Once again, the background reading provided excellent perspective and oriented me historically (which I needed).

The Lay immediately struck me with the very inciting nature of the questions asked in the invocation. Without losing the name-heavy tendency, The Lay immediately invoked wild imagery with reverent depiction of Russian rulers (Yaroslav, Mstislav). Bird metaphors dominated the introduction, and I found myself taken with this inspiring figure, riling up his army with words. It reminded me of Julius Caesar. The essence of Russian pride was eminent and the language conveys the splendor of Prince Igor: “Then Prince Igor set his foot in the golden stirrup and rode into the open prairie” (172). I am still very curious who The Lay would have been intended for, audience wise, because the work fluctuates with its tone — sometimes the animal imagery is triumphant, other times it is dark and looming. Overall, the language was heartbreaking: “The wine of this bloody banquet was drank to the last drop. The Russians gave their guests to drink from the same cup. They died for the Russian land” (176). I enjoyed the opera paralleled with this reading because they both matched in grandeur and melancholy, which seems entirely Russian to me. It was very interesting to listen to the opera & simultaneously read.