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Poems and Problems

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First edition (publ. McGraw-Hill)

Poems and Problems (ISBN 0-07-045724-7) is a book by Vladimir Nabokov published in 1969. It consists of 39 poems originally written in Russian and translated by Nabokov, 14 poems written in English, and 18 chess problems.

One of the 39 poems originally written in Russian, "Lilith," in 1928, can be looked at as a foreshadowing of his 1955 novel Lolita. However, in the author's notes, Nabokov states that "Intelligent readers will abstain from examining this impersonal fantasy for any links with my later fiction," and that the poem was written "...to amuse a friend."

Table of contents

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  • THIRTY-NINE RUSSIAN POEMS
English Russian
1. The Rain Has Flown Дождь пролетел
2. To Liberty К свободе
3. I Still Keep Mute Еще безмолвствую и крепну я в тиши
4. Hotel Room Номер в гостинице
5. Provence Солнце
6. La Bonne Lorraine
7. The Blazon Герб
8. The Mother Мать
9. I Like That Mountain Люблю я гору
10. The Dream Сновидение
11. The Snapshot Снимок
12. In Paradise В раю
13. The Execution Расстрел
14. For Happiness the Lover Cannot Sleep От счастия влюбленному не спится
15. Lilith Лилит
16. The Muse К музе
17. Soft Sound Тихий шум
18. Snow Снег
19. The Formula Формула
20. An Unfinished Draft Неоконченный черновик
21. Evening on a Vacant Lot Вечер на пустыре
22. The Madman Безумец
23. How I Love You Как я люблю тебя
24. L'Inconnue de la Seine
25. At Sunset На закате
26. We So Firmly Believed Мы с тобой так верили
27. What Happened Overnight Что за ночь с памятью случилось
28. The Poets Поэты
29. To Russia К России
30. Oculus Око
31. Fame Слава
32. The Paris Poem Парижская поэма
33. No Matter How Каким бы полотном батальным
34. On Rulers О правителях
35. To Prince S.M. Kachurin К князю С.М. Качурину
36. A Day Like Any Other Был день как день
37. Irregular Iambics Неправильные ямбы
38. What Is the Evil Deed Какое сделал я дурное дело
39. From the Gray North С серого севера
  • FOURTEEN ENGLISH POEMS
English
1 A Literary Dinner
2 The Refrigerator Awakes
3 A Discovery
4 The Poem
5 An Evening of Russian Poetry
6 The Room
7 Voluptates Tactionum
8 Restoration
9 The Poplar
10 Lines Written in Oregon
11 Ode to a Model
12 On Translating Eugene Onegin
13 Rain
14 The Ballad of Longwood Glen

Quote

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  • "Chess problems demand from the composer the same virtues that characterize all worthwhile art: originality, invention, conciseness, harmony, complexity, and splendid insincerity."
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