Reinventing Romantic Poetry : Russian Women Poets of the Mid-nineteenth Century

Khvoshchinskaia, lines 18–19: # 

 

u 



(  , 

       u

 



   ,  ... [.. .]

h

(And the dusty ray of sun on [her braids], and the geranium which sadly

withered

Before her on the window and the work... [.. .])

Published version, lines 18–19: )

u  

(... ! 

    u

 



U   ... [.. .]

h

(A tear on her eyelash... A geranium so sadly withered

Near her on the little window... [.. .])

Zotov also changed Khvoshchinskaia’s understated last line from a rel-

ative clause to an effusion, complete with exclamation point:

Khvoshchinskaia, lines 23 and 26 : # 



 

  , [.. .]

[.........................................]


 e    

    ,   ...

h

(And so much sadness in that gaze, [.. .]

[.................................]

That I will not forget that gaze for a long time, for all time.. .)

Published version: ", e      

    ,   !...

h

(O, I cannot forget that gaze for a long time, for all time!.. .)

Five years later, in 1852 , Zotov took the opportunity to mutilate the

poem still further. In an article reprinting some of Khvoshchinskaia’s

poetry, Zotov wrote:

The Literary Gazette,in which these poems for the most part ap-

peared in 1848 and 1849 , has now become a bibliographic rarity

and does not enjoy a great deal of prestige with the reading

public. Therefore we are convinced that our readers will read

with pleasure several excerpts from that newspaper to be fully

convinced of the varied and brilliant talent of Miss Kvoshchin-

skaia.^43

Zotov reprinted the poem, which now started with the words “By-

valo, s podrugami” (My girlfriends and I used to) instead of “Byvalo,

128 Nadezhda Khvoshchinskaia