“Diagnosing” literary genius: A concise look at the life and works of Alexander Pushkin

This paper examined the phenomena of literary genius by providing a retrospective case study and an analysis of the creative works of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837). Taking the readers into Pushkin’s unique world, we attempted to elucidate salient points of his short life, to understand...

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Main Authors: Furlong, Yulia, Fitzgerald, Michael
Format: Journal Article
Published: 2020
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/89145
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author Furlong, Yulia
Fitzgerald, Michael
author_facet Furlong, Yulia
Fitzgerald, Michael
author_sort Furlong, Yulia
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description This paper examined the phenomena of literary genius by providing a retrospective case study and an analysis of the creative works of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837). Taking the readers into Pushkin’s unique world, we attempted to elucidate salient points of his short life, to understand his giftedness and his creative evolution, and to solve the mystery surrounding his spectacular downfall. Building on the works of Cesare Lombroso and Howard E. Gruber, we have utilised unique phenomenological method in “diagnosing” Pushkin. We considered several hypotheses relating to a number of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, and highlighted ADHD-associated cognitive and behavioural profile which may have contributed to Pushkin’s creativity and subsequent demise. Recognizing that Pushkin was confronted by psychological tensions and interpersonal issues and both sublimated and sought resolution in his poetry, we argue that the vicissitude of his life and his literature were inextricably interrelated. The riddle of Pushkin’s literary genius prompted us to probe further into the nature of literary creativity and freedom of speech.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-891452022-08-31T04:50:08Z “Diagnosing” literary genius: A concise look at the life and works of Alexander Pushkin Furlong, Yulia Fitzgerald, Michael This paper examined the phenomena of literary genius by providing a retrospective case study and an analysis of the creative works of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837). Taking the readers into Pushkin’s unique world, we attempted to elucidate salient points of his short life, to understand his giftedness and his creative evolution, and to solve the mystery surrounding his spectacular downfall. Building on the works of Cesare Lombroso and Howard E. Gruber, we have utilised unique phenomenological method in “diagnosing” Pushkin. We considered several hypotheses relating to a number of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, and highlighted ADHD-associated cognitive and behavioural profile which may have contributed to Pushkin’s creativity and subsequent demise. Recognizing that Pushkin was confronted by psychological tensions and interpersonal issues and both sublimated and sought resolution in his poetry, we argue that the vicissitude of his life and his literature were inextricably interrelated. The riddle of Pushkin’s literary genius prompted us to probe further into the nature of literary creativity and freedom of speech. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/89145 10.18536/jge.2020.01.04 unknown
spellingShingle Furlong, Yulia
Fitzgerald, Michael
“Diagnosing” literary genius: A concise look at the life and works of Alexander Pushkin
title “Diagnosing” literary genius: A concise look at the life and works of Alexander Pushkin
title_full “Diagnosing” literary genius: A concise look at the life and works of Alexander Pushkin
title_fullStr “Diagnosing” literary genius: A concise look at the life and works of Alexander Pushkin
title_full_unstemmed “Diagnosing” literary genius: A concise look at the life and works of Alexander Pushkin
title_short “Diagnosing” literary genius: A concise look at the life and works of Alexander Pushkin
title_sort “diagnosing” literary genius: a concise look at the life and works of alexander pushkin
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/89145