Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0026541, Sun, 18 Oct 2015 11:31:09 -0200

Subject
From the "Academia" site - Brodsky's Sextet and "Ada"
Date
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Alexandra Berlina - Universität Erfurt, American Literature, Post-Doc
Nabokov's Ada in Brodsky's "Sextet" a short article on a hidden allusion

NABOKOV’S ADA IN BRODSKY’S‘SEXTET’ [‘KVINTET’ (‘Sextet’ in
self-translation)]
"…The first three parts introduce a travelling protagonist suffering from
misanthropy and ennui. The first stanza of part IV presents a seemingly
unconnected panorama:
Where’s that?’ —asks, smoothing down a lock,the nephew. And, her fingers
wandering along mountain folds,‘Here,’ —says the niece. Swings creak
softlyin the old garden. On the table, a bouquetof violets. The sun’s
blinding the parquet.From the drawing room, resound passages of a
cello.(interlinear translation) …this stanza refers to Nabokov’s Ada or
Ardor: a Family Chronicle ….The details fit both in the original and the
self-translation, which is astonishingly close in form and semantics (down
to four out of six rhyme words). Ada deals with the incestuous relationship
of alleged cousins who are in reality brother and sister. They are often
referred to as ‘nephew’ and ‘niece’ (in regard to their parents, instead of
‘son’ and ‘daughter’). The mansion where they meet has an old garden (part 9
in Ada / line 3 in ‘Kvintet/Sextet IV’), a parquet floor (part 11 / lines
5–6), a sunny drawing room or music room (part 16/ line 6) and creaking
swings (part 34 / line 4).Ada collects violets which she uses as food for
larvae (part 9 / lines 4–5)…"
Cf.Academia.edu Weekly Digest

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