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Sarah Pratt. Russian Metaphysical Romanticism: The Poetry of Tiutchev and Boratynskii. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1984. ix, 253 pp. $32.50.

Sarah Pratt. Russian Metaphysical Romanticism: The Poetry of Tiutchev and Boratynskii. Stanford:... Sarah Pratt. Russian Metaphysical Romanticism: The Poetry o f Tiutchev and Boratynskii. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1984. ix, 253 pp. $32.50. S a r a h P r a t t h a s w r i t t e n a g o o d b o o k o n a s u b j e c t t h a t h a s l o n g n e e d e d a g o o d b o o k , a n d I h o p e t h i s will n o t b e h e r last w o r d . S h e h a s m i x e d t o g e t h e r t e c h n i c a l a n a l y s i s o f t e x t s , a t w h i c h I f o u n d h e r e m i n e n t l y skillful, p h i l o s o p h i c a l e x p l i c a t i o n , w h i c h is f a r f r o m easy to d o w i t h S c h e l l i n g , a n d b a c k g r o u n d d i s c u s s i o n , w h i c h r a n g e s f r o m t h e m e a n i n g o f m e t a p h y s i c s in a l i t e r a r y c o n t e x t , a c r o s s t h e E n g l i s h m e t a p h y s i c a l p o e t s o f t h e seven- t e e n t h c e n t u r y , d o w n t o r o m a n t i c i s m in its R u s s i a n i n c a r n a t i o n . I n all o f this, a l t h o u g h t h e r e are t i m e s w h e n o n e m i g h t - a n d I d i d - d i f f e r o n d e f i n i t i o n s , details, a n d i n t e r p r e t a - t i o n s , P r a t t gives e v i d e n c e o f a clear, i n d e e d s t u b b o r n , i n t e l l i g e n c e solidly a t w o r k . S h e has m a d e a s i g n i f i c a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e field. Still, t h e r e are a f e w p r o b l e m s w h i c h I t h i n k o u g h t t o be p o i n t e d - o u t : W i t h all h i s f a m e a n d i n f l u e n c e , p a r t i c u l a r l y in R u s s i a , in his o w n d a y , S c h e l l i n g w a s n o t , o n e m u s t n o w a d m i t , all t h a t g o o d a p h i l o s o p h e r , a n d t h e i m p o r t a n c e of -the l i t e r a r y p e o p l e w h o m he f a s c i n a t e d m u s t r e s t o n m o r e t h a n t h e i r c o n n e c t i o n w i t h h i m , t h a t is, if w e are t o t a k e t h e m s e r i o u s l y . A f t e r all, B o r a t y n s k i i a n d T i u t c h e v h a r d l y n e e d e d S c h e l l i n g f o r " t h e image o f t h e p o e t as p h i l o s o p h e r o r p r i e s t . " (p. 97) N o r d i d t h e y n e e d h i m - o r a n y o t h e r c o n t e m p o r a r y - f o r t h e n o t i o n o f t h e p o e t as p r o p h e t in t h e s e c u l a r sense. C u r i o u s l y e n o u g h , w i t h all t h e c o n n e c t i o n s t h a t P r a t t f i n d s b e t w e e n t h e p o e t s a n d t h e p h i l o s o p h e r , she o b l i q u e l y , a n d p e r h a p s i n a d v e r t e n t l y , suggests t h a t t h e f o r m e r w e r e n o t really all t h a t c l o s e l y b o u n d t o t h e l a t t e r , since B o r a t y n s k i i k n e w h i m o n l y s e c o n d - h a n d a n d T i u t c h e v " r e m a i n e d s i l e n t o n t h e s u b j e c t o f his a c q u a i n t a n c e w i t h S c h e l l i n g . " (p. 36) W h a t w e m a y h a v e is a l i k e n e s s , b e c a u s e o f g e n e r a l r o m a n t i c c u r r e n t s ( w h i c h P r a t t also o b l i q u e l y suggests), r a t h e r t h a n i n f l u e n c e . P e r