The characters in VN隆炉s novel Look at the Harlequins! (1974) include Annette Blagovo (Vadim隆炉s second wife) and her friend Ninel Ilinishna Langley, 隆掳a displaced person in more senses than one隆卤 (3.1). Ninel is Lenin written backward. There is Lenin in Olenin. In his EO Commentary (vol. III, p. 206) VN points out that anagrams in French of 隆掳Annette Ol篓娄nine隆卤 blossom here and there in the margins of Pushkin隆炉s manuscripts. One finds it written backward in the drafts of Poltava (2371, f. 11V; first half of October, 1828): ettenna eninelo; and the earnestness of his hopes is reflected in "Annette Pouchkine" jotted among the drafts of the first canto of Poltava, apparently on the very day that the repentant letter about the Gabriel poem was written to the tsar.

Some time in the winter of 1828-29 Pushkin proposed to Annette Olenin and was refused.

There is blago (good) in Blagovo. In his last verses Vladimir Lenski (a character in Pushkin隆炉s Eugene Onegin) uses the phrase vsyo blago (all is right) and repeats the word blagosloven (blest) twice:

搂鲁搂盲搂脷搂莽搂脷 搂脽搂脩 搂茫搂脻搂氓搂茅搂脩搂脹 搂茫搂脿搂莽搂芒搂脩搂脽搂脷搂脻搂脷搂茫搂卯,
搂脕 搂脷搂莽 搂脷搂脼搂脰搂冒; 搂脫搂脿搂盲 搂脿搂脽搂脷:
«搂卢搂氓搂脮搂脩, 搂脺搂氓搂脮搂脩 搂脫搂铆 搂氓搂脮搂脩搂脻搂脷搂脻搂脷搂茫搂卯,
搂拢搂脰搂茫搂脽搂铆 搂脼搂脿搂脰搂脹 搂脵搂脻搂脩搂盲搂铆搂脰 搂脮搂脽搂脷?
搂鹿搂盲搂脿 搂脮搂脰搂脽搂卯 搂脭搂芒搂帽搂脮搂氓搂毛搂脷搂脹 搂脼搂脽搂脰 搂脭搂脿搂盲搂脿搂脫搂脷搂盲?
搂娄搂脭搂脿 搂脼搂脿搂脹 搂脫搂脵搂脿搂芒 搂脽搂脩搂谩搂芒搂脩搂茫搂脽搂脿 搂脻搂脿搂脫搂脷搂盲,
搂拢 搂脭搂脻搂氓搂脪搂脿搂脺搂脿搂脹 搂脼搂脭搂脻搂脰 搂盲搂脩搂脷搂盲搂茫搂帽 搂脿搂脽.
搂炉搂脰搂盲 搂脽搂氓搂脴搂脮搂铆: 搂谩搂芒搂脩搂脫 搂茫搂氓搂脮搂卯搂脪搂铆 搂脵搂脩搂脺搂脿搂脽.
搂卤搂脩搂脮搂氓 搂脻搂脷 搂帽, 搂茫搂盲搂芒搂脰搂脻搂脿搂脹 搂谩搂芒搂脿搂脽搂脵搂脰搂脽搂脽搂铆搂脹,
搂陋搂脻搂卯 搂脼搂脷搂脼搂脿 搂谩搂芒搂脿搂脻搂脰搂盲搂脷搂盲 搂脿搂脽搂脩,
搂拢搂茫搂脳 搂脪搂脻搂脩搂脭搂脿: 搂脪搂脮搂脰搂脽搂脷搂帽 搂脷 搂茫搂脽搂脩
搂卤搂芒搂脷搂莽搂脿搂脮搂脷搂盲 搂茅搂脩搂茫 搂脿搂谩搂芒搂脰搂脮搂脰搂脻搂脰搂脽搂脽搂铆搂脹;
搂垄搂脻搂脩搂脭搂脿搂茫搂脻搂脿搂脫搂脰搂脽 搂脷 搂脮搂脰搂脽搂卯 搂脵搂脩搂脪搂脿搂盲,
搂垄搂脻搂脩搂脭搂脿搂茫搂脻搂脿搂脫搂脰搂脽 搂脷 搂盲搂卯搂脼搂铆 搂谩搂芒搂脷搂莽搂脿搂脮!

