How did writers of the world influence Solzhenitsyn's career?
3 answers
I can't figure this question out for some bizarre reason.
From section 7 of the address:
Apart from age-old national literatures there existed, even in past ages, the conception of world literature as an anthology skirting the heights of the national literatures, and as the sum total of mutual literary influences. But there occurred a lapse in time: readers and writers became acquainted with writers of other tongues only after a time lapse, sometimes lasting centuries, so that mutual influences were also delayed and the anthology of national literary heights was revealed only in the eyes of descendants, not of contemporaries.
What he is saying is that there are "universal" themes in all national (regional) literature that may not be immediately recognized until translated into other languages, but are nonetheless there. "Universal" themes are ideas or themes that apply to all people in all places at all times, not just in one time or place.
Apart from age-old national literatures there existed, even in past ages, the conception of world literature as an anthology skirting the heights of the national literatures, and as the sum total of mutual literary influences. But there occurred a lapse in time: readers and writers became acquainted with writers of other tongues only after a time lapse, sometimes lasting centuries, so that mutual influences were also delayed and the anthology of national literary heights was revealed only in the eyes of descendants, not of contemporaries.
What he is saying is that there are "universal" themes in all national (regional) literature that may not be immediately recognized until translated into other languages, but are nonetheless there. "Universal" themes are ideas or themes that apply to all people in all places at all times, not just in one time or place.
His use of the word "anthology" may be confusing. An anthology is a collection of literary works around a certain theme, like love poems by different authors, or American literature, collecting works by only American authors. Here, he means common themes.