NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Eugene Onegin

Eugene Onegin (Russian: Евгений Онегин, BGN/PCGN: Yevgeniy Onegin) is a novel in verse written by Aleksandr Pushkin. It is one of the classics of Russian literature and its hero served as the model for a number of Russian literary heroes. It was published in serial form between 1823 and 1831. The first complete edition was published in 1833, and the edition that the current accepted version is based on was published in 1837. Image File history File links AlexanderPushkin_EugeneOnegin. ... Aleksandr Pushkin by Vasily Tropinin Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (Russian: ÐÐ»ÐµÐºÑÐ°ÌÐ½Ð´Ñ€ Ð¡ÐµÑ€Ð³ÐµÌÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ ÐŸÑƒÌÑˆÐºÐ¸Ð½, Aleksandr SergeeviÄ PuÅ¡kin, ) (June 6, 1799 [O.S. May 26] â€“ February 10, 1837 [O.S. January 29]) was a Russian Romantic author who is considered to be the greatest Russian poet[1] [2][3] and the founder of modern Russian... In political geography and international politics a country is a geographical entity, a territory, most commonly associated with the notions of state or nation. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... Verse is a writing that uses meter as its primary organisational mode, as opposed to prose, which uses grammatical and discoursal units like sentences and paragraphs. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The barcode of an ISBN . ... BGN/PCGN romanization system for Russian is a method for romanization of Cyrillic Russian texts, that is, their transliteration into the Latin alphabet. ... A verse novel is a poem, long enough to be at least of novella proportions, and also in some way adapting conventions of the novel, rather than of the epic poem. ... Aleksandr Pushkin by Vasily Tropinin Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (Russian: ÐÐ»ÐµÐºÑÐ°ÌÐ½Ð´Ñ€ Ð¡ÐµÑ€Ð³ÐµÌÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ ÐŸÑƒÌÑˆÐºÐ¸Ð½, Aleksandr SergeeviÄ PuÅ¡kin, ) (June 6, 1799 [O.S. May 26] â€“ February 10, 1837 [O.S. January 29]) was a Russian Romantic author who is considered to be the greatest Russian poet[1] [2][3] and the founder of modern Russian... Russian literature refers to the literature of Russia or its Ã©migrÃ©s, and to the Russian-language literature of several independent nations once a part of what was historically Russia or the Soviet Union. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 (MDCCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The work's primary defining feature is that it is almost entirely written in verses of iambic tetrameter with the unusual rhyme scheme "aBaBccDDeFFeGG", where the lowercase letters represent feminine rhymes while the uppercase letters represent masculine rhymes. This form has become known as the "Onegin stanza" (or "Pushkin sonnet"). An iamb is a metrical foot used in various types of poetry. ... In poetry, a tetrameter is a line of four metrical feet: And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea (Anapaest tetrameter) (Byron, The Destruction of Sennacherib) You who are bent and bald and blind (Iambic tetrameter, except for the first foot which is a trochee) (W... A rhyme is a repetition of identical or similar terminal sounds in two or more different words (i. ... A rhyme is a repetition of identical or similar terminal sounds in two or more different words (i. ... Onegin stanza refers to the verse form used by Alexander Pushkin in his interpersonal epic Eugene Onegin. ...

The story is told by an idealised version of Pushkin, who often digresses from the story and while the plot of the novel is quite scant the book is more loved for the telling than what is told. It is partly because of this garrulous narrator that the book has been compared to Tristram Shandy. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (or, more briefly, Tristram Shandy) is a novel by Laurence Sterne. ...

Plot

Eugene Onegin, a Russian dandy who is bored with life, inherits a country mansion from his uncle. When he moves to the country he strikes up an unlikely friendship with the minor poet Vladimir Lensky. One day Lensky takes Onegin to dine with the family of his fiancée Olga Larina. At this meeting Olga's bookish and countrified sister, Tatiana (Tanya), falls in love with Onegin. During the night Tatiana writes a letter to Onegin professing her love and sends it to him. While this is something a heroine in one of Tatiana's French novels would have done, Russian society would consider it inappropriate for a young, unmarried girl to take the initiative. Contrary to her expectations, Onegin does not reply by letter. The two meet on his next visit where he rejects her advances in a speech that has been described as tactful yet condescending. Sporty Parisian dandies of the 1830s: a girdle helped one achieve this silhouette. ... I am BORED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...