The verses chanced to be preserved;

I have them; here they are:

Whither, ah! whither are ye fled,

my springtime's golden days?

隆掳What has the coming day in store for me?

In vain my gaze attempts to grasp it;

in deep gloom it lies hidden.

It matters not; fate's law is just.

Whether I fall, pierced by the dart, or whether

it flies by 隆陋 all is right:

of waking and of sleep

comes the determined hour;

blest is the day of cares,

blest, too, is the advent of darkness! (Six: XXI)

The last word in Lenski隆炉s last poem is suprug (spouse):

搂鲁搂脰搂芒搂脮搂脰搂茅搂脽搂铆搂脹 搂脮搂芒搂氓搂脭, 搂脴搂脰搂脻搂脩搂脽搂脽搂铆搂脹 搂脮搂芒搂氓搂脭,
搂卤搂芒搂脷搂脮搂脷, 搂谩搂芒搂脷搂脮搂脷: 搂帽 搂盲搂脫搂脿搂脹 搂茫搂氓搂谩搂芒搂氓搂脭!..»

Friend of my heart, desired friend, come,

come: I'm thy spouse!隆卤 (Six: XXI: 13-14)

In Pushkin隆炉s Stsena iz Fausta (隆掳A Scene from Faust,隆卤 1825) Faust says that sochetanie dvukh dush (the mingling of two souls) is pryamoe blago (a real blessing):

搂拢 搂脭搂脻搂氓搂脪搂脿搂脺搂脿搂脼 搂脵搂脽搂脩搂脽搂卯搂脰 搂脴搂脷搂脵搂脽搂脷 搂脽搂脰搂盲 隆陋
搂脕 搂谩搂芒搂脿搂脺搂脻搂帽搂脻 搂脵搂脽搂脩搂脽搂脷搂脹 搂脻搂脿搂脴搂脽搂铆搂脹 搂茫搂脫搂脰搂盲,
搂隆 搂茫搂脻搂脩搂脫搂脩... 搂脻搂氓搂茅 搂脰搂脳 搂茫搂脻搂氓搂茅搂脩搂脹搂脽搂铆搂脹
搂炉搂脰搂氓搂脻搂脿搂脫搂脷搂脼. 搂庐搂脷搂芒搂茫搂脺搂脩搂帽 搂茅搂脰搂茫搂盲搂卯
搂垄搂脰搂茫搂茫搂脼搂铆搂茫搂脻搂脰搂脽搂脽搂脩, 搂脺搂脩搂脺 搂茫搂脿搂脽... 搂炉搂脿 搂脰搂茫搂盲搂卯
搂卤搂芒搂帽搂脼搂脿搂脰 搂脪搂脻搂脩搂脭搂脿: 搂茫搂脿搂茅搂脰搂盲搂脩搂脽搂卯搂脰
搂楼搂脫搂氓搂莽 搂脮搂氓搂锚...

In that deep knowledge nothing lives;

I curse the false light that it gives,

And as for fame, its random lustre

Soon fades away. Senseless as dreams

Are wordly honors. There is, it seems,

But one real blessing: the mingling of

Two souls.

(tr. Alan Shaw)

and Mephistopheles compares himself to an harlequin:

搂炉搂脿 隆陋 搂谩搂脿搂脼搂脽搂脷搂盲搂茫搂帽 隆陋 搂盲搂脿搂脭搂脮搂脩 搂茫搂脿 搂茫搂脺搂氓搂脺搂脷,
搂卢搂脩搂脺 搂脩搂芒搂脻搂脰搂脺搂脷搂脽搂脩, 搂脷搂脵 搂脿搂脭搂脽搂帽
搂麓搂铆 搂脫搂铆搂脵搂脫搂脩搂脻 搂脽搂脩搂脺搂脿搂脽搂脰搂猫 搂脼搂脰搂脽搂帽.

