Poetry of N.M Yazykov: a re-evaluation
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Date
1991Author
McPhail, Alastair
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Abstract
Yazykov has long been known as the "student-poet" and scholars have
persisted in viewing him in this way for over a century. Even the
longest study of his verse, which also happens to be one of the most
recent studies, taking as its source an edition of the poet's work
which was published thirteen years before the poet's death and only
a short time into his post-student life, continues the idea that a
synchronic approach is sufficient for a full appreciation of the
work. In this study we have confronted the assumptions underpinning
this evaluation of the poet and have found the denial of a
chronological development of Yazykov's poetry to be not only unfair
but also inaccurate. As a consequence of this assumption his work is rarely considered as
a whole. Indeed, the poetry which he wrote after he left university
is accorded short shrift by virtually every scholar and critic. The
aim of this thesis is, in part, to provide a fuller discussion of
the whole of Yazykov's poetry than has previously been attempted. The only studies of Yazykov's verse of any length are theses whose
parameters have been set narrowly, concentrating either on certain
periods, genres, or formal characteristics. As a consequence whole
periods of Yazykov's development are either ignored or considered on
only one level.
An important feature of this thesis is the division of Yazykov's
career into three broad periods, rather than the more usual two or
the above-mentioned denial of any diachronic development at all.
This gives the opportunity to focus more attention on the later
years. The study is divided into four chapters, each dealing with a
specific phase of Yazykov's career. The first three chapters are
each concerned with the lyric poetry of the different periods, while
the fourth contains a discussion of Yazykov's longer works.