Talk:Death of the Poet

• "Original at the State Literary Museum, Moscow"

No, the original manuscript from Lermontov doesn't exist. This is probably one of the thousands hand-written copies of the poem.

• "The poem was published for the first time (under the title "On the death of Pushkin") in 1856 – 15 years after Lermontov's death –in Alexander Herzen's London periodical Polar Star."

No, the poem was published for the first time (under the title „Lermontoff´s Klagegesang am Grabe Alexander Puschkin`s") in 1852 in „Michail Lermontoff´s Poetischer Nachlaß“ by Friedrich von Bodenstedt. see here: google books or here de:Der Tod des Dichters (Lermontow)

• "duel which killed Pushkin occurred on January 27, 1837"

But this is old style. Correct: 27. Januar (jul) / 8. Februar 1837 (greg).

• "Lermontov wrote his first formulation of the poem (ending with the phrase "...his lips forever sealed") on January 28, when he first heard rumors of the death of Pushkin. Pushkin did not actually die until the 29th, and on that same day copies of the poem began to be circulated in St. Petersburg."

The date is uncertain. On that same day is very unlikely.

Regards S.E. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Se90 (talk • contribs) 12:24, 6 March 2011 (UTC)

Thank you. I have corrected all the errors that you pointed out (except that I did not change the dates - I am not sure of what the Manual of Style prescribes (I think it says nothing on the matter), have seen it done both ways, and prefer the uncluttered look of using a single date. I think that most readers understand that dates given in Russia before 1917 are in old style.) Again, thank you. Herostratus (talk) 16:49, 6 March 2011 (UTC)