Eugene Onegin, Part 1, no. 163, Part XXVI summary
Part 1, no. 163, Part XXVI of 368 · 1 min to read the part
In XXVI, Lenski writes odes inspired by his love of fame and freedom, but Olga does not read them. The narrator then describes a poet's pleasure in reading to his beloved while allowing that her thoughts may be elsewhere, exposing a gap between his happiness and her attention.
What happens
- Lenski's devotion to fame and freedom inspires him to compose odes.
- Olga does not read these poems.
- The narrator describes the supposed delight of poets reciting their work before beautiful women.
- He calls such a poet happy even when the woman beside him thinks about something else.
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In this part
What to notice
The closing qualification separates the poet's pleasure from his listener's attention. His happiness does not require her to share his absorption.
Quick check
What does Olga refuse to read?
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