Eugene
Onegin
stanza guide
Note:
italicized sections refer to narrator’s digressions and thoughts
Chapter
One
1-17:
Eugene, biography
18-19:
Poet discusses theater
20-22:
Eugene at theater
23-26:
dressing ritual of Eugene
26:
poet complains of foreign words
27-28:
at the ball
29-30:
poet's thoughts about balls
30-34:
poet reminisces about feet of beloved
35-36:
after the ball
37:
Eugene's boredom
38-43:
Poet discusses emptiness of society;
Eugene tries poetry
44:
Eugene tries to read
45-48:
poet and Eugene's friendship; dreaming; nostalgia
49-50:
poet dreaming
51-54:
Eugene's father dies; uncle dies; life in county
55-60:
poet's love for nature; absence of love; poetry; This Novel
Chapter
Two
1-4
Eugene's life on uncle's estate; management
4-5:
Neighbors' views of Eugene
6-9:
Lensky's return from Germany; Romantic stereotypes
10:
Poet's
irony toward Romanticism
11
Eugene and Lensky
12:
Lensky and hopeful brides
13-14:
friendship; cynicism
15-17:
Eugene's thoughts on youth; Lensky's behavior
17-19:
Poet on passion and love (cynical)
20-22:
Lensky's love; poet's irony
23:
Olga described; cliche; poet turns to Tatyana
24-29:
Tatyana described
29:
Father (Larin--briefly)
30-34:
Tatyana's mother
35:
country life ofLarins
36:
Death of Larin (father)
37-38:
Lensky at grave of Larin and his own parents
39-40:
Poet on life, glory of writing, future readers, self-mockery
Chapter
Three
1-2,
and into 3: Conversation betw .Lensky and Onegin
3:
arrival at Larins': note-visit not described!
4-5:
trip home from Larins'; Eugene mocks Olga's banality
6:
Eugene's impression on Larins and neighborhood
7-10:
Tatyana falls in love; comparisons with sentimental literature
11-12:
Poet
on history of romantic heroes
13-14:
Poet on his craft; future turn to prose
15:
Poet addresses Tatyana (apostrophe)
16-21:
Tatyana and nurse discuss love
21:
Tatyana writes letter
22-23:
Poet
on ladies
24-25:
Poet
on Tatyana's honesty and society's deceptiveness
26:
shift in tone; Poet begins to introduce letter; written in French
27-30:
digression on Russian ladies and Russian language
31:
Poet on Tatyana's letter following
31:
LETTER
32-35:
Tatyana sends letter; nurse confused
36:
Tatyana waits for reply; Onegin coming
37:
Tatyana daydreaming and waiting
38:
Onegin arrives; Tatyana flees to woods-note enjambment
39:
Tatyana on bench; hears girls' song
SONG
40
Tatyana sitting, listening
41
: Bedtime; Eugene suddenly appears in garden, "eyes ablaze"
Chapter
Four
1-6:
deleted
7-8:
Poet on common attitudes toward women
9-10:
Eugene’s attitude toward women
11:
Eugene’s feelings about Tatyana’s letter
12-16:
Eugene’s speech
17:
Eugene and Tatyana walk back to house
18:
Poet praises Eugene;
18-22
poet on friendship and love; vicious irony
23-24:
Tatyana’s suffering; poet’s sympathy
25-34:
Lensky and Olga; theme of romanticism and neoclassicism
28-30:
ladies’ albums; the poet
31:
Lensky and elegies;
32-33:
(note enjambment) elegies vs. odes (romanticism vs. neoclassicism)
34:
Poet’s ironic commentary on Lensky’s reading his poetry to Olga
35-36:
poet on his own art; on life in general
37-39:
Eugene’s summer days
40-43:
shift in tone: autumn and approach of winter; poet’s reflections
44:
Onegin’s autumn day
45-46:
Poet’s thoughts on wine
47-49:
Lensky invites Onegin to Tatyana’s name-day