But, as far as I recall, you were so bored,

That like a harlequin from the fire

You finally conjured me up?

In his poem To Dawe, Esqr. (1828) Pushkin mentions Mephistopheles and fair Olenin隆炉s features:

搂漏搂脩搂茅搂脰搂脼 搂盲搂脫搂脿搂脹 搂脮搂脷搂脫搂脽搂铆搂脹 搂脺搂脩搂芒搂脩搂脽搂脮搂脩搂锚
搂虏搂脷搂茫搂氓搂脰搂盲 搂脼搂脿搂脹 搂脩搂芒搂脩搂谩搂茫搂脺搂脷搂脹 搂谩搂芒搂脿搂忙搂脷搂脻搂卯?
搂路搂脿搂盲搂卯 搂盲搂铆 搂脫搂脰搂脺搂脩搂脼 搂脰搂脭搂脿 搂谩搂芒搂脰搂脮搂脩搂锚搂卯,
搂娄搂脭搂脿 搂脿搂茫搂脫搂脷搂毛搂脰搂盲 搂庐搂脰搂忙搂脷搂茫搂盲搂脿搂忙搂脰搂脻搂卯.

搂虏搂脷搂茫搂氓搂脹 搂掳搂脻搂脰搂脽搂脷搂脽搂脿搂脹 搂茅搂脰搂芒搂盲搂铆.
搂拢 搂脴搂脩搂芒搂氓 搂茫搂脰搂芒搂脮搂脰搂茅搂脽搂铆搂莽 搂脫搂脮搂脿搂莽搂脽搂脿搂脫搂脰搂脽搂脷搂脹,
搂颅搂脷搂锚搂卯 搂冒搂脽搂脿搂茫搂盲搂脷 搂脷 搂脺搂芒搂脩搂茫搂脿搂盲搂铆
搂卤搂脿搂脺搂脻搂脿搂脽搂脽搂脷搂脺搂脿搂脼 搂脪搂铆搂盲搂卯 搂脮搂脿搂脻搂脴搂脰搂脽 搂脭搂脰搂脽搂脷搂脹.

Why draw with your pencil sublime

My Negro profile? Though transmitted

By you it be to future time,

It will be by Mephisto twitted.

Draw fair Olenin's features, in the glow

Of heart-engendered inspiration:

Only on youth and beauty should bestow

A genius its adoration.

(VN隆炉s translation)

There is Dora in 隆掳adoration.隆卤 In the last line of his poem 隆掳On Translating Eugene Onegin隆卤 (1955) VN calls his translation of EO 隆掳dove-droppings on your [Pushkin隆炉s] monument.隆卤 In Leningrad Vadim meets Dora (a friend of Vadim隆炉s and Annette隆炉s daughter Bel) near the monument of Pushkin:

Dora was to meet me Friday morning on the Square of the Arts in front of the Russian Museum near the statue of Pushkin erected some ten years before by a committee of weathermen. An Intourist folder had yielded a tinted photograph of the spot. The meteorological associations of the monument predominated over its cultural ones. Frock-coated Pushkin, the right-side lap of his garment permanently agitated by the Nevan breeze rather than by the violence of lyrical afflatus, stands looking upward and to the left while his right hand is stretched out the other way, sidewise, to test the rain (a very natural attitude at the time lilacs bloom in the Leningrad parks). It had dwindled, when I arrived, to a warm drizzle, a mere murmur in the lindens above the long garden benches. (5.2)

The meteorological associations play an important role in Pushkin隆炉s poetry. It seems that Pushkin隆炉s poem Predchuvstvie (隆掳Foreboding,隆卤 1828), beginning 隆掳Again dark clouds above me gathered in silence, jealous destiny with troubles again threatens me,隆卤 is addressed to Annette Olenin (whom Pushkin calls 隆掳angel隆卤):

