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SLOVAK REVIEW 
A Review of World Literature Research


Vol. IX/2000 No. 1

 

 


Slovak Connections in Italian Literature and Writing in 16th-18th Century

Pavol Koprda

The study is based on author's grant project (1996-1998) called "Slovak Connections in Italian Literature and Writing in the Era of Turkish Occupation". The research results are to be published as a book. This study does not attempt to summarise or evaluate the project but to demonstrate that in older literature there was a vivid relationship between literature, perceived as a discipline determined by moral philosophy, and literature, perceived as a factor opening the way to the culture of writing. Contrary to the perception of the writing-language relationship of Renaissance linguist Benedetto Varchi but also of literary scholars of 20th century (formalists, R. Wellek) this study attempts to prove the applicability of theory of writing as formulated by J. Derrida and the era of post-structuralism, studying older Slovaco-Italian literary relations.

KeyWords: Literature. Literary Scholarship. Comparative Literature. Slovaco-Italian Literary Relations.

Address
Doc. PhDr. Pavol Koprda, CSc.
Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV
Konventná 13
813 64 Bratislava

 


Globalization and Comeback to Identity in the Intercultural East-West Process

Marián Gálik

This short report analyzes the literary results of the scholarly project of the same name and carried out by the group of four collaborators of the Institute of Oriental and African Studies, Slovak Academy of Sciences. Globalization, or cultural globalization, is looked upon as that part of the intercultural process in which the impact of Euroamerican culture upon the less differentiated cultures of other parts of the world is all-inclusive. The realization of the comeback of the cultural identities of the Asian and African countries should be the aim of all indigenous endeavours.

The books and studies in the years 1997-1999 mentioned above, are concerned with interliterary aspects of the Polynesian mythology, Chinese, Turkish literature and theory of literary comparatistics.

KeyWords: Globalization. Comeback to Identity. Intercultural Process.

Address
PhDr. Marián Gálik, DrSc.
Kabinet orientalistiky SAV
Klemensova 19
813 64 Bratislava

 


Slovak and Italian Romanticism

František Hruška

Sociological approach to the development of poetological demands of Romanticism enables the author to shed light on some important connections between Slovak and Italian Romanticism as well as between their social ideals. It is in this context that the works of G. Leopardi are studied, especially essays, newspaper articles and studies in which Leopardi expressed his views and artistic principles. The focus is on his contributions to journals Bibliotheca Italiana, Antologia, Il Conciliatore. Pertaining the relationship to Slavonic context of Leopardi‘s reception, historical and political conceptions of receiving environment, heavily influenced by the idea of Slavonic identity, are defined. Of special importance were the ideas of Kollár, who identified three historical principles of culture: of ancient Greece and Rome, Romanticism and the principle of humanism, whose implementation Kollár, as well as Herder assigned to Slavonic culture.

KeyWords: Literature. Italian Literature. Slovak Literature. Romanticism. Giacomo Leopardi. Ján Kollár.

Address
Doc. PhDr. František Hruška, CSc.
Filozofická fakulta UK
Gondova 2
818 01 Bratislava

 


On Mature Forms of Leopardi's Poetics

Dagmar Sabolová

This paper, read on the "Giacomo Leopardi and the Slavonic World" conference is an introduction to forthcoming monography "Giacomo Leopardi, a Mature Poet" a sequel to already published "Young Poet Giacomo Leopardi." (Bratislava, Veda 1997). The paper is based on two chapters from the forthcoming publication: first one deals with methodology, the second one with interpretation, focusing on analysis of Leopardi's emblematic poem "Lonely Sparrow".

First part is based on methodological instructions determined by the search for relationship between Leopardi's philosophy and poetry in the era of 1818-1823. There was a development of increased closeness between philosophical terms and metaphors. Leopardi's growth, development of lyrical expression, was accompanied by reflections on imagination recorded in his diary "Zibaldone." Lines of philosophy and poetry cross in 1828 in the image of the "heart".

In the poem "Lonely Sparrow" classic scholarship is present in the framework of the story which carries traces of classic myths. These are, however, mixed with European heritage of folk tale that reduces classic ominousness. Where the sources of European fairy tales are approached, certain closeness to Slovak folk traditions can be detected.

Attempting to reconstruct the growth into maturity, into harmony of poetry and philosophy, into unity of creative sources a following scheme could be presented: mind - analysis - intellect - attempt at synthesis - imagination - heart - lyricism.

In the context of this study the word "mature" refers to the homogeneous character of his philosophy and poetry. It describes a meeting of rational analysis and poetic inspiration.

KeyWords: Italian Literature. Giacomo Leopardi. Romanticism.

Address
PhDr. Dagmar Sabolová, CSc.
Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV
Konventná 13
813 64 Bratislava

 


Leopardi in Translations of Anna Achmatova

Mária Kusá

The study deals with translations of several Leopardi's poems by famous Russian poet A. Achmatova. The author, Russian scholar and specialist in translation, places analysed translations into a wider context of other translations by A. Achmatova. The causes of taking translation as an integral part of literary creation are in Russian tradition: 1. Interliterary (at least from the period of symbolism) 2. Extraliterary (the rise of the autocratic regime). For many authors translation was the only possibility of (not only) literary existence (e. g. A. Achmatova as well as B. Pasternak and others). Therefore it is logical that most of Achmatova's translations are from the period of 30's to 60's when she was officially forced to silence. A. Achmatova herself in her memoirs dealt with the impact of translation. In a commentary to Achmatova's translation of various poets from all over the world the selection which contradicts author's literary preferences is underlined. A. Achmatova preferred translating poetically and typologically "distant" authors.

In the context of her other translations Leopardi can be found in the company of V. Hugo, J. Słowacki, H. Ibsen, P. Slavejkov, V. Nezval, I. Krasko and others including oriental poetry and poetry of nations formerly belonging to the USSR.

Achmatova's translations of Leopardi were published in 1965 together with translations of A. Najmar (Dž. Leopardi: Lirika.) Well-known are translations of three poems: L'Infinito, Il sabato del villagio, A se stesso. A comparative analysis renders schematic characterisation of Achmatova's translations: 1: they are not "literal" on the level of verse structure, dominant principle for Achmatova is the translation of poetic meaning. 2. Leopardi was close to Achamatova from the point of view of the lyrical subject and through certain story-like character of his works, yet distant due to the nature of his motives (e. g. absence of the motive of love). 3. Her translations do not emphasise their "translation character". (This is rather frequent in Russian culture.)

KeyWords: Literature. Translation studies. Russian Literature. Anna Achmatova. Giacomo Leopardi.

Address
Doc. PhDr. Mária Kusá, CSc.
Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV
Konventná 13
813 64 Bratislava

 


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