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Eugene Onegin, Part 1, no. 158, Part XXI summary

Part 1, no. 158, Part XXI of 368 · 1 min to read the part

In XXI, an unnamed man returns home and occupies himself with Olga’s album, decorating a fly-leaf with drawings and adding a tender couplet among other entries. The verse shifts from his quiet activity to the contrast between passing thoughts and the lasting traces an album can preserve.

What happens

  1. An unnamed man returns home and turns his attention to an album for Olga.
  2. He decorates a fly-leaf with possible subjects including landscapes, a tombstone, a shrine, and a dove on a lyre.
  3. He seeks memorial pages signed by other hands and adds a tender couplet.
  4. The closing lines contrast brief thoughts with written traces that may endure for ages.

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In this part

Olga

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What does the man add to pages already signed by others?

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