搂鲁搂脽搂脿搂脫搂脩 搂盲搂氓搂茅搂脷 搂脽搂脩搂脮搂脿 搂脼搂脽搂脿搂冒

搂鲁搂脿搂脪搂芒搂脩搂脻搂脷搂茫搂帽 搂脫 搂盲搂脷搂锚搂脷搂脽搂脰;

搂虏搂脿搂脺 搂脵搂脩搂脫搂脷搂茫搂盲搂脻搂脷搂脫搂铆搂脹 搂脪搂脰搂脮搂脿搂冒

搂碌搂脭搂芒搂脿搂脴搂脩搂脰搂盲 搂茫搂脽搂脿搂脫搂脩 搂脼搂脽搂脰...

搂鲁搂脿搂莽搂芒搂脩搂脽搂冒 搂脻搂卯 搂脺 搂茫搂氓搂脮搂卯搂脪搂脰 搂谩搂芒搂脰搂脵搂芒搂脰搂脽搂卯搂脰?

搂卤搂脿搂脽搂脰搂茫搂氓 搂脻搂卯 搂脽搂脩搂脫搂茫搂盲搂芒搂脰搂茅搂氓 搂脰搂脹

搂炉搂脰搂谩搂芒搂脰搂脺搂脻搂脿搂脽搂脽搂脿搂茫搂盲搂卯 搂脷 搂盲搂脰搂芒搂谩搂脰搂脽搂卯搂脰

搂陇搂脿搂芒搂脮搂脿搂脹 搂冒搂脽搂脿搂茫搂盲搂脷 搂脼搂脿搂脰搂脹?

搂垄搂氓搂芒搂脽搂脿搂脹 搂脴搂脷搂脵搂脽搂卯搂冒 搂氓搂盲搂脿搂脼搂脻搂脰搂脽搂脽搂铆搂脹,

搂虏搂脩搂脫搂脽搂脿搂脮搂氓搂锚搂脽搂脿 搂脪搂氓搂芒搂脷 搂脴搂脮搂氓:

搂庐搂脿搂脴搂脰搂盲 搂脪搂铆搂盲搂卯, 搂脰搂毛搂脳 搂茫搂谩搂脩搂茫搂脰搂脽搂脽搂铆搂脹,

搂鲁搂脽搂脿搂脫搂脩 搂谩搂芒搂脷搂茫搂盲搂脩搂脽搂卯 搂帽 搂脽搂脩搂脹搂脮搂氓...

搂炉搂脿, 搂谩搂芒搂脰搂脮搂茅搂氓搂脫搂茫搂盲搂脫搂氓搂帽 搂芒搂脩搂脵搂脻搂氓搂脺搂氓,

搂炉搂脰搂脷搂脵搂脪搂脰搂脴搂脽搂铆搂脹, 搂脭搂芒搂脿搂脵搂脽搂铆搂脹 搂茅搂脩搂茫,

搂鲁搂脴搂脩搂盲搂卯 搂盲搂脫搂脿搂冒, 搂脼搂脿搂脹 搂脩搂脽搂脭搂脰搂脻, 搂芒搂氓搂脺搂氓

搂脕 搂茫搂谩搂脰搂锚搂氓 搂脫 搂谩搂脿搂茫搂脻搂脰搂脮搂脽搂脷搂脹 搂芒搂脩搂脵.

搂隆搂脽搂脭搂脰搂脻 搂脺搂芒搂脿搂盲搂脺搂脷搂脹, 搂脪搂脰搂脵搂脼搂帽搂盲搂脰搂脴搂脽搂铆搂脹,

搂麓搂脷搂莽搂脿 搂脼搂脿搂脻搂脫搂脷 搂脼搂脽搂脰: 搂谩搂芒搂脿搂茫搂盲搂脷,

搂掳搂谩搂脰搂茅搂脩搂脻搂卯搂茫搂帽: 搂脫搂脵搂脿搂芒 搂茫搂脫搂脿搂脹 搂脽搂脰搂脴搂脽搂铆搂脹

搂卤搂脿搂脮搂铆搂脼搂脷 搂脷搂脻搂卯 搂脿搂谩搂氓搂茫搂盲搂脷;

