Abstracts
Praising The Ruler: Panegyric Poetry and Russian Absolutism
Panegyric poetry is a strikingly dominant feature of Russian literature in the early modern period. It is an especially worthwhile field of research as a form of political literature. As such it introduces us not only to the cult of the Russian rulers, but also sheds some light on the mentality of their loyal subjects in the age of Russian absolutism. While there is no denying that panegyric poetry was a thoroughly affirmative form of political literature, this did not keep it from offering a certain scope for independent thinking and for the expression of diverse political ideals and expectations. This view can be cogently illustrated with examples from the panegyric poetry addressed to Peter III and Catherine II in the early 1760s.
- Joachim Klein, Leiden University
joachim.klein
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