Literary duel: Barclay vs. Keats in the context of the translation of a little-known poem.

Abstract

Two interpretations of mythological plot about Endymion are investigated. The nineteenth century provides the interpretational variety of the myth about Endymion in English poetry. Keats's Endymion is a romantic character who is looking for an ideal of beauty and love embodied in the Goddess of the Moon. Barclay`s Endymion is weak­willed. His suicide symbolizes the collapse of romantic ideals in the reality of Victorianism. As for the image of the Goddess of the Moon she embodies an ideal of femininity, passion, spiritual and physical beauty in the poem by Keats. Barclay`s version depicts a pragmatic, selfish beauty, belonging to the elite society. Having enjoyed а poor shepherd`s youth and his beauty she left him to live in luxury on Olympus. Barclay`s interpretation is considered as a critique of romantic ideals and Romanticism on the whole. The Ukrainian (the first from the original language) translation of Barclay`s interpretation about Endymion is of particular interest. The discovery of a little­known English poet Donald Hugh Barclay and an attempt to study his creation give a possibility to introduce a new name to the literature criticism. This article opens the prospects for further consideration of literary endymionade.