SOURCE: Sendich, Munir. “Karolina Pavlova: A Survey of her Poetry.” Russian Literature Triquarterly 3 (1972): 229-46.

In the following essay, Sendich analyzes Pavlova's most important poetry, exploring influences on her work; prevalent genres, forms, and styles; recurring themes; and Pavlova's technical skill.

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Surveying Russian literary criticism of Karolina Pavlova one notices immediately that only part of her work was valued. While her translations were consistently praised throughout the nineteenth century, her original works were often greeted by critical reviews. The Slavophiles, who mistakenly considered her to be one of their own, praised her poetry excessively. Khomyakov declared that in “smoothness and meticulousness” Pavlova's verse was not inferior to Pushkin's. Yazykov prophesied that future generations would “worship” her poetry. On the other hand, the utilitarian-minded and “progressive” critics of The Contemporary, for example, Nekrasov, Saltykov-Shchedrin, and Dobrolyubov, grouped her with those poets whose verse was “twittering” and contained “not a drop...