I wonder whether Jakob Boehme, who was called “the Shoemaker” might ultimately be behind the character of Botkin. I have mentioned in previous posts PF's pervasive references to alchemy. Christian Theosophy originated with the famous alchemist Jakob Boehme. This puts him in company with most (all?) PF poets associated with various esoteric societies. What I also found out is that Schiller was influenced by mystical Christian theosophy. He mentions him many times in his EO commentary I should also note that VN was very familiar with Schiller. > From Mathew Roth, NABOKV-L POST 0015214 In his youth, he would read Goethe, Schiller, Uhland in Zhukovski's wonderful translations (which he even preferred to the originals)

In my opinion, Nabokov's knowledge of German 19th century and contemporary authors (especially in his mature years) was deeper than it is usually thought to be. >From Alexey Sklyarenko, NABOKV-L POST 0007664 In looking through the archives, I found these two statements about VN and Schiller: Where other things are bought and sold-ah, sad to tell! INTO a public fair-a cattle-fair, in short, Finally a deserving youth un-yokes him and they soar into the skies. This wonderful image of creative sell-out most likely refers to a poem by Friedrich Schiller, “Pegasus in the Yoke” about a poor poet who sells Pegasus to a boorish peasant who puts it to the plough, but finds the fabulous horse untamable. Wants them to plod and Pegasus to plough Kinbote in his commentary to 922 quotes one of Shade’s discards:Įngland where poets flew the highest, now

Silent poets to come rar