblical tie-in, so I think other Biblical references are likely. You might have some luck with:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858512257/

Although as usual it's a bunch of people stating their opinion, and on that site people often come out with some... let's say 'interesting' ideas (since I'm on an English teaching forum here, I'll point out that 'interesting' is a euphemism, and what I'm really saying is people say some really stupid things sometimes!). You might also be able to find a Bob Dylan forum somewhere, with fans who've spent some time analysing his work - I had a quick look but I couldn't see anything, but if you have time you might have better luck!

[perspectives]

Thank you very much for everything, redset. Yes, I had checked several Dylan related forums and the site you offered before I proposed my question here. I second that some of the viewpoints there are 'interesting' as you thought. I love Dylan's lyrics a lot, so I hope I won't misread anything. But at the same time, I hope that I focus on entirely on the lyrics itself, and not its biographical reference to who might be who. I like multiple readings to one piece of work. That's the spirit of a text! Thank you again. I think I might just take my own reading into my own translation. Thanks, redset.