Subject
perils of learning Russian
From
Date
Body
Yesterday Jansy wrote: You may weep for me - for all you care
So I won't cry for you, dear Nabokovian, the truth is I never should
have.
But all seriousness aside, undertaking the learning of Russian is
definitely not for everyone. There is even a famous Ode to Roman
Jakobson that makes that very point. It ends thus:
Roman made his mind up at seventy-five
That he would live to be the oldest Slavist alive.
But analyzing grammar can play awfully mean tricks
And poor Roman gave up Russian at seventy-six.
Roman and his story
point the way to glory
for all man and womankind:
If you study Russian
It might lead to concussion
And you're bound to lose your mind.
Carolyn
* I believe the less famous poet's name is Richard von Echternach.
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/
So I won't cry for you, dear Nabokovian, the truth is I never should
have.
But all seriousness aside, undertaking the learning of Russian is
definitely not for everyone. There is even a famous Ode to Roman
Jakobson that makes that very point. It ends thus:
Roman made his mind up at seventy-five
That he would live to be the oldest Slavist alive.
But analyzing grammar can play awfully mean tricks
And poor Roman gave up Russian at seventy-six.
Roman and his story
point the way to glory
for all man and womankind:
If you study Russian
It might lead to concussion
And you're bound to lose your mind.
Carolyn
* I believe the less famous poet's name is Richard von Echternach.
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/