HowVirginiaWoolfandVitaSackville-WetFellin

Love
Thereal-lifetorbehindthelongetandmotcharmingloveletterin
literature.
Y M A R I A P O P O VA

Fourearaftertheendofherturulentdecade-longromance
withVioletTrefui,thenglihpoet,novelit,andlandcape
deignerVitaackville-Wetecameintenelinfatuated
withVirginiaWoolf,tenearherenior.Theirwaa

ingularlovethat,liketheprotagonitofWoolfrevolutionar
novelinpiredVita,hape-hiftedfluidlatheearand

decadeworeon,morphingnowintoferventpaion,nowinto
deepanddelicateemotionalintimac,nowintothemot
teadfatoffriendhip.

ackville-Weton,NigelNicolon,chronicletheir

relationhipwithgreatreverenceandenitivitinhi1973
ookPortraitofaMarriage:Vitaackville-WetandHarold

Nicolon(puliclirar),drawingonhimotherletterand

diarietoilluminatetheenormitofthelovethetwowomenharedfromthedathefirt

mettothedaVitalearnedofVirginiadeathalovethatremainedeveritaaliveevenin
hermovingletterofcondolencetoWoolfhuand.

TheiruncommonondeganinDecemerof1922,whenVirginiawafortandherfirt

literarucce,Mr.Dallowa,watillthreeearahead.Fourdaaftertheirfirtmeeting,
VirginiainvitedVitatoamalldinnerpart.Vitareportedtoherhuandthediplomat
HaroldNicolon,aloqueerinaletterfromDecemer19,1922:

IimpladoreVirginiaWoolf,andowouldou.Youwouldfallquiteflateforeher
charmandperonalitMr.Woolfioimple:hedoegivetheimpreionof

omethingig.heiutterlunaffected:therearenooutwardadornmenthe

dreequiteatrocioul.Atfirtouthinkheiplain,thenaortofpiritualeaut

impoeitelfonou,andoufindafacinationinwatchingher.hewamarterlat

night,thatitoa,thewoollenorangetockingwerereplacedellowilkone,ut
hetillworethepump.heiothdetachedandhuman,ilenttillhewanttoa
omething,andthenaitupremelwell.

AfterremarkingthatWoolfwaquiteoldhewafortVitaaddwithaortofwitful
giddine:

Iverareltakenuchafanctoanone,andIthinkhelikeme.Atleat,heakedme
toRichmondwherehelive.Darling,Ihavequitelotmheart.

Overthecomingweek,agoodfiveeareforeheprofeedeingreducedtoathingthat
wantVirginia,Vitalotherheartcompletelandtheintimacetweenthetwowomen

magnetizedthemcloerandcloer.hewriteinadiarentrfromthefollowingFeruar:
DinedwithVirginiaatRichmond.heiadeliciouaever.Howrightheiwhenhe
athatlovemakeanoneaore,uttheexcitementoflifelieinthelittlemove
nearertopeople.utperhaphefeelthiecaueheianexperimentalitin
humanit,andhanograndepaioninherlife.
Amonthlater,Vitaconfideinherdiaragain:
LunchwithVirginiainTavitockquare,wherehehajutarrived.ThefirttimethatI
haveeenalonewithherforlong.WentontoeeMama,mheadwimmingwith
Virginia.

utthen,Nicolonnote,therecameagapincommunication.Virginiaherelfwainitiall

amivalent,atoncehopeleldrawntoVitatohereinginhort(whatIhavenevereen)
arealwoman,ahewroteinherowndiarandexaperatedtheuddenneand

everitofthatattraction.QuentinelltheelovednephewwithwhomWoolfhadonce

collaoratedonaatiricalfamilnewpaperandwholaterecameherofficialiographer
peculateaoutthecaue:

heproalecameawareofVitafeelingandperhapacquiredaninklingofherown
atthatfirtencounter;hefelth,almotvirginal,inVitacompan,andhewa,I
upect,rouedtoaeneofdanger.

Nicolonconiderhimotherpoleoftheatter:

VitawatoowellawareofthedelicacofVirginiamindandodtoprehertrongl,
andtheirfriendhipdevelopedaffectionatel,tartingwiththemalltendernee

thefireide.(VitalikedtoitonthefloorVirginiachair)thatgraduall,ograduall,
ledtoomethingalittlemore.

utthatomethingwanotlittleanmeaureforanloveatallinomallmatter,ut
epecialloneofuchmagnitude.VitaecameVirginialoverandmue,andwentonto

inpirehergroundreaking1928novelOrlando,whichrevolutionizedthepoliticofLGT

loveandwhichNicolonhimelfopoeticallcallthelongetandmotcharmingloveletter
inliterature,inwhich[Virginia]exploreVita,weaveherinandoutofthecenturie,toe

herfromoneextotheother,plawithher,dreeherinfur,laceandemerald,teaeher,
flirtwithher,dropaveilofmitaroundher,andendphotographingherinthemudat
Longarn,withdog,awaitingVirginiaarrivalthenextda.

DrawingofVitaSackville-WetbNinaCofordfromVirginia
Woolf:AnIllutratedBiograph

OnOctoer11,1928thedaOrlandopulihedVitareceivedalavihpackage,containing
apritinecopoftheookandVirginiaoriginalmanucript,cutom-oundforVitainNiger

leather,herinitialengravedonthepine.Yearlater,uponreceivingnewofVirginiadeath,
Vitawoulddecrieheronetimeloverandlifelongfriendathelovelietmindandpirit
heeverknewandalowhichcanneverdiminih.

NicolonwriteofhimotherrelationhipwithVirginia,takingcaretonotethattheopen

marriageothwomenhad,whileunconventionaltheeratandard,wereheldtogether
unreakaleintellectualandpiritualondtotheirrepectivepoue:

[Virginia]friendhipwathemotimportantfactinVitalife,exceptHarold,juta
VitawathemotimportantinVirginia,exceptLeonard,andperhapheriter

Vanea.IfoneeekaparalleltoVita-Harold,onecanfinditonlinVirginia-Leonard,
althoughonemutadmitdifference,forVirginiawaexuallfrigidandLeonardwa

nothomoexual.Theirmarriagewerealikeinthefreedomtheallowedeachother,in
theinvinciilitoftheirlove,initintellectual,piritualandnon-phicalae,inthe

eagerneofallfourofthemtoavourlife,challengeconvention,workhard,pla

dangeroulwiththeemotionandintheirolicitudeforeachother.HowwelldoI

recallLeonardlookahewatchedVirginiaacroaitting-roomtoeethathedidnot
growtiredoroverexcited,caringforhermuchaJoephmuthavecaredforMar,for
theirrelationhipwailical.TherewanojealouetweentheWoolfandthe

Nicolon,eauethehadarrivedindependentlattheamedefinitionoftrut.
PortraitofaMarriageiarichandrewardingreadinitentiret,aglowwiththekaleidocopic
nuanceandpluralitieoflove.ComplementitwithVirginiaWoolfwhatmakerelationhip
latandliteraturegreatetLGTloveletter,thenreviitdnat.VincentMillaexquiite
polamorouloveletterfromtheameerainwhichVitaandVirginiafellinlove.

PulihedJul28,2016

http://www.rainpicking.org/2016/07/28/virginia-woolf-vita-ackville-wet/

www.brainpicking.org