"Poetry is a magnetic innervation of the heart, which the being of Gérard Nerval kept all his life a cavern, one of the principle transmitting caverns of a void where all poetry is remade."
I have always loved this sentence which comes from a letter Artaud drafted but never sent to Georges LeBreton. I realized recently, however, that I've always misread "innervation" as "enervation."
Briefly, the OED tells us that innervation is "The action or process of innervating; the fact of being innervated; supply of nerve-force from a nerve-centre to some organ or part by means of nerves; stimulation of some organ by its nerves. Also, the supply of nerve fibres to, or disposition of nerve fibres within, an organ or part."
Meanwhile, a search for the the verb "enervate" pulls up several meanings--including obsolete usages to describe the literal cutting of tendons from animals. Here's the more common meaning, though, and one that plays nicely off Artaud's line: " To weaken mentally or morally; to destroy the capacity of (a person, a community, etc.) for vigorous effort of intellect or will. Said esp. of the effects of luxury or sloth. Also, to destroy or impair the vigour of (sentiments, expressions, etc.)."
If Artaud had meant enervate, would he have been channeling Baudelaire? Or rather, am I channeling Baudelaire in my misreading?
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