Later Lensky nonchalantly invites Onegin to Tatiana's nameday celebration promising a small celebration with just Tatiana her sister and parents. At the celebration Onegin finds a grandiose ball reminiscent of the fast-paced world he has grown homesick for. To exact revenge on Lensky (and amuse himself) Onegin proceeds to flirt and dance with Olga. Lensky leaves in a rage and in the morning issues a challenge of a duel to Onegin. At the duel Onegin kills Lensky, then flees.

Tatiana visits Onegin's mansion where she reads through his books and the notes in the margins, and through this comes to believe that Onegin's character is merely a collage of different literary heroes and so there is no "real Onegin". Later Tanya is taken to Moscow and introduced to society. In this new environment Tanya matures to such an extent that when Onegin returns to Moscow he fails to recognise her. When he realises who she is, he tries to win her affection despite the fact that she is now married, only to be ignored. He writes her a letter and receives no reply. The book ends when Onegin manages to see Tanya and is once more rejected in a speech echoing the speech he previously gave her. Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area - City 1,081 kmÂ² Population - City (2007) - Density 10,469,000 9684. ...

Major themes

A main theme of Eugene Onegin is the relation between fiction and real life. As art often imitates life, people too are often shaped by art. The romantic sister, Tatiana, is reading a romance novel when her mother tells her real life is not like that. The work is packed with allusions to other literary works and most of the main characters have been influenced and had their personalities shaped by, or modelled on, different works of literature.

Composition and publication

As with many other 19th century novels it was written and published serially, with parts of each chapter often appearing published in magazines before the first separate edition of each chapter was first printed. Many changes, some small and some large, were made from the first appearance to the very final edition made in Pushkin's lifetime. The following dates mostly come from Nabokov's study of the photographs of Pushkin's drafts that were then available and his study of other people's work on the subject. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

The first stanza of Chapter One was started on May 9, 1823 and except for three stanzas (XXXIII, XVIII and XIX) finished on October 22, 1823. The remaining stanzas were completed and added to his notebook by the first week of October 1824. Chapter One was first published as a whole in a booklet on February 16, 1825 with a foreword that suggests Pushkin had no clear plan on how (or even whether he would) continue the novel. May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (130th in leap years). ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Chapter Two was started on October 22, 1823 (the date when most of Chapter One had been finished) and finished by December 8, 1823 except for stanzas XL and XXXV, which were added sometime over the next three months. The first separate edition of Chapter Two appeared in October 20, 1826. October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... The oldest surviving photograph, NicÃ©phore NiÃ©pce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Many events occurred which interrupted the writing of Chapter Three. In January 1824 Pushkin stopped work on Onegin to work on The Gypsies. Except for XXV, Stanzas I-XXXI were added on September 25, 1824. Nabokov guesses that Tanya's Letter was written in Odessa between February 8, 1824 and May 31, 1824. Pushkin's misdemeanors in Odessa caused him to be restricted to his family estate Miskhaylovskoe in Pskov for two years. He left Odessa on July 21, 1824 and arrived on August 9, 1824. Writing resumed on September 5, 1824 and Chapter 3 was finished (apart from stanza XXXVI) on October 2, 1824. The first separate publication of Chapter Three was on October 10, 1827. September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Odessa (disambiguation). ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Trinity Cathedral (1682-99) is a symbol of Pskovs former might and independence. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years). ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... October 2 is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years). ... Year 1827 (MDCCCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Chapter 4 was started in October 1824, by the end of the year Pushkin had written 23 stanzas and had reached XXVII by January 5, 1825 at which point he starting writing stanzas for Onegin's Journey and worked on other pieces of writing. He thought it was finished on September 12, 1825 but later continued the process of rearranging, adding and omitting stanzas were till the first week of 1826. The first separate edition on of Chapter 4 appeared with Chapter 5 in a publication produced between January 31, 1828 and February 2, 1828. 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The oldest surviving photograph, NicÃ©phore NiÃ©pce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1828 (MDCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1828 (MDCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The writing of Chapter 5 began on January 4, 1826 and 24 stanzas were complete before the start of his trip to petition the tzar for his freedom. He left on September 4, 1826 and returned on November 2, 1826. He completed the rest of the chapter in the week November 15, 1826 to November 22, 1826. The first separate edition on of Chapter 5 appeared with Chapter 4 in a publication produced between January 31, 1828 and February 2, 1828. January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The oldest surviving photograph, NicÃ©phore NiÃ©pce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... The oldest surviving photograph, NicÃ©phore NiÃ©pce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... The oldest surviving photograph, NicÃ©phore NiÃ©pce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... The oldest surviving photograph, NicÃ©phore NiÃ©pce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The oldest surviving photograph, NicÃ©phore NiÃ©pce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1828 (MDCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1828 (MDCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

