Subject
RJ: A FORGOTTEN POET (fwd)
Date
Body
EDITOR'S NOTE. NABOKV-L presents another of Roy Johnson's discussions of
VN's short stories. The essays are intended to stimulate discussion.
Please address any comments to NABOKV-L.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
This week's story - A FORGOTTEN POET
-------------------------------------------------
'A Forgotten Poet' (May 1944) is possibly the weakest of all
Nabokov's short stories - partly because it is a 'tale', partly
because of a certain improbability in what purports to be a
realistic text, and partly because it appears to have no special
focus or point. What it does *not* lack however is good
structure.
The first part of the story presents the little that is known of
the life and work of an early nineteenth century poet, Perov.
Part two is an account of an evening celebrating his memory held
at the turn of the century. To the embarrassment of the
organisers an old man appears claiming to *be* Perov. He asks to
be given the takings from a collection, and renounces some of the
attitudes for which his early work is being celebrated. The
organisers have him taken away by the police. Part three is set
following the revolution: a small museum to Perov's memory is
tended by the old man himself, but following his death the museum
closes and public interest in him fades away.
It is Nabokov's speaking as narrator at the end of the story
which gives the only clue to the meaning he intended: "Somehow
or other, in the next twenty years or so, Russia lost all contact
with Perov's poetry. Young Soviet citizens know as little about
his works as they do about mine" (ND,p.47). The story therefore
appears to be a plea for retaining cultural consciousness and
traditions (as well as offering an amused view of the differences
between public perceptions of an artist and the person himself).
Nabokov was well aware from his own experience and that of
others, of the damage done to a nation's cultural heritage by the
suppressions, ruptures, and losses sustained during periods of
political unrest and tyranny. It is also a critique of those who
would use a poet's work just to support their own views - for the
organisers of the disrupted event wish to read into Perov's works
revolutionary sentiments which are not there.
The story also points to the fact that an artist cannot be held
even to his own past if he wishes to *change*. Perov is compared
to Rimbaud, who also rejected the role of the poet: he derides
his youthful work - "a score of frivolous poems" (p.42) - and
since writing it he has been working as a farmer.
But much as one might be sympathetic to such refreshing
sentiments, their power as topics is undermined by the very
*anecdotal* nature of the story. As Sean O'Faolain observes, an
anecdote might appear to be an attractive germ for a short story,
but it is likely in fact to be too simplistic and crude as the
basis for a story in its modern form:
"There is a primitive appeal in narrative or
anecdote...but as we develop we want to go a little
deeper. A plain or simple record of incident, however
heroic or amusing could never satisfy the temper of
our day. We have come to expect from the short story
much more than a series of incidents, however
interesting they may be in themselves" (SS,p.154)
A further weakness arises from the fictional status of Perov.
Nabokov is trying to do something which is very difficult -
persuade the reader to accept the idea that a character can have
existence both in the fictional world he inhabits and in the
'real' world which we and the author inhabit. He can have meaning
in one *or* the other, but not both. We suspend our disbelief
only very lightly for a work which pretends to be a historical
record. And with good reason - for we can check the record and
discover that no such Perov ever existed.
---------------------------------------------------
Next week's story - TIME AND EBB
---------------------------------------------------
--
Dr Roy Johnson | Roy@mantex.demon.co.uk
PO Box 100 | Tel +44 0161 432 5811
Manchester UK | Fax +44 0161 443 2766
VN's short stories. The essays are intended to stimulate discussion.
Please address any comments to NABOKV-L.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
This week's story - A FORGOTTEN POET
-------------------------------------------------
'A Forgotten Poet' (May 1944) is possibly the weakest of all
Nabokov's short stories - partly because it is a 'tale', partly
because of a certain improbability in what purports to be a
realistic text, and partly because it appears to have no special
focus or point. What it does *not* lack however is good
structure.
The first part of the story presents the little that is known of
the life and work of an early nineteenth century poet, Perov.
Part two is an account of an evening celebrating his memory held
at the turn of the century. To the embarrassment of the
organisers an old man appears claiming to *be* Perov. He asks to
be given the takings from a collection, and renounces some of the
attitudes for which his early work is being celebrated. The
organisers have him taken away by the police. Part three is set
following the revolution: a small museum to Perov's memory is
tended by the old man himself, but following his death the museum
closes and public interest in him fades away.
It is Nabokov's speaking as narrator at the end of the story
which gives the only clue to the meaning he intended: "Somehow
or other, in the next twenty years or so, Russia lost all contact
with Perov's poetry. Young Soviet citizens know as little about
his works as they do about mine" (ND,p.47). The story therefore
appears to be a plea for retaining cultural consciousness and
traditions (as well as offering an amused view of the differences
between public perceptions of an artist and the person himself).
Nabokov was well aware from his own experience and that of
others, of the damage done to a nation's cultural heritage by the
suppressions, ruptures, and losses sustained during periods of
political unrest and tyranny. It is also a critique of those who
would use a poet's work just to support their own views - for the
organisers of the disrupted event wish to read into Perov's works
revolutionary sentiments which are not there.
The story also points to the fact that an artist cannot be held
even to his own past if he wishes to *change*. Perov is compared
to Rimbaud, who also rejected the role of the poet: he derides
his youthful work - "a score of frivolous poems" (p.42) - and
since writing it he has been working as a farmer.
But much as one might be sympathetic to such refreshing
sentiments, their power as topics is undermined by the very
*anecdotal* nature of the story. As Sean O'Faolain observes, an
anecdote might appear to be an attractive germ for a short story,
but it is likely in fact to be too simplistic and crude as the
basis for a story in its modern form:
"There is a primitive appeal in narrative or
anecdote...but as we develop we want to go a little
deeper. A plain or simple record of incident, however
heroic or amusing could never satisfy the temper of
our day. We have come to expect from the short story
much more than a series of incidents, however
interesting they may be in themselves" (SS,p.154)
A further weakness arises from the fictional status of Perov.
Nabokov is trying to do something which is very difficult -
persuade the reader to accept the idea that a character can have
existence both in the fictional world he inhabits and in the
'real' world which we and the author inhabit. He can have meaning
in one *or* the other, but not both. We suspend our disbelief
only very lightly for a work which pretends to be a historical
record. And with good reason - for we can check the record and
discover that no such Perov ever existed.
---------------------------------------------------
Next week's story - TIME AND EBB
---------------------------------------------------
--
Dr Roy Johnson | Roy@mantex.demon.co.uk
PO Box 100 | Tel +44 0161 432 5811
Manchester UK | Fax +44 0161 443 2766