搂陋 搂盲搂脫搂脿搂脳 搂脫搂脿搂茫搂谩搂脿搂脼搂脷搂脽搂脩搂脽搂卯搂脰

搂漏搂脩搂脼搂脰搂脽搂脷搂盲 搂脮搂氓搂锚搂脰 搂脼搂脿搂脰搂脹

搂鲁搂脷搂脻搂氓, 搂脭搂脿搂芒搂脮搂脿搂茫搂盲搂卯, 搂氓搂谩搂脿搂脫搂脩搂脽搂卯搂脰

搂陋 搂脿搂盲搂脫搂脩搂脭搂氓 搂冒搂脽搂铆搂莽 搂脮搂脽搂脰搂脹.

Annette Blagovo and Ninel Langley die in a hurricane:

The mad scholar in Esmeralda and her Parandrus wreathes Botticelli and Shakespeare together by having Primavera end as Ophelia with all her flowers. The loquacious lady in Dr. Olga Repnin remarks that tornadoes and floods are really sensational only in North America. On May 17, 1953, several papers printed a photograph of a family, complete with birdcage, phonograph, and other valuable possessions, riding it out on the roof of their shack in the middle of Rosedale Lake. Other papers carried the picture of a small Ford caught in the upper branches of an intrepid tree with a man, a Mr. Byrd, whom Horace Peppermill said he knew, still in the driver隆炉s seat, stunned, bruised, but alive. A prominent personality in the Weather Bureau was accused of criminally delayed forecasts. A group of fifteen schoolchildren who had been taken to see a collection of stuffed animals donated by Mrs. Rosenthal, the benefactor隆炉s widow, to the Rosedale Museum, were safe in the sudden darkness of that sturdy building when the twister struck. But the prettiest lakeside cottage got swept away, and the drowned bodies of its two occupants were never retrieved. (4.2)

Vadim隆炉s novel Dr. Olga Repnin (1946) corresponds to VN隆炉s Pnin (1957). In Pushkin隆炉s EO Olga Larin (Tatiana隆炉s younger sister) is Lenski隆炉s sweetheart. In Chapter Three (V: 8-9) of EO Onegin tells Lenski that in Olga隆炉s features there is no life, just as in a Vandyke Madonna. Madona (1830) is a sonnet by Pushkin addressed to his wife Natalia Goncharov:

搂炉搂脰 搂脼搂脽搂脿搂脴搂脰搂茫搂盲搂脫搂脿搂脼 搂脺搂脩搂芒搂盲搂脷搂脽 搂茫搂盲搂脩搂芒搂脷搂脽搂脽搂铆搂莽 搂脼搂脩搂茫搂盲搂脰搂芒搂脿搂脫
搂碌搂脺搂芒搂脩搂茫搂脷搂盲搂卯 搂帽 搂脫搂茫搂脰搂脭搂脮搂脩 搂脴搂脰搂脻搂脩搂脻 搂茫搂脫搂脿搂冒 搂脿搂脪搂脷搂盲搂脰搂脻搂卯,
搂鹿搂盲搂脿搂脪 搂茫搂氓搂脰搂脫搂脰搂芒搂脽搂脿 搂脷搂脼 搂脮搂脷搂脫搂脷搂脻搂茫搂帽 搂谩搂脿搂茫搂脰搂盲搂脷搂盲搂脰搂脻搂卯,
搂拢搂脽搂脷搂脼搂脩搂帽 搂脫搂脩搂脴搂脽搂脿搂脼搂氓 搂茫搂氓搂脴搂脮搂脰搂脽搂卯搂冒 搂脵搂脽搂脩搂盲搂脿搂脺搂脿搂脫.

