The Cambridge Introduction to Russian Poetry

This introduction presents the major themes, forms and styles of Russian poetry.

Michael Wachtel (Author)

9780521808811, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 12 August 2004

180 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.4 cm, 0.44 kg

'This book will help students who are making the leap across the apparently daunting gap between coping with spoken Russian or Russian prose and tackling a poetic text … A helpful index of poetic terms and a reassuringly select list of further reading are provided to help those who are entirely new to the topic. The book is … a 'guide to reading, interpreting, and appreciating it' … This aim is most certainly achieved … This book offers a concise and concentrated account of the things that poets can do with words, and readers with texts.' MLR

The Cambridge Introduction to Russian Poetry presents the major themes, forms, genres and styles of Russian poetry. Using examples from Russia's greatest poets, Michael Wachtel draws on three centuries of verse, from the beginnings of secular literature in the eighteenth century up to the present day. The first half of the book is devoted to concepts such as versification, poetic language and tradition; the second half is organised along genre lines and examines the ode, the elegy, ballads, love poetry, nature poetry and patriotic verse. All poetry appears in the original followed by literal translations. This book is designed to give readers with even a minimal knowledge of the Russian language an appreciation of the brilliance of Russian poetry.

Preface
Acknowledgments
Note on translations and transliterations
Introduction
Part I. Concepts: 1. Versification: how to do things with words
2. Poetic language
3. Tradition and the individual talent
Part II. Interpretation: 4. From the ode to the elegy (and beyond)
5. The ballad
6. Love poetry
7. Nature poetry
8. Patriotic verse
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: poetry & poets [DSC], Literary studies: from c 1900 - [DSBH], Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900 [DSBF], Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800 [DSBD]