‘”Quoiqu’elle ne pousse ni grands gestes ni grands cris . . . “: Comparative Literature in Great Britain’

Following a synopsis of landmarks in the development of comparative literature in the UK, this essay considers the current situation of the field. It reviews in particular debates about the “crisis” of comparative literature, its relation to translation studies, postcolonial studies, and world literature; its response to hegemonic English; and possible future orientations

Response to the work of Charles Baudelaire in the literary criticism and chronicles of Rubén Darío: a spanish perspective

Rubén DarÍo's infIuence on Spanish "modernismo" and his extensive knowledge of French literature are longstanding commonplaces of literary history. It might therefore be supposed that Darío was in a position to be an infIuential agent of diffusion for the French literary sources in which the "modernistas" sought inspiration. Study of allusions to the work of Charles Baudelaire in the Nicaraguan's literary criticism and chronicles, however, reveals a significantly different picture. For Darío, the self-styled priest of the religion of Art and champion of a pseudo-Christian idealism, Baudelaire was never more than the devil-worshipping poet of vice and spiritual anguish reviled by opponents of the "new literature". Darío's critical response to Baudelaire shows little critical sophistication or originality, yet the esteem in which he was held by the writers of Spain's Fin-de-Siècle does not appear to have prevented them, or at least some of them, from undertaking more penetrating and enlightened readings of the work of the poet of Les Fleurs du Mal.La influencia que ejerció Rubén Darío en el modernismo español así como los extensos conocimientos de la literatura francesa que poseía el nicaragüense son tópicos ya viejos de la historia literaria. La suposición de que Darío pudiera por tanto desempeñar un importante papel de difusor de las fuentes de inspiración galas a las que acudían los modernistas españoles se ve desmentida al estudiar las alusiones que hizo el portaestandarte del modernismo hispánico a la obra de Charles Baudelaire. Para Darío, sacerdote del arte, paladín de un idealismo seudocristiano, Baudelaire nunca pasó de ser el poeta satánico, del vicio y de la angustia espiritual vilipendiado por la crítica enemiga de la "nueva literatura".Lo que escribió el "maestro" sobre Baudelaire poco tiene pues de maestría crítica, ni de originalidad. El respeto que imponía DarÍo no impidió con todo que los literatos españoles de la generación finisecular, o por lo menos algunos de ellos, realizasen una lectura más penetrante y más comprensiva de la obra del poeta de Las flores del mal

‘Practical Kabbala’: A translation into English of Leopoldo Lugones’s ‘Kábala práctica’ (1897)

This article presents a translation from the Spanish of ‘Kábala práctica’/‘Practical Kabbala’, a short story in the fantastic mode published in 1897, preceded by an essay that considers the place and function of translation in the British literary system based on a case study of this story and its Argentinian author, Leopoldo Lugones (1874–1938). The introductory essay explores the possibility that the limited and only recent reception of Lugones’s work in the United Kingdom is related, albeit not exclusively, to a persistent British intercultural myopia as far as non-anglophone literatures are concerned that may be attributed to the anglophone linguistic exclusivism that is one consequence of the hegemonic status of English. This leads, it is argued, to a consecratory approach, based on iconic ‘snapshots’, to incorporation of translation into the British literary system, rather than an exploratory approach that seeks to uncover the hinterland; in other words, an approach that treats non-anglophone literatures as the cultural equivalents of holiday hotspots rather than fully stipulated cultural-discursive systems in their own right. The case of Lugones serves to demonstrate that an exploratory approach (by translators) to non-anglophone literatures reveals writers and literary traditions whose significance places ‘consecrated’ writers such as fellow Argentinian but now ‘World’ Borges in a context necessary to the elucidation of their own significance

Gallovirus or Blood Transfusion? : a Fin-de-Siècle Response to French Cultural Hegemony on Europe's Periphery

El traslado de España al margen cultural de la Europa finisecular se debe en gran parte a que la crítica se ha empeñado y se empeña todavía en evocar las relaciones literarias internacionales en términos de la llamada 'influencia' de las literaturas nacionales 'fuertes' sobre las 'débiles'. El debate crítico en torno a la influencia de la literatura francesa en el modernismo español demuestra claramente este fenómeno. Sin embargo, un examen más detenido de la recepción crítica de la literatura francesa por parte de los modernistas no descubre la imitación servil de fuentes francesas, sino una reflexión crítica juiciosa, lo cual constituye la superación del concepto del receptor pasivo. Desde esta perspectiva el centro hegemónico también se convierte en un espacio donde obran las influencias y que es enriquecido gracias a ellas.____________________________________Spain's relegation to the cultural periphery of fin-de-siècle Europe has been facilitated by an insistence on describing international literary relations in terms of the 'influence' of 'strong' national literatures on 'weak' ones. Critical allusion to the influence of French literature in Spanish modernismo is a case in point. Closer examination of modernista reception of French literature, however, reveals not slavish imitation of French sources but discriminating critical evaluation. This challenges the traditional assumption according to which the so-called recipient of influence is a passive entity in the influence process, and by extension allows the hegemonic centre itself to be seen as a site open to and enriched by influences. Exemplari

