The "Russian" Edmund Spenser: Points of Departure in Research of English Renaissance Poetry Reception

The article addresses facts of Edmund Spenser's poetry reception in Russian literature. Spenser studies in Russia (N. Pianova, L. Dorofeeva, A. Gorbunov, I. Burova, N. Ten-Chagai, et al.) mainly focus on the imagery and plot of his poetry, as well as on its stylistic and linguistic aspects. Issues of reception have never been addressed in all their complexity. The article aims to bring together isolated translations and critical accounts and present a complete overview of Spenser's history in Russia. The research is based on periodicals, collected works of 19th-century poets and editors, critical works of the 19th-20th centuries, translations of Spenser's poetry, Internet resources. The methods used in the research are as follows: cultural-historical and comparative methods, reception theory, and literary text analysis. Firstly, the article describes the earliest mentions of Spenser in Russian periodicals (O. Somov, Ph. Chasles) and focuses on the Russian edition of Taine's Histoire de la Litterature Anglaise, which contained first prosaic translations of The Faerie Queene and other poems. Secondly, the article examines the works of Gerbel and Zotov (largely based on those of Taine and Gatschenberger). The study of their perception of Spenser reveals that, although they both recognised his poetic talent and the role he played in the English literature, his poetry was too "ideal" to be relevant. Its lack of realism was viewed as a major flaw. Gerbel's translation of several stanzas from "Epithalamion" as well as a short verse presented as a translation by Mikhailov (later disproved) would not give an adequate understanding of Spenser's poetry and by and large were not in accordance with the critical overview. Thirdly, the article states that, while in the late 19th century the exploration of Spenser's poetry was determined by the ideas of historicist criticism, during the soviet era it occurred in the context of cultural enlightenment. Spenser was viewed as an important part of Renaissance background. Purishev and his translators were the first to present an integral, although fragmentary, view of Spenser's poetry in translation. Post-war anthologies (by Alekseev, Solonovich, Samarin) continued that line, giving all the more nuanced understanding of Spenser's poetry. Important as they might be, soviet translations remained fragmentary and served as an illustration. Finally, the article briefly touches upon a modern-day re-discovery of Spenser. Poets often turn to full translation of one of Spenser's works and interpret it in accordance with their worldview. In conclusion, it is stated that, although Spenser's history in Russia is quite indicative, English Renaissance poetry is a complex phenomenon, and its reception cannot be understood through a study of one author. The further exploration requires exposure of its perception in Russia throughout time.

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