h a p s t h i s is t h e r e a s o n t h a t t h e b o o k is m o r e a m i x t u r e t h a n a c o m p o u n d , f o r w h e n P r a t t z e r o e s in o n t h e p o e t r y i t s e l f a n d a n a l y z e s i t , S c h e l l i n g f a d e s a w a y a n d she s h o w s j u s t w h y t h e s e are f i n e p o e t s . I t is c l e a r t h a t B o r a t y n s k i i a n d T i u t c h e v are w o r t h t h e r e a d i n g n o t b e c a u s e o f t h e i r m e t a p h y s i c a l p r o f u n d i t y b u t b e c a u s e o f t h e i r p o e t r y , a p o i n t m a d e b y P r a t t h e r s e l f in t h e c o n c l u d i n g s e n t e n c e o f h e r b o o k , w h e r e she a g r e e s t h a t t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n t o R u s s i a n l i t e r a t u r e b y B o r a t y n s k i i a n d T i u t c h e v w a s " t h e s t r i k i n g i n t e n s i t y o f t h e i r o w n t h o u g h t a n d t h e c o n s u m m a t e skill o f t h e i r p o e t i c e x p r e s s i o n . " (p. 2 1 7 ) I t is u n f o r t u n a t e t h a t , o n t h e r e l i g i o u s a n d p h i l o s o p h i c a l sides, P r a t t m a k e s s o m e a b s o l u t e s t a t e m e n t s t h a t are a t l e a s t d e b a t a b l e : in b a p t i s m " o n e is f r e e d f r o m sin b y s y m b o l i c i m m e r s i o n in h o l y w a t e r " (p. 7 5 ) ; in O r t h o d o x y o n e a t t a i n s " f r e e d o m t h r o u g h s u b m i s s i o n t o G o d ' s w i l l " (p. 1 0 2 ) ; " t h e t r u e m y s t i c seeks a b o v e all t o lose his sense o f self a n d b e c o m e o n e w i t h n a t u r e " (p. 1 0 2 ) , " P l a t o ' s r e a l m o f i d e a l f o r m s . . . c o n t a i n s t h e e s s e n c e o f e v e r y t h i n g t h a t e x i s t s " (p. 1 4 6 ) . T h i s t e n d e n c y t o w a r d d o g m a t i s m ( f o r e x a m p l e , o n p a g e 39 P r a t t w r i t e s : " E v e r y m a j o r l i t e r a r y m o v e m e n t is c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y its o w n view o f n a t u r e , a view t h a t i n e v i t a b l y m o v e s b e y o n d s i m p l e a c c e p t a n c e o f p h y s i c a l r e a l i t y t o r e f l e c t t h e s p i r i t u a l o r i e n t a t i o n o f t h e age as w e l l " ; t h i s m i g h t , given P r a t t ' s views, m a k e a l l p o e t s m e t a p h y s i c i a n s , if n o t m y s t i c s ) m a r s t h e g e n e r a l l y g o o d d i s c u s s i o n s . I t is t o b e h o p e d t h a t i n h e r n e x t b o o k she will b e a l i t t l e less a b s o l u t e . N o n e o f t h i s , h o w e v e r , is t o d e t r a c t f r o m t h e s e r i o u s n e s s o f P r a t t ' s a c h i e v e m e n t . C e r t a i n l y , a n y o n e w r i t i n g o n t h e s e p o e t s in t h e f u t u r e is g o i n g t o h a v e t o c o n s u l t h e r a n a l y s e s . T h e y are t h e b e s t I h a v e seen. A small b u t i r r i t a t i n g p o i n t : w h y d i d S t a n f o r d U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s p r i n t cyrillic q u o t a t i o n s t o l o o k like t y p e d i n s e r t s ? $ 3 2 . 5 0 deserves b e t t e r . Jesse Zeldin Hollins College http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Canadian-American Slavic Studies Brill

Sarah Pratt. Russian Metaphysical Romanticism: The Poetry of Tiutchev and Boratynskii. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1984. ix, 253 pp. $32.50.

Canadian-American Slavic Studies , Volume 19 (2): 203 – Jan 1, 1985

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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 1985 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0090-8290
eISSN
2210-2396
DOI
10.1163/221023985X00350
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Sarah Pratt. Russian Metaphysical Romanticism: The Poetry o f Tiutchev and Boratynskii. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1984. ix, 253 pp. $32.50. S a r a h P r a t t h a s w r i t t e n a g o o d b o o k o n a s u b j e c t t h a t h a s l o n g n e e d e d a g o o d b o o k , a n d I h o p e t h i s will n o t b e h e r last w o r d . S h e h a s m i x e d t o g e t h e r t e c h n i c a l a n a l y s i s o f t e x t s , a t w h i c h I f o u n d h e r e m i n e n t l y skillful, p h i l o s o p h i c a l e x p l i c a t i o n , w h i c h is f a r f r o m easy to d o w i t h S c h e l l i n g , a n d b a c k g r o u n d d i s c u s s i o n , w h i c h r a n g e s f r o m t h e m e a n i n g o f m e t a p h y s i c s in a l i t e r a r y c o n t e x t , a c r o s s t h e E n g l i s h m e t a p h y s i c a l p o e t s o f t h e seven- t e e n t h c e n t u r y , d o w n t o r o m a n t i c i s m in its R u s s i a n i n c a r n a t i o n . I n all o f this, a l t h o u g h t h e r e are t i m e s w h e n o n e m i g h t - a n d I d i d - d i f f e r o n d e f i n i t i o n s , details, a n d i n t e r p r e t a - t i o n s , P r a t t gives e v i d e n c e o f a clear, i n d e e d s t u b b o r n , i n t e l l i g e n c e solidly a t w o r k . S h e has m a d e a s i g n i f i c a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e field. Still, t h e r e are a f e w p r o b l e m s w h i c h I t h i n k o u g h t t o be p o i n t e d - o u t : W i t h all h i s f a m e a n d i n f l u e n c e , p a r t i c u l a r l y in R u s s i a , in his o w n d a y , S c h e l l i n g w a s n o t , o n e m u s t n o w a d m i t , all t h a t g o o d a p h i l o s o p h e r , a n d t h e i m p o r t a n c e of -the l i t e r a r y p e o p l e w h o m he f a s c i n a t e d m u s t r e s t o n m o r e t h a n t h e i r c o n n e c t i o n w i t h h i m , t h a t is, if w e are t o t a k e t h e m s e r i o u s l y . A f t e r all, B o r a t y n s k i i a n d T i u t c h e v h a r d l y n e e d e d S c h e l l i n g f o r " t h e image o f t h e p o e t as p h i l o s o p h e r o r p r i e s t . " (p. 97) N o r d i d t h e y n e e d h i m - o r a n y o t h e r c o n t e m p o r a r y - f o r t h e n o t i o n o f t h e p o e t as p r o p h e t in t h e s e c u l a r sense. C u r i o u s l y e n o u g h , w i t h all t h e c o n n e c t i o n s t h a t P r a t t f i n d s b e t w e e n t h e p o e t s a n d t h e p h i l o s o p h e r , she o b l i q u e l y , a n d p e r h a p s i n a d v e r t e n t l y , suggests t h a t t h e f o r m e r w e r e n o t really all t h a t c l o s e l y b o u n d t o t h e l a t t e r , since B o r a t y n s k i i k n e w h i m o n l y s e c o n d - h a n d a n d T i u t c h e v " r e m a i n e d s i l e n t o n t h e s u b j e c t o f his a c q u a i n t a n c e w i t h S c h e l l i n g . " (p. 36) W h a t w e m a y h a v e is a l i k e n e s s , b e c a u s e o f g e n e r a l r o m a n t i c c u r r e n t s ( w h i c h P r a t t