The influence of Charles Baudelaire in Spanish modernismo

Existing critical response to the question of Baudelaire's influence is confined almost exclusively to isolated assumptions articulated by critics who make little attempt, if any, to substantiate their claims, and who, thereby, show scant regard for the burden of proof associated with the study of causal influence. This study proposes to test the validity of such assumptions, and to formulate a more structured appraisal of the issue than has been made hitherto. To this end, it has sought to assemble pertinent evidence and to assess its value as an indication of a real literary debt. Enquiry is structured accordingly. The thesis begins with an exploration of methodological considerations designed to establish the conceptual basis of enquiry (Part One). It then proceeds to study the diffusion of Baudelaire's work in Spain between 1857 and 1910, and, subsequently, to examine critical reaction to the poet during the same period (Part Two). Finally, it studies the theme of Baudelaire's influence in modernismo with reference to the work of six poets whose work is representative of or which, in one case, prefigures the modernista movement in Spain: Manuel Reina, Rubén Darío, Francisco Villaespesa, the brothers Machado and Juan Ramón Jiménez. The particular objective of each case study varies according to the evidence available and the extent of existing critical response, but basically these objectives are three in number. First, to analyse unequivocal influences. Second, to ascertain, where no conclusive proof of influence exists, the extent to which the possibility of influence may be entertained. Third, to indicate, where pertinent, that the question merits more detailed examination than is possible in a general survey of this kind. The study concludes that although Baudelaire's work was reasonably well-diffused, his direct influence was slight and can be proven far less than existing preemptory claims suggest

The influence of Charles Baudelaire in Spanish modernismo

Existing critical response to the question of Baudelaire's influence is confined almost exclusively to isolated assumptions articulated by critics who make little attempt, if any, to substantiate their claims, and who, thereby, show scant regard for the burden of proof associated with the study of causal influence. This study proposes to test the validity of such assumptions, and to formulate a more structured appraisal of the issue than has been made hitherto. To this end, it has sought to assemble pertinent evidence and to assess its value as an indication of a real literary debt. Enquiry is structured accordingly. The thesis begins with an exploration of methodological considerations designed to establish the conceptual basis of enquiry (Part One). It then proceeds to study the diffusion of Baudelaire's work in Spain between 1857 and 1910, and, subsequently, to examine critical reaction to the poet during the same period (Part Two). Finally, it studies the theme of Baudelaire's influence in modernismo with reference to the work of six poets whose work is representative of or which, in one case, prefigures the modernista movement in Spain: Manuel Reina, Rubén Darío, Francisco Villaespesa, the brothers Machado and Juan Ramón Jiménez. The particular objective of each case study varies according to the evidence available and the extent of existing critical response, but basically these objectives are three in number. First, to analyse unequivocal influences. Second, to ascertain, where no conclusive proof of influence exists, the extent to which the possibility of influence may be entertained. Third, to indicate, where pertinent, that the question merits more detailed examination than is possible in a general survey of this kind. The study concludes that although Baudelaire's work was reasonably well-diffused, his direct influence was slight and can be proven far less than existing preemptory claims suggest

Selected aspects of language contact in the case of Czech, with a particular focus on lexical borrowing and changing attitudes to the self and others

The work selected for this portfolio comprises two language-specific case studies (‘Russian and Soviet loanwords and calques in the Czech lexicon since the beginning of the twentieth century’ and ‘Češi a slovenština’ [The Czechs and the Slovak language]), two publications on the critical reception of foreign vocabulary in Czech (‘The legacy and limitations of Czech purism’ and Attitudes to lexical borrowing in the Czech Republic), and a detailed article on the implications of naming practices for perceptions of the self and others (‘The Czech-speaking lands, their peoples and contact communities: titles, names and ethnonyms’). Extensive use is made of original material, including two nationwide quantitative surveys conducted on my behalf by the Public Opinion Research Centre of the Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (CVVM), and two small-scale questionnaires carried out for me by Dr Miroslav Růžička of the Czech University of Life Sciences (Prague), as well as a range of other empirical data, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, electronic corpora, and additional sources of lexical and historical information. My commentary employs a thematic approach, which aims both to acquaint the reader with the main findings of each of my publications, and to indicate the broad direction of my output. Supplementary information is provided in the commentary, where required, to contextualize and synthesize my arguments, to shed light on recent scholarship in cognate fields, and to ensure narrative continuity. The ‘new’ knowledge thus complements and frames the discussion of my selected publications, thereby helping to guide the reader through the exposition of my writings. The principal unifying themes of the chosen pieces are their emphasis on (1) the role of language in the national consciousness and self-perception, (2) the influence of external forces on the shaping of the Czech lexicon, and people’s reactions to those forces, (3) public perceptions of lexical borrowing, and (4) changing attitudes to the notion of ‘foreign’, as reflected in the national idiom. The commentary is divided into eight chapters, as listed in the Table of Contents. My study begins with a general introduction to my academic background, and to the content and themes of this thesis, as summarized above. Chapter 2 is based principally on my article ‘The legacy and limitations of Czech purism’, and provides a combination of historical setting and statistical analysis. The next chapter presents a résumé of the overall impact of foreign languages and cultures on the historical development of Czech, with the aim of contextualizing the findings of subsequent chapters. Chapter 4, which draws mainly on ‘Russian and Soviet loanwords and calques in the Czech lexicon since the beginning of the twentieth century’, reevaluates the impact of Russian and ‘Soviet speak’ on the Czech lexicon. In chapter 5, I consider in detail the asymmetrical nature of Czech–Slovak language relations, with reference to the views of over 1,400 informants interviewed for ‘Češi a slovenština’ and Attitudes to lexical borrowing in the Czech Republic. Chapter 6 compares the results of my survey for the latter publication, referred to as ‘Perceptions’, with a series of other questionnaires, including Tejnor’s groundbreaking 1970 study of foreign words. ‘The Czech-speaking lands, their peoples and contact communities: titles, names and ethnonyms’ provides the substance of much of chapter 7, which focuses on the Czechs’ tendency to see themselves in terms of opposition to outsiders, and on the depiction of ‘foreignness’ in the Czech lexicon. The commentary concludes with a summary of my principal observations relating to aspects of language contact and lexical borrowing in Czech, and to their implications for the self and others. Taken collectively, the eight chapters provide a framework for the discussion of my published work and for the thematic and conceptual links that validate their consideration as a corpus of cognate research activity.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Guest Editor's Introduction

