Pushkin's "Drinking in a Plague Epidemic" Synopsis - A masterpiece that asks, in Pushkin's style, what Russians think in the extremes of a plague.
Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837)Wikipedia.
The Drinking Bowl at the Time of the Plague" is a work of minor tragedy written by Pushkin in 1830.
I read "Sake Moriri in the Time of the Plague Epidemic" in "The Complete Works of Pushkin 3: Folk Tales and Dramatic Poems" translated by Nobuyuki Kitagaki and Shigeo Kurihara, published by Kawade Shobo Shinsha, Tokyo.
Let's take a look at the commentary at the end of the book on this work as soon as possible.
This work is an adaptation of a scene from The City of the Plague (1816) by the English poet John Wilson (1785-1816), but the songs of the prostitute Mary and Walsingham, the host of the banquet, are Pushkin's own creation. The song of the prostitute Mary and the song of Walsingham, the host of the banquet, are Pushkin's own creation. Wilson's play, in three acts and twelve scenes, depicts the plague-infested city of London in 1665 and its people struggling against the oncoming plague. Byron is said to have praised the poem, but its reputation soon faded and few people in England read it. It is interesting to note that the fourth scene of the first act was adapted and artistically enhanced by the genius of Pushkin, and remains a classic of Russian literature.
Kawade Shobo Shinsha, translated by Nobuyuki Kitagaki and Shigeo Kurihara, Pushkin Complete Works 3: Folk Tales and Dramatic Poems, p621
The work was originally based on English author John Wilson's "The City of Plague" and adapted in part by Pushkin.
If I were to summarize the content of this work in a nutshell,
Pushkin has taken a street scene from "The City of Pest" in which young men and prostitutes are having a frenzied revelry in order to escape the inevitable thought of death, and transformed it into a unique work of art.
Kawade Shobo Shinsha, translated by Nobuyuki Kitagaki and Shigeo Kurihara, Pushkin Complete Works 3: Folk Tales and Dramatic Poems, p. 622
The commentary at the end of the book, "The story of the first generation of the "K" in the world," is the most succinct description of this story.
Pushkin's subject is a group of young men and women who, in the extreme conditions of a plague epidemic in which countless people are dying, are throwing frenzied revels to escape the horrors of death.
In "The Drinking Binge During the Plague Epidemic," Pushkin depicts the human psyche in an extreme situation, as he does in his other "mini-tragedies. Three ways of overcoming the fear of death are presented in this work, under conditions in which the terrible destructive power of the plague puts man under extreme strain.
The first is the path of religious salvation, embodied in the figure of the old priest who dismisses the "godless" revelry and encourages each person to return to faith and follow the will of Almighty God.
The second way is oblivion, to forget the fear of death in drink, love, and mania, like those who attend a banquet, in other words, comfort play, and melancholy.
The third way is love of fate - the proactive acceptance of destiny - and the spirit of rebellion. It is the "truly tragic ideal" that Belinsky praised.
Walsingham faces reality and does not turn his face away from death. The plague and the awareness of the inevitability of death that it evokes give a truly courageous person the possibility to measure the depth of his or her spirit. Hence, Walsingham sings the hymn to the plague in a hoarse voice.
There is a demonic pleasure in this hymn to the plague that reveals Pushkin's Dionysian demonic side. Walsingham rejects the old priest's invitations to spiritual peace. The priest leaves, and Walsingham "remains there, deep in thought.
In Wilson's original, after the priest's exit, Walsingham and a young man have an argument that eventually leads to a duel. Walsingham's refusal to be saved is made tragic by his "awareness of his own immorality" and his awareness of the call of his late wife's soul.
Kawade Shobo Shinsha, translated by Nobuyuki Kitagaki and Shigeo Kurihara, Pushkin Complete Works 3: Folk Tales and Dramatic Poems, p621-622
Some line breaks have been made.
Again, Pushkin has created a tragedy of his own.
One previous article.The Guest of StoneAs he did in his previous work, Pushkin rewrites this story from a different perspective than in his previous works.
This is the "love of destiny - the proactive acceptance of destiny - and the spirit of rebellion" mentioned in the commentary.
Pushkin sets forth in this work an attitude of fatal love that accepts suffering as suffering, not blind obedience to God or oblivion through drink or love.
This is easier said than done, but when one considers it from one's own perspective, it is an unusual problem.
What would I do when I was in real pain, when I was in uncontrollable despair?
When a loved one passes away, when our immediate happiness is suddenly taken away from us, what exactly do we do...
Do they try to hang on to something, or do they try to forget their suffering by getting drunk on something...honestly, I don't know that either.
But in this work, Pushkin describes a way of life that accepts suffering as suffering.
The attitude of not turning away from suffering and living with it...
The subject matter of this compact work of less than 20 pages is so fundamental that Pushkin has condensed it into a masterful work of art in less than 20 pages. Pushkin has condensed it into a masterful work of art in less than 20 pages.
A normal writer would write a long story full of words on this subject.
Pushkin, however, was different in more ways than one.
'A concise style, trimmed to the extreme, lays bare the essence of life.'
This is Pushkin's most important feature.
I felt that the good thing about this work is that this can be seen in an easy-to-understand way.
The piece was short but left a strong impact. It was a work that made me think about suffering, despair, and how I would face death.
I am sure that I will continue to think of this work from time to time.
The above is a synopsis of "Pushkin's "Drinking Beverages During a Plague Epidemic" - a masterpiece that asks, in Pushkin's style, what Russians think in the extreme conditions of a plague.
Next Article.
Click here to read the previous article.
Related Articles