When Nabokov made his study on the writing of Onegin the manuscript of Chapter 6 was lost, but we know that Pushkin started Chapter 6 before he had finished Chapter 5. Most of the chapter appears to have been written before the beginning of December 19, 1826 when he returned from exile in his family estate to Moscow. Many stanzas appeared to have been written between November 22, 1826 and November 25, 1826. On March 23, 1828 the first separate edition of Chapter 6 was published. December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The oldest surviving photograph, NicÃ©phore NiÃ©pce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The oldest surviving photograph, NicÃ©phore NiÃ©pce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The oldest surviving photograph, NicÃ©phore NiÃ©pce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (83rd in leap years). ... Year 1828 (MDCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Pushkin started writing Chapter 7 in March 1827 but aborted his original plan for the plot of the chapter and started on a different tack, completing the chapter on November 4, 1828. The first separate edition of Chapter 7 was first printed on March 18, 1836. Year 1827 (MDCCCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... Year 1828 (MDCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... Year 1836 (MDCCCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Pushkin intended to write a chapter called 'Onegin's Journey' which occurred between the events of Chapter 7 and 8, and in fact was supposed to be the eighth Chapter. Fragments of this incomplete chapter were published, in the same way that parts of each chapter had been published in magazines before each chapter was first published in its first separate edition. When Pushkin first completed Chapter 8 he published it as the final Chapter and included within its denouement the line nine cantos I have written still intending to complete this missing chapter. When Pushkin finally decided to abandon this chapter he removed parts of the ending to fit with the change.

Chapter 8 was begun before December 24, 1829 while Pushkin was in Petersburg. In August 1830, he went to Boldino where he was forced to stay by an epidemic of cholera for three months. During this time he produced what Nabokov describes as an "incredible number of masterpieces" and finished copying out Chapter 8 on September 25, 1830. During the summer of 1831 Pushkin revised and completed Chapter 8 apart from 'Onegin's Letter' which was completed on October 5, 1831. The first separate edition of Chapter 8 appeared on January 10, 1931. December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (359th in leap years). ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Cholera (frequently called Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera) is a severe diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. ... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Liberty Leading the People by EugÃ¨ne Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (279th in leap years). ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ...

The first complete edition of the book was published in 1833. Slight corrections were made by Pushkin for the 1837 edition. The standard accepted text is based on the 1837 edition with a few changes due to the Tsar's censorship restored. 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 (MDCCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Characters in "Eugene Onegin"

The five main characters are Eugene Onegin, his friend Vladimir Lensky, an idealised Pushkin (the novel's narrator), Tanya Larina (Tatyana), and Olga Larina, two sisters.

The duel

In Pushkin's time, the early 19th century, duels were very strictly regulated. A second's primary duty was to prevent the duel from actually happening, and only when both combattants are unwilling to step down, make sure that the duel proceeds according to the formalised rules.^[1] A challenger's second should therefore always ask the challenged party if he wants to apologise for his actions that have led to the challenge. A duel is a formalized type of combat. ...

In Eugene Onegin, Lensky's second, Zaretsky, does not ask Onegin once if he would like to apologise, and because Onegin is not allowed to apologise on his own initiative, the duel takes place with the fatal consequences. As Zaretsky is described as classical and pedantic in duels (Chapter 6, Stanza XXVI), this seems very out of character for a nobleman. Zaretsky's first chance to end the duel is when he delivers Lensky's written challenge to Onegin (Chapter 6, Stanza IX). Instead of asking Onegin if he would like to apologise, he apologises for having much to do at home and leaves as soon as Onegin (obligatorily) accepts the challenge.

