In 1940, Vladimir immigrated to the United States and began teaching at Wellesley College and Cornell University. He taught courses in Russian and world literature and gave lectures to students about Pushkin, Lermontov, Dostoevsky, and other Russian writers. Despite his busy schedule, Nabokov continued to write and improve his skills. In addition to poetry and novels, Vladimir also specialized in short stories, dramas, translations, and autobiographies. Realizing that works in Russian would not bring him great success, he began to write only in English, and thus the first English-language novel appeared: “The Real Life of Sebastian Knight.” Having “refused” his native language and yearning for his homeland, Vladimir writes the poem “To Russia.” The poem conveys the fullness of the pain of breaking with the motherland when you want to erase it from your memory in order to free yourself from the shackles of nostalgia and move forward in a new, free world. “To Russia” begins with Nabokov’s demand that Russia let him go.
Let me go; set me free of my shackles!
In the dark, when commotion subsides,
I’m dying; I’m drained by the battles
Within dreams of you, flowing like tides.
He asks her to leave his memory, not to torment, and not to be flooded with painful memories. In the year that this poem was written, Nabokov’s mother dies, so the thread of connection with his homeland becomes thinner, and the memories cause melancholy and hurt the heart.
Therefore, Nabokov demands that Russia “set him free from his shackles,” gone from memory, and not torment. In the year the poem was written, Vladimir’s mother dies, so the thread of connection with the Motherland becomes thinner, and memories of the past cause sadness and longing. As a result, Vladimir wants to completely break this thread of connection. “To Russia” is another attempt to start everