Article

Name: Ivan Turgenev as a reader of the poem Metamorphoses by Ovid

Authors: Ivan O. Volkov, Emma M. Zhilyakova

Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russian Federation

In the section Study of literature

Abstract:

This paper is the first attempt to address the problem of the perception of the Ovid’s creative work by Ivan Turgenev. The analysis and interpretation covers the reader’s notes left by the Russian writer on the pages of the original edition of the poem Metamorphoses from his personal library. The largest number of notes is found in the first book, which is the starting point of the entire poem presenting the formation of the world. In the epic picture of overcoming the chaos and the emergence of the cosmos, it is man who is of exclusive interest to Turgenev. Ovid explores man and his existence in constant movement and transition. This issue becomes more tangible when intertwined with the themes of love and nature. Turgenev directs his attention to the portrayals of Daphne being chased by Phoebus and Syringa burdened by Pan’s affection. It is the problem of the defining greatness of the gods and the metamorphosis of man taken as punishment that Turgenev emphasizes in the sixth book. He dwells on the episode of the contest between Pallas and Arachne. The theme of man’s punishment for a crime specifically captured Turgenev’s interest through the example of individual stories in the second and eighth books. Of particular interest to Turgenev was nature. He considered its intricate relationship with the realm of emotions and personal experiences rather than focused only on its landscape form. The subject of nature, as depicted in Orpheus’ singing, is also of interest to Turgenev.

Keywords: Ivan Turgenev, Ovid, Metamorphoses, Antiquity, Turgenev’s library, notes

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