On the day of the duel, the day after Tatyana's name day on 13 January (Old Style), Zaretsky gets several more chances to prevent the duel from happening. Because dueling was forbidden in the Russian Empire, duels were always held at dawn. Zaretsky urges Lensky to get ready shortly after 6 o'clock in the morning (Chapter 6, Stanza XXIII), while the sun only rises at 20 past 8, because he expects Onegin to be on time. However, Onegin oversleeps (chapter 6, Stanza XXIV), and arrives on the scene more than an hour late.^[1] According to the dueling codex, if a duelist arrives more than 15 minutes late, he automatically forfeits the duel.^[2] Lensky and Zaretsky have been waiting all that time (chapter 6, Stanza XXVI), even though it was Zaretsky's duty to proclaim Lensky as winner and take him home. The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more saints, and referring to the day as the saints day of that saint. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Anthem God Save the Tsar! The Russian Empire in 1914 Capital Saint Petersburg Language(s) Russian Government Monarchy Emperor - 1721-1725 Peter the Great (first) - 1894-1917 Nicholas II (last) History - Established 22 October, 1721 - February Revolution 2 March, 1917 Area - 1897 22,400,000 km2 8,648,688 sq...

When Onegin finally arrives, Zaretsky is supposed to ask him a final time if he would like to apologise. Instead, Zaretsky is surprised by the apparent absence of Onegin's second. Onegin, against all rules, appoints his servant Guillot as his second (Chapter 6, Stanza XXVII), a blatant insult for the nobleman Zaretsky.^[1] Zaretsky angrily accepts Guillot as Onegin's second. By his actions, Zaretsky does not act like a nobleman should, but apparently he expects to be in the center of attention after the duel has finished.^[1]

Allusions to actual history, geography and current science

In the book Pushkin claims that Eugene Onegin is his friend, however the name "Onegin" is not an authentic Russian surname but derived from the river and lake Onega. This literary artifice serves to contradict the implied reality of this "friend". Lensky is similarly named after the Siberian river Lena. Lake Onega (also known as Onego, Onezhskoe ozero (from Russian, Онежское озеро), and Onezhskoe lake) is a lake in the Russian Federation. ... The Lena River ( Russian: Ле́на) in Siberia is the 10th longest river in the world and has the 9th largest watershed. ...

Translations

There are a number of translations of the work into English of which the following are just a few.

Walter W. Arndt's 1963 translation (ISBN 0-87501-106-3) was written keeping to the strict rhyme scheme of the Onegin stanza and won the Bollingen Prize for translation. It is still considered as one of the best translations. Walter Arndt is the Professor Emeritus of Russian Language and Literature at Dartmouth College. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... The Bollingen Prize, awarded every two years by the Bollingen Foundation, is a prestigious literary honor bestowed on a poet in recognition of the best book of new verse within the last two years, or for lifetime achievement. ...

Vladimir Nabokov severely criticised Arndt's translation, as he had criticised many previous (and later) translations. Nabokov's main criticism of Arndt's and other translations is that they sacrificed literalness and exactness for the sake of the prettiness of melody and rhyme and in 1964 he published his own scrupulously exact translation in four volumes. The first volume contains an introduction by Nabokov and the text of the translation. The Introduction discusses the structure of the novel, the Onegin stanza in which it is written and Pushkin's opinion of Onegin (using Pushkin's letters to his friends); and gives a detailed account of both the time over which Pushkin wrote Onegin and the various forms any part of it appeared in publication before Pushkin's death (after which there is a huge proliferation of the number of different editions). The second and third volume consists of very detailed and rigorous notes to the text. The fourth volume contains a facsimile of the 1837 edition. The discussion of the Onegin stanza contains the poem "On Translating Eugene Onegin", which first appeared in print in The New Yorker on January 8, 1955, and is written in two Onegin stanzas. The poem is reproduced there both so that the reader of his translation would have some experience of this unique form, and also to act as a further defence of his decision to write his translation in prose. Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (Russian: Ð’Ð»Ð°Ð´Ð¸ÌÐ¼Ð¸Ñ€ Ð’Ð»Ð°Ð´Ð¸ÌÐ¼Ð¸Ñ€Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ ÐÐ°Ð±Ð¾ÌÐºÐ¾Ð², pronounced ) (April 22 [O.S. April 10] 1899, Saint Petersburg â€“ July 2, 1977, Montreux) was a Russian-American author. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... The New Yorker is an American magazine that publishes reportage, criticism, essays, cartoons, poetry and fiction. ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Nabokov's previously close friend Edmund Wilson reviewed Nabokov's translation[1] in the New York Review of Books, which sparked an exchange of letters there and an enduring falling-out between them. Edmund Wilson (May 8, 1895 â€“ June 12, 1972) was an American writer, noted chiefly for his literary criticism. ...

