Достоинство стихотворца: формирование статуса автора во второй половине XVIII века

Abstract

Similarly to many other important terms of our social vocabulary, the concept of dignity is employed within different discourses, but in Russia a special role in its development belongs to literature. This article discusses the use of the collocation “dignity of a poet” in Russia in the 18th century, when cultural production started to become autonomized and the status of “being a writer” became – or at least was declared to be – capable of bringing fame and recognition. Historical semantics can contribute to comprehending the processes that helped establish this particular status of literary authors. The case of Aleksandr Sumarokov is particularly indicative, for it is located at the intersection of two logics related to two different realms. One is the realm of power, where dignity is determined by rank, and the other is the new realm of literature, where “dignity” of the author is determined by the literary merit of his texts and by public opinion. By making literature his main occupation, Sumarokov lost his “dignity of a nobleman” and acquired the “dignity of a poet”, which at the time lacked proper social significance. This shift accounted for tragic conflicts in his life.