La gourmandise poétique ou les banquets philosophiques de Gavriil Derjavine

The Poetical Glutton : Derzhavin’s Philosophical Banquets. this paper focuses on the poetic still lives of the great russian poet of the late 18th – early 19th century Gavrila derzhavin. derzhavin was among the first people in russia to show interest to this specific genre, long before it became popular in russian art. the poet’s famous depictions of food and friendly banquets conveyed a specific philosophical message. they expressed derzhavin’s reflections on the meaning of life and the inevitability of death, on the search of pleasure and the price of friendship. While they often appeared as parts of wider poems, especially in derzhavin’s grand “ apologetic” odes, these still lives also appeared as independant texts. they were highly picturesque, particularly when describing russian national food. Famous for their sophisticated use of color, derzhavin’s still lives also served as a laboratory for the poet’s experiments with poetic langage.