In the first sentence of the short story "The Scarlet Ibis", what does the word clove mean?

Question

I had an assignment on the Scarlet Ibis, 6 questions, this was the one that befuddled me: In the beginning of "The Scarlet Ibis" the author uses the word clove, look up a definition that fits this context.

The text is, "It was in the clove of seasons, summer was dead but autumn had not yet been born, that the ibis lit in the bleeding tree."

By the context I'm asuming that it means at the end of one or in between two seasons, or something of the sorts. But my teacher says we need to actually have a definition from a dictionary, not our assumptions from context.

Any help?

Answer 1

Clove: to part or split, esp. along a natural line of division.

In that sentence it means the splitting of two seasons. The end of one and the beginning of another.

Answer 2

If it weren't talking about seasons I would've assumed 'cloves' as garlic cloves and someone would've been veeerrryyyy lonely. But the clove of summer?? Probably the middle or beginning of summer.

Answer 3

Here's my two cents...When something is cloven, it's split into two parts -- i.e. a cloven hoof (essentially meaning that someone has cleaved it). So, my impression is that the clove of seasons is the space between -- when it isn't quite summer, and not quite fall -- as the quote indicates.

Answer 4

I can't truly find a definition for "the clove of seasons," but I did find this reference, perhaps it will help:

http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=clove

They give both a noun and a verb in their definitions, and in the verb section, they say "cleave" ... as in a split.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Found this on Dictionary.com to support your hypothesis. I believe this is the definition as related to what was occuring tot he I bis at the top of the story. simply, it fits.

1. to split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow, esp. along a natural line of division, as the grain of wood.

Answer 6

Strife is a way of life with some couples. Or the Cockney "trouble and strife" equals "wife".

Answer 7

clove refers to being between seasons. it is not still summer really but not quite feeling like autumn

Answer 8

Maybe it's supposed to say "close" and not "clove".
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1 : to divide by or as if by a cutting blow : SPLIT
2 : to separate into distinct parts and especially into groups having divergent views
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http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
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