No More Learning

1881




PREFACE

Eugene Oneguine, the chief poetical work of Russia's greatest poet,
having been translated into all the principal languages of Europe
except our own, I hope that this version may prove an acceptable
contribution to literature. Tastes are various in matters of poetry,
but the present work possesses a more solid claim to attention in
the series of faithful pictures it offers of Russian life and manners.
If these be compared with Mr. Wallace's book on Russia, it will be
seen that social life in that empire still preserves many of the
characteristics which distinguished it half a century ago--the period
of the first publication of the latter cantos of this poem.

Many references will be found in it to our own country and its
literature. Russian poets have carefully plagiarized the English--
notably Joukovski. Pushkin, however, was no plagiarist, though
undoubtedly his mind was greatly influenced by the genius of Byron--
more especially in the earliest part of his career. Indeed, as will
be remarked in the following pages, he scarcely makes an effort to
disguise this fact.

The biographical sketch is of course a mere outline. I did not think
a longer one advisable, as memoirs do not usually excite much interest
till the subjects of them are pretty well known. In the "notes" I
have endeavored to elucidate a somewhat obscure subject. Some of the
poet's allusions remain enigmatical to the present day. The point of
each sarcasm naturally passed out of mind together with the society
against which it was levelled. If some of the versification is rough
and wanting in "go," I must plead in excuse the difficult form of the
stanza, and in many instances the inelastic nature of the subject
matter to be versified. Stanza XXXV Canto II forms a good example
of the latter difficulty, and is omitted in the German and French
versions to which I have had access.
The translation of foreign
verse is comparatively easy so long as it is confined to conventional
poetic subjects, but when it embraces abrupt scraps of conversation
and the description of local customs it becomes a much more arduous
affair. I think I may say that I have adhered closely to the text
of the original.

The following foreign translations of this poem have appeared:

1. French prose. Oeuvres choisis de Pouchekine. H. Dupont. Paris,
1847.

2. German verse. A. Puschkin's poetische Werke. F. Bodenstedt.
Berlin, 1854.

3.