Icarus: The Son of Daedalus who flew too close to the sun. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icarus
Carnavaux: see Part I Chapter 1
zaspat’: Russian meaning, overlie, smother (an infant or animal): заспать.
“… Bellargus sedan of a celestial blue that Bel was to compare with that of a Morpho”: “Bellargus” and “Morpo” are types of butterflies bearing a blue color.
“Another odd thing: with prophetic care I took down in my diary all my stops, all my motels (Mes Moteaux as Verlaine might have said!)…” :
- Mes is French for “my”, Monteaux is a commune (township) located in Southeastern France.
- Verlaine being a French poet.
“…the Lolita Lodge in Texas….”: obvious reference to his novel Lolita.
August 1947: Possible reference to Lolita. August 1947 is the time when Lolita and Humbert have their first sexual encounter and begin their extensive travels all over the states
Brunn’s membrane: nasal mucous membrane that serves as an organ of smell
“I scrapped my Joyce seminar which in 1945 had attracted (if that is the word) only six students…” – Nabokov was at Wellesley in 1945 teaching courses in Russian.
Dr. Olga Repnin – see introduction. Possible reference to Grand Duchess Olga Repnin-Volkonkaya.
the enchantingly talented poet Audace – Audace is French for boldness, daring, audaciousness.
the eloquent and ill-fated Girondist of that name (“Bourreau, fais tondevoir enversla Libertи!”) – Girondists were a political group during the French Revolution; French for, “Executioner, do your duty to the Liberty”.
Donne – an English poet and cleric.
Villon – a French poet.
Eliot – an American poet.
Laic Litanies – A non-clerical prayer or devotion. OR a non-clerical recitation.
Nefertitty – Nefertitti, the wife of an Egyptian Pharaoh.
So-lus rex? – A reference to Nabokov’s unfinished novel Solus Rex.