Published in Comparative Critical Studies; Volume 12, Issue 3, Page 283-299, ISSN 1744-1854, Available Online October 2015. http://www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/ccs.2015.0174The original objective of this themed issue was to gather reflections on the reception of the work of Charles Baudelaire that in some guise or other departed from standard patterns, and, consequently, to focus on Baudelaire’s reception with reference to particularities rather than paradigms. The call for submissions sought therefore to elicit contributions on the reception and translation of Baudelaire’s work in overlooked and under-frequented places, on topics – those which follow were given by way of example in the call for submissions ‒ involving non-standard cultures and patterns of translation of Baudelaire’s work; the reception of Baudelaire’s work in milieus underexplored or ignored by comparative scholarship; and unfamiliar Baudelaire(s): atypical reception of Baudelaire’s work. The four essays and Afterword that comprise this issue achieve this objective in one way or another, while demonstrating that in order to be deemed non-standard, receptions do not have to take the form of dramatic or radical departures from established models of reception. This introduction will provide a context to the essays by considering firstly the recent and current position of reception studies within the context of comparative literature and secondly developments in the study of the reception of Baudelaire during the last few years. It will conclude with a review of the essays and Afterword individually and in relation to each other

Semi-lexical heads in Czech modal structures

This thesis argues for a semi-lexical interpretation of Czech modal verbs. It demonstrates that Czech modals participate in syntactic structures that contain a finite verb followed by multiple infinitives (verb clusters), such as Jan musel chtít začít studovat lingvistiku ‘John had to want to begin studying linguistics.’ The term Complex Verbal Domain (CVD) is devised for the verbal part of these structures. The analysis seeks to offer a unified account of modal verbs in Czech in respect of their subcategorization frame in the Lexicon and semantic properties (‘modal meaning’). It also attempts to clarify the confusion regarding modal verbs and modality in traditional Czech grammars by shifting the attention from pragmatics to an approach based on recent development of generative syntax (Chomsky 1998, 2000, 2001). Following the examination of syntactic behaviour of Czech modals in the CVD structure, the thesis proceeds to modify Emonds’ (1985, 2000) theory of semilexicality. This approach assumes that Czech modals are neither fully functional (due to properties such as rich morphological paradigm, ability to undergo Negation, Reflexivization and PF movement), nor fully lexical (they are unable to take clausal complements and distinguish between aspectual pairs). The semi-lexical analysis also shows that there is evidence for the existence of two types of Czech modals, True modal verbs (TMVs) and Optional modal verbs (OMVs). Whilst the former cannot nominalize or denote events, but are able to convey epistemic meaning, the latter undergo nominalization and are capable of event denotation, but do not attain epistemic reading. The semi-lexical properties of both TMVs and OMVs are syntactically reflected in their specific subcategorization frame X, +MODAL, +mod, +__ [V, INF]. The cognitive syntactic feature +MODAL cospecifies the syntactic derivation of Czech modal verbs in the ‘light’ vº, which takes an infinitival VP as a complement. Therefore, I argue that the CVD is syntactically vP. If the original CVD structure involves multiple infinitives (Jan vPmusí VPchtít(INF) začít(INF) číst(INF) tu knihu ‘John has to want to begin reading that book’), the VP complement has characteristics of a flat structure, adapted from Emonds (1999a, 1999b, 2001). On the other hand, +mod is a semantic feature that specifies the lexical behaviour of Czech modals and conveys the ‘modal meaning’, which is formalized in terms of possible worlds semantics as quantification over the modal base. The semi-lexical analysis also investigates the root v. epistemic dichotomy. The thesis argues that this dichotomy does not affect the unified theory of modality in Czech in terms of its derivational and semantic status, but is a result of covert processes at the level of Logical Form (LF), which realize different levels of modal quantification.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo