Book chapter
«Ювенал московитов» (из заметок к литературной биографии Тютчева)
С. 119-128.
The article deals with the literary-historical reconstruction of the context of translation «The Funeral» («Das Siegesfest» by Schiller). This text was written around 1850. At this time, Tyutchev translates much less than before, but Schiller has become the most «translatable» author for Tyutchev. The commentary tradition elevates the poem to Schiller's «Iliad», but this is inaccurate: in this poem there are a lot more parallels with «Odyssey». Tyutchev's «Das Siegesfest» was inspired by the complete publishing of «the Odyssey» (1849). This work by V. A. Zhukovsky had to remind Tyutchev about the «Triumph of winners» — the translation of «Das Siegesfest», made by V. A. Zhukovsky twenty years earlier. It is known that Tyutchev got acquainted with the text of «the Odyssey» by V. A. Zhukovsky before the publication. Based on biographical data and chronologically correlated facts, the article is linked with the return of Tyutchev to poetic activities with his impression of «Odyssey» by Zhukovsky. The poem «The Funeral» by Tyutchev was a response to the early translation «The Triumph of the winners» by Zhukovsky and the translation of the «Odyssey» by Zhukovsky. Special attention to Schiller could be a «poetic criticism» associated with the prohibition of Schiller's play in Russia in late 1840-s and early 1850-s.