"Taras Bulba," his great historical novel, offers a vivid picture of the famous kazak republic on the Dniepr, and equally with his other volumes, it stands in the first rank for its poetry, its dramatic force, its truth to life. It alone may be said to have a passionate love story. QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW 1. What special gift as a writer had Yazykoff? 2. Give the chief events in the career of Griboyedoff. 3. What was the character of Russian social life at this time? 4. What was the plot of "Woe from Wit"? 5. Describe the influence of Lermontoff. 6. What is the story of his famous "Ballad of the Tzar, the Lifeguardsman, and the Merchant"? Supply full title. 7. What was Schelling's philosophy, and how did it affect Russian thinkers? 8. What important influence had Byelinsky? 9. What marked powers of description had Aksakoff? 10. How does Koltzoff's life illustrate the widening influence of Russian literature? 11. How did the change from poetry to prose writing come about? 12. Give an account of the chief events in the life of Gogol. 13. How was the Russian tendency to mysticism illustrated in his case? 14. Describe his famous play "The Inspector." What qualities does he show in this? 15. What are the characteristics of his "Tales"? 16. Why is "Dead Souls" regarded as his greatest work? 17. What is the character of "Taras Bulba"? BIBLIOGRAPHY _A Hero of To-Day._ M. Y. Lermontoff. (Several translations.) Works of Gogol: _The Inspector._ (Translated by Arthur Sykes.) _Taras Bulba._ (Translated by I. F. Hapgood.) _Dead Souls, St. John's Eve, and Other Stories._ (Selections from the two volumes of _Little Russian and St. Petersburg Tales_. Translated by I. F. Hapgood.) FOOTNOTES: [13] Rubinstein used this as a foundation for the libretto of his delightful opera, with the same title. [14] Rubinstein used this as the libretto foundation for his opera of the same title, which was produced once, prohibited by the censor, produced once again after a lapse of eight or ten years, and again promptly prohibited. After another interval of years it was again permitted. [15] An unaristocratic form of Elena--Helen. [16] The "Guests' Court," that is, the bazaar. [17] His Russian name, "Grozny," means, rather, "menacing, threatening," than "terrible," the customary translation, being derived from "groza," a thunderstorm. [18] Most Russians prefer to have the world "Slavyane" translated Slavonians, rather than Slavs, as the latter is calculated to mislead. [19] His "Family Chronicle" was the favorite book (during her girlhood) of Marya Alexandrovna, the daughter of Alexander II., afterwards Duchess of Edinburg, and now Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. I made acquaintance with this fascinating work by reading aloud from her copy to a mutual friend, a Russian.