Sumarokov’s paper «On Versification of Kamchadals» (1759): the Purification of Poetry by Ritual Song

The paper of the present authors studies A. P. Sumarokov's paper «On Versification of Kamchadals» in the aspect of the metatextual and communicative unity of the January issue of the journal «Hard-working Bee» (1759). The communicative strategy of this issue is the primordium and creation of a unified orientation of thoughts, desires and socially useful activity of the authors and readers of the journal. Each articles of the January issue continues the previous one, and together they form a metatextual unity new for the 18 century. The Kamchadal ritual song becomes the foundation of a new literary cosmogony. The author sees in Kamchadals an example of new Arcadian residents whose versification can free the 18 century poetry from artificiality, the consequence of the competition with antique authors that was raised to the cult by the poet’s contemporaries.

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