50:
Poet’s mockery of Lensky
51:
Poet’s cynicism
Chapter
Five
1-3:
Poet on Winter
4-10:
Tatyana’s superstitions and fortune-telling
11-21:
Tatyana’s dream
22-24:
interpretation of dream
25-28:
name-day arrives; guests gather
29-30:
Lensky and Onegin arrive
31:
Eugene’s anger and thoughts of revenge
32-34:
food, congratulations for Tatyana; Poet on “Zizi”’s waist
35-36:
party games
36:
poet on country life
39:
ball begins
40:
poet recalls “feet” digression
41-44:
Eugene dances with Olga
42:
Poet’s thoughts on dancing, mazurka
44-45:
Lensky’s jealousy; he leaves and decides to duel
Chapter
Six
1:
Onegin bored after Vladimir Lensky leaves
2:
sleeping guests
3-7:
Zaretsky and Lensky’s duel plans
8-9:Zaretsky
delivers challenge; Eugene accepts
10-11:
Eugene’s regret; ‘mob’s conventions’ Poet last three lines
12:
Lensky waits for answer
13-14,
17-19: Lensky’s thoughts about Olga; he goes to see her
20-22:
Lensky goes home; write elegies
23:
Poet
mocks Lensky’s verse; Lensky wakes up
24:
Onegin oversleeps
25-28:
preparations for duel
28:
poet
on shame
29-30:
the duel
31:
Lensky falls, Eugene cries out
32:
portrait of dead Lensky
33-34:
Poet
on duels, revenge, shock of murder
35:
departure from dueling spot
36-39:
mourning for Lensky
40-42:
Lensky’s grave
43-46:
Poet
on verse; end of youth(30th birthday);
Chapter
Seven
1:
Spring arrives; nature
2-3:
poet
regrets arrival of spring
4-5:
spring activities of Russians
6-7:
Lensky’s grave, now forgotten
10:
Olga marries quickly
11:
Poet ponders Lensky’s afterlife
12-13:
Larin house without Olga; Tatyana’s loneliness
14:
Tatyana’s feelings about Eugene and Lensky and Olga
15-16:
Tatyana wanders in the parks and woods
17-20:
Tatyana visits Eugene’s estate and house
21-24:
Tatyana reads Eugene’s books; figures him out
25-27:
family talk of Tatyana’s need to marry
28-30:
Tatyana bids farewell to countryside
31-32:
preparations for trip
33-4:
poet
on Russian roads
35-39:
the journey to Moscow; arrival
40-42:
arrival at cousin Laura (a princess)
43:
Tatyana yearns for countryside
44-46:
Tatyana and the Moscow social whirl
47-49:
Tatyana’s aloofness
50-53:
social scene; balls; Tatyana’s reminiscences
54:
The general spots Tanya
55:
Poet’s
introduction
Chapter
Eight
1-5:
Poet’s
life; MUSE
6-7:
grand
soiree; Eugene reappears
8-9:
speculation
on Eugene’s attitude; the public’s view of him
10:
ironic
commentary on life and cynicism
11:
bitter
commentary on youth; cynicism, waste of youth
12-13:
Eugene’s journey after the duel; his travels and return
14-15:
Tatyana appears at the party
16:
Tatyana’s radiance
17-18:
Eugene’s reaction; he meets her; she is calm
19-20:
reaction to Tatyana’s calmness
21:
Eugene leaves party, plans to go see her
22:
Eugene’s first visit; his awkwardness; her serenity
23-26:
the party at Tatyana’s house
27:
Poet’s
verdict on Eugene’s feelings
28:
Tatyana’s change
29:
Poet on love and passion
32:
Eugene’s passion
Eugene’s
letter
33-4:
Tatyana’s silence, Eugene’s suffering
35-37:
Eugene reads, suffers, relives his past
38:
Eugene’s depression
39-40:
Eugene survives; rushes to Tatyana’s dressing room
41:
Tatyana’s tears and tenderness
42-47:
Tatyana’s speech
48:
she leaves, general enters, Poet cuts off narrative
49-51:
poet’s
farewell and philosophy