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book: Writings from the Golden Age of Russian Poetry
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Writings from the Golden Age of Russian Poetry

  • Translated by:
Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2017

About this book

Konstantin Batyushkov was one of the great poets of the Golden Age of Russian literature. Peter France interweaves Batyushkov’s life and writings, presenting masterful new translations of his work with the compelling story of Batyushkov’s career as a soldier, diplomat, and poet and his tragic decline into mental illness at the age of thirty-four.

Author / Editor information

Konstantin Batyushkov (1787-1855) was a celebrated Russian poet and essayist. He served in three campaigns of the Napoleonic wars and was posted to Naples on diplomatic service before succumbing to incurable mental illness in 1822.

Peter France is honorary fellow and professor emeritus at the University of Edinburgh. He has translated French and Russian prose texts as well as the works of many Russian poets, most recently Lermontov, Baratynsky, Mandelstam, and Aygi.

Reviews

Sibelan Forrester:
For fans of Russian poetry, and especially for Russophone poets, Batyushkov (1787–1855) is a vital figure who wrote exquisite verse and helped to usher in what is known as the Golden Age of Russian poetry. . . . Writings from the Golden Age of Russian Poetry interweaves translations of poetry (plus excerpts from prose essays and personal letters) with history and biography. . . . Poets and general readers should appreciate this volume as much as teachers and scholars who can now quote elegant translations.

Ilya Kutik, Northwestern University:
Peter France’s book is a unique journey into Batyushkov’s turbulent and tragic life, expertly placed within the context of the equally turbulent Russian nineteenth century. Just as importantly, France's virtuoso translations introduce Batyushkov in English poetic language as it exists now.

Michael Wachtel, Princeton University:
Konstantin Batyushkov was one of the great Russian poets of the nineteenth century, and Peter France has done a superlative job in bringing his work to an English-speaking audience. The volume deserves praise for its careful yet mellifluous translations of verse and for a biography that provides a rich cultural and historical context.

Alexander Pushkin:
[Konstantin Batyushkov] did for the Russian language what Petrarch did for Italian.

Topics

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    Frontmatter

    i
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    CONTENTS

    v
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    PREFACE

    vii
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    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    ix
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    ABBREVIATIONS

    xi
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    INTRODUCTION

    1
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    1. VOLOGDA TO ST. PETERSBURG

    13
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    2. WAR AND PEACE

    35
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    3. THE CITY AND THE COUNTRY

    63
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    4. BACK TO WAR

    95
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    5. THE RETURN OF ODYSSEUS

    127
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    6. ARZAMAS AND THE ESSAYS

    157
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    7. TO ITALY

    189
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    8. INTO THE DARK

    217
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    NOTES

    231
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    TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

    235
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    INDEX OF TEXTS BY BATYUSHKOV CITED OR DISCUSSED

    237
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
November 28, 2017
eBook ISBN:
9780231546140
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
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This book is in the series
Russian Library
This book is in the series
Russian Library
https://doi.org/10.7312/baty18540
eBook ISBN: 9780231546140
Audience(s) for this book
Professional and scholarly;
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