While many despair at the loss of what is at first most appealing in Pushkin's novel, Nabokov's translation is essential reading for anyone who wishes to study Onegin at a high level without learning Russian. Also, a number of later translations which do attempt to preserve melody and rhyme have been helped by Nabokov's literal translation.

John Bayley has described Nabokov's commentary as '"by far the most erudite as well as the most fascinating commentary in English on Pushkin's poem" and the commentary as being "as scrupulously accurate, in terms of grammar, sense and phrasing, as it is idiosyncratic and Nabokovian in its vocabulary". Some consider this "Nabokovian vocabulary" a failing, for it might require even educated native speakers to reach for the dictionary from time to time, but most agree that it is elegant and accurate. John Bayley (CBE 1999) was born in 1925 in Lahore, Pakistan (then known as Lahore, British India. ...

In 1977 Charles Johnston published another translation[2] trying to preserve the Onegin stanza, which is generally considered to surpass Arndt's. Johnston's translation is influenced by Nabokov. Vikram Seth's novel The Golden Gate was inspired by this translation. Charles Johnston can refer to several people: Charles Johnston, Baron Johnston of Rockport, British politician Charles Clement Johnston, U.S. politician Charles E. Johnston, former president of Kansas City Southern Railway Charles H. Johnston, retired U.S. admiral Category: ... Vikram Seth (pronounced ), born June 20, 1952 is an Indian poet, novelist, travel writer, librettist, childrens writer, biographer and memoirist. ... The Golden Gate (1986) is author/poet Vikram Seths first novel. ...

James E. Falen (the professor of Russian at the University of Tennessee) published a translation in 1995 which was also influenced by Nabokov's translation, but preserved the Onegin stanzas (ISBN 0809316307) The University of Tennessee (UT), sometimes called the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT Knoxville or UTK), is the flagship institution of the statewide land-grant University of Tennessee public university system. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Douglas Hofstadter published a translation in 1999, again preserving the Onegin stanzas, after having summarized the controversy (and severely criticized Nabokov's attitude towards verse translation) in his book Le Ton beau de Marot. Douglas Richard Hofstadter (born February 15, 1945) is an American academic. ... Book cover Le Ton beau de Marot: In Praise of the Music of Language (ISBN 0-465-08645-4), published by Basic Books in 1997, is a book by Douglas Hofstadter in which he explores the meaning, strengths, failings, and beauty of translation. ...

Tom Beck published a translation in 2004, preserving the Onegin stanzas (ISBN 1-903517-28-1). 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Stanley Mitchell has been commissioned to translate EO preserving the Onegin stanzas. The first two chapters have been published in the journal Modern Poetry in Translation.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

Opera

The 1879 opera, Eugene Onegin, by Tchaikovsky based on the book is part of the standard operatic repertoire; there are several recordings of it, and it is regularly performed. Eugene Onegin (Ð•Ð²Ð³ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ð¹ ÐžÐ½ÐµÐ³Ð¸Ð½ in Russian, Yevgeny Onegin in transliteration) is an opera in three acts by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to a Russian libretto by Konstantin Shilovsky and the composer, based on the novel of the same name by Aleksandr Pushkin. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Pyotr (Peter) Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: ÐŸÑ‘Ñ‚Ñ€ Ð˜Ð»ÑŒÐ¸Ñ‡ Ð§Ð°Ð¹ÐºoÐ²ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹, PÃ«tr Ilâ€™iÄ ÄŒajkovskij; )[1] (7 May [O.S. 25 April] 1840 â€“ 6 November [O.S. 25 October] 1893), was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ...

Prince Gremin's aria (Act III, Scene I- 'To love must be young and old surrender') is partially hummed by the characters of Masha and Vershinin in Anton Chekhov's play "Three Sisters". The tune hummed here may vary depending on audience and where it is performed, so a more well known tune may be used.

Incidental music

A staged version was produced in the Soviet Union in 1936 with staging by Alexander Tairov and incidental music by Sergei Prokofiev. 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Russian: , Sergej SergeeviÄ Prokof(i)ev; April 121, 1891â€“June 28, 1953) was a Russian and Soviet composer who mastered numerous musical genres and came to be admired as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. ...

