Russian Folk Lyrics [Paperback]

Propps essay in Russian Folk Lyrics extends beyond the formalistic analysis of folklore outlined in his classic The Morphology of the Folktale. In this study, newly translated by Roberta Reeder, Propp considers the Russian folk lyric in the social and historical context in which it was produced.

Reeder supplements Propps theoretical presentation with a comprehensive anthology of examples. Some songs were imitated by or appear in the works of Russias major writers, such as Pushkin and Nekrasov. Here we find the customs of Russian peasant life expressed through the ritual of song. Whether the songs are about love, labor, or childrens games; whether they are sad, humorous, or satiric in tone, Russian folk lyrics are rich in metaphor and symbolic meaning. In addition to the editors notes to the text and songs, Reeder supplies a bibliography of Propps sources as well as an extensive selected bibliography.

Preface
Editors Introduction

The Russian Folk Lyric by V.Ja. Propp
Editors Notes to The Russian Folk Lyric

Peasant Songs

Ritual Songs of the Agricultural Calendar
Songs of Peasant Slavery
Vocal Songs about Love
Xorovod, Game, and Dance Songs about Love
Wedding Songs
Vocal Songs about Family Life
Xorovod, Game, and Dance Songs about Family Life
Joking and Satirical Vocal Songs: Xorovod,
Game, and Dance Songs
Childrens Songs
Barge Hauler Songs
Robber Songs
Soldier Songs
Songs of Prison, Penal Servitude, and Exile

Worker Songs

Propps Sources of Folk Lyrics
Selected Bibliography
Index

ROBERTA REEDER, Research Fellow at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, is editor of the Slavic and East European Newsletter for the American Folklore Society. She has edited a volume of Akhmatovas complete works.