also o b l i q u e l y suggests), r a t h e r t h a n i n f l u e n c e . P e r h a p s t h i s is t h e r e a s o n t h a t t h e b o o k is m o r e a m i x t u r e t h a n a c o m p o u n d , f o r w h e n P r a t t z e r o e s in o n t h e p o e t r y i t s e l f a n d a n a l y z e s i t , S c h e l l i n g f a d e s a w a y a n d she s h o w s j u s t w h y t h e s e are f i n e p o e t s . I t is c l e a r t h a t B o r a t y n s k i i a n d T i u t c h e v are w o r t h t h e r e a d i n g n o t b e c a u s e o f t h e i r m e t a p h y s i c a l p r o f u n d i t y b u t b e c a u s e o f t h e i r p o e t r y , a p o i n t m a d e b y P r a t t h e r s e l f in t h e c o n c l u d i n g s e n t e n c e o f h e r b o o k , w h e r e she a g r e e s t h a t t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n t o R u s s i a n l i t e r a t u r e b y B o r a t y n s k i i a n d T i u t c h e v w a s " t h e s t r i k i n g i n t e n s i t y o f t h e i r o w n t h o u g h t a n d t h e c o n s u m m a t e skill o f t h e i r p o e t i c e x p r e s s i o n . " (p. 2 1 7 ) I t is u n f o r t u n a t e t h a t , o n t h e r e l i g i o u s a n d p h i l o s o p h i c a l sides, P r a t t m a k e s s o m e a b s o l u t e s t a t e m e n t s t h a t are a t l e a s t d e b a t a b l e : in b a p t i s m " o n e is f r e e d f r o m sin b y s y m b o l i c i m m e r s i o n in h o l y w a t e r " (p. 7 5 ) ; in O r t h o d o x y o n e a t t a i n s " f r e e d o m t h r o u g h s u b m i s s i o n t o G o d ' s w i l l " (p. 1 0 2 ) ; " t h e t r u e m y s t i c seeks a b o v e all t o lose his sense o f self a n d b e c o m e o n e w i t h n a t u r e " (p. 1 0 2 ) , " P l a t o ' s r e a l m o f i d e a l f o r m s . . . c o n t a i n s t h e e s s e n c e o f e v e r y t h i n g t h a t e x i s t s " (p. 1 4 6 ) . T h i s t e n d e n c y t o w a r d d o g m a t i s m ( f o r e x a m p l e , o n p a g e 39 P r a t t w r i t e s : " E v e r y m a j o r l i t e r a r y m o v e m e n t is c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y its o w n view o f n a t u r e , a view t h a t i n e v i t a b l y m o v e s b e y o n d s i m p l e a c c e p t a n c e o f p h y s i c a l r e a l i t y t o r e f l e c t t h e s p i r i t u a l o r i e n t a t i o n o f t h e age as w e l l " ; t h i s m i g h t , given P r a t t ' s views, m a k e a l l p o e t s m e t a p h y s i c i a n s , if n o t m y s t i c s ) m a r s t h e g e n e r a l l y g o o d d i s c u s s i o n s . I t is t o b e h o p e d t h a t i n h e r n e x t b o o k she will b e a l i t t l e less a b s o l u t e . N o n e o f t h i s , h o w e v e r , is t o d e t r a c t f r o m t h e s e r i o u s n e s s o f P r a t t ' s a c h i e v e m e n t . C e r t a i n l y , a n y o n e w r i t i n g o n t h e s e p o e t s in t h e f u t u r e is g o i n g t o h a v e t o c o n s u l t h e r a n a l y s e s . T h e y are t h e b e s t I h a v e seen. A small b u t i r r i t a t i n g p o i n t : w h y d i d S t a n f o r d U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s p r i n t cyrillic q u o t a t i o n s t o l o o k like t y p e d i n s e r t s ? $ 3 2 . 5 0 deserves b e t t e r . Jesse Zeldin Hollins College

Journal

Canadian-American Slavic StudiesBrill

Published: Jan 1, 1985

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