Film

The 1988 Decca/Channel 4 et al film directed by Peter Wiegl is a stunning visual presentation of the opera. The music, conducted by Solti, is competently played. The solos are also competent but the harmonies are weaker, especially (inexplicably) in the crucial prologue which takes the operatic start point to one-third of the way through the original novel. Inadequate synchronisation of the actors with the dubbed sung parts is evident and could have been improved. Onegin is presented as deliberately shooting to hit, not miss, and is unrepentant at the end, both of which contrast with a definitive live performance I have witnessed. But the visual artistry and acting are unforgettable.

The 1999 film, Onegin, is an English adaptation of Pushkin's work. It was directed by Martha Fiennes and starred her brother Ralph Fiennes as Onegin, Liv Tyler as Tatyana, Irene Worth as Princess Alina and Toby Stephens as Lensky. It was something of a family project, as two other Fiennes siblings were involved: Magnus Fiennes wrote the music and Sophie Fiennes appeared in a minor role. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() â€“ on the European continent() â€“ in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification - by Athelstan 967 Area... Martha Maria Fiennes (born 5 February 1965 in the UK) is an award winning film director, writer and producer. ... Ralph Fiennes, (IPA: ), born 22 December 1962 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England), is a Tony Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated and Genie Award-nominated English actor. ... Liv Tyler (born Liv Rundgren, on July 1, 1977 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, New York[1]) is an American actress most famous for her roles of Grace Stamper in Armageddon and Arwen in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001â€“2003). ... Irene Worth on her recital disc Her Infinite Variety Irene Worth, Honorary CBE, (born Harriet Elizabeth Abrams June 23, 1916 in Fairbury, Nebraska - died March 9, 2002 in New York) was a distinguished stage and screen actress who became one of the leading stars of the English and American theatre. ... Toby Stephens (born April 21, 1969) is an English stage, television and film actor, best known for playing supervillain Gustav Graves in the James Bond film Die Another Day (2002) and Edward Fairfax Rochester in the BBC television adaptation of Jane Eyre (2006). ... Magnus Fiennes Magnus Hubert Fiennes is an English songwriter and Record producer. ... Sophia Victoria Fiennes is an English film director and producer. ...

Footnotes

Yuri Mikhailovich Lotman (also Juri, JÃ¼ri, Jurij) (Russian: Ð®Ñ€Ð¸Ð¹ ÐœÐ¸Ñ…Ð°Ð¹Ð»Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð›Ð¾Ñ‚Ð¼Ð°Ð½) (28 February 1922 in Petrograd, Russia - 28 October 1993 in Tartu, Estonia) - a prominent Russian formalist critic, semiotician, culturologist. ... Yuri Mikhailovich Lotman (also Juri, JÃ¼ri, Jurij) (Russian: Ð®Ñ€Ð¸Ð¹ ÐœÐ¸Ñ…Ð°Ð¹Ð»Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð›Ð¾Ñ‚Ð¼Ð°Ð½) (28 February 1922 in Petrograd, Russia - 28 October 1993 in Tartu, Estonia) - a prominent Russian formalist critic, semiotician, culturologist. ...

External links

Edmund Wilson (May 8, 1895 â€“ June 12, 1972) was an American writer, noted chiefly for his literary criticism. ... Douglas Richard Hofstadter (born February 15, 1945) is an American academic. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) [1] is an online database of information about actors, movies, television shows, television stars and video games. ...

References

Categories: 1833 novels | Novels by Aleksandr Pushkin | Poetry of Aleksandr Pushkin | Serialized novels | Sonnet studies Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (Russian: Ð’Ð»Ð°Ð´Ð¸ÌÐ¼Ð¸Ñ€ Ð’Ð»Ð°Ð´Ð¸ÌÐ¼Ð¸Ñ€Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ ÐÐ°Ð±Ð¾ÌÐºÐ¾Ð², pronounced ) (April 22 [O.S. April 10] 1899, Saint Petersburg â€“ July 2, 1977, Montreux) was a Russian-American author. ... Douglas Richard Hofstadter (born February 15, 1945) is an American academic. ... Yuri Mikhailovich Lotman (also Juri, JÃ¼ri, Jurij) (Russian: Ð®Ñ€Ð¸Ð¹ ÐœÐ¸Ñ…Ð°Ð¹Ð»Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð›Ð¾Ñ‚Ð¼Ð°Ð½) (28 February 1922 in Petrograd, Russia - 28 October 1993 in Tartu, Estonia) - a prominent Russian formalist critic, semiotician, culturologist. ...