搂拢 搂谩搂芒搂脿搂茫搂盲搂脿搂脼 搂氓搂脭搂脻搂氓 搂脼搂脿搂脳搂脼, 搂茫搂芒搂脰搂脮搂卯 搂脼搂脰搂脮搂脻搂脰搂脽搂脽搂铆搂莽 搂盲搂芒搂氓搂脮搂脿搂脫,
搂掳搂脮搂脽搂脿搂脹 搂脺搂脩搂芒搂盲搂脷搂脽搂铆 搂帽 搂脴搂脰搂脻搂脩搂脻 搂脪搂铆搂盲搂卯 搂脫搂脰搂茅搂脽搂脿 搂脵搂芒搂脷搂盲搂脰搂脻搂卯,
搂掳搂脮搂脽搂脿搂脹: 搂茅搂盲搂脿搂脪 搂脽搂脩 搂脼搂脰搂脽搂帽 搂茫 搂莽搂脿搂脻搂茫搂盲搂脩, 搂脺搂脩搂脺 搂茫 搂脿搂脪搂脻搂脩搂脺搂脿搂脫,
搂卤搂芒搂脰搂茅搂脷搂茫搂盲搂脩搂帽 搂脷 搂脽搂脩搂锚 搂脪搂脿搂脴搂脰搂茫搂盲搂脫搂脰搂脽搂脽搂铆搂脹 搂茫搂谩搂脩搂茫搂脷搂盲搂脰搂脻搂卯 隆陋

搂掳搂脽搂脩 搂茫 搂脫搂脰搂脻搂脷搂茅搂脷搂脰搂脼, 搂脿搂脽 搂茫 搂芒搂脩搂脵搂氓搂脼搂脿搂脼 搂脫 搂脿搂茅搂脩搂莽 隆陋
搂拢搂脵搂脷搂芒搂脩搂脻搂脷, 搂脺搂芒搂脿搂盲搂脺搂脷搂脰, 搂脫搂脿 搂茫搂脻搂脩搂脫搂脰 搂脷 搂脫 搂脻搂氓搂茅搂脩搂莽,
搂掳搂脮搂脽搂脷, 搂脪搂脰搂脵 搂脩搂脽搂脭搂脰搂脻搂脿搂脫, 搂谩搂脿搂脮 搂谩搂脩搂脻搂卯搂脼搂脿搂冒 搂鲁搂脷搂脿搂脽搂脩.

搂陋搂茫搂谩搂脿搂脻搂脽搂脷搂脻搂脷搂茫搂卯 搂脼搂脿搂脷 搂脴搂脰搂脻搂脩搂脽搂脷搂帽. 搂麓搂脫搂脿搂芒搂脰搂猫
搂麓搂脰搂脪搂帽 搂脼搂脽搂脰 搂脽搂脷搂茫搂谩搂脿搂茫搂脻搂脩搂脻, 搂盲搂脰搂脪搂帽, 搂脼搂脿搂帽 搂庐搂脩搂脮搂脿搂脽搂脩,
搂鹿搂脷搂茫搂盲搂脰搂脹搂锚搂脰搂脹 搂谩搂芒搂脰搂脻搂脰搂茫搂盲搂脷 搂茅搂脷搂茫搂盲搂脰搂脹搂锚搂脷搂脹 搂脿搂脪搂芒搂脩搂脵搂脰搂猫.

I隆炉ve never wished to decorate my mean abode
With rows and rows of fine and celebrated pictures,
To draw from guests some fawning, superstitious rictures,
Attending as the experts隆炉 clever views have flowed.

No, in the simple corner where my labour隆炉s done,
I隆炉ve only ever wanted but one painted witness,
And only one: as from the heavens, so from canvas,
The Virgin pure, presenting her beloved Son 篓C

Majestic, she, and he with wisdom in his eyes 篓C
There calmly watch in glory, under radiant skies,
Alone in Zion, with no angels in attendance.

They are enough for me. Madonna, you have been
Revealed to me by God Almighty隆炉s sweet transcendence,
The purest model, of the purest joy the queen.

(tr. R. Moreton)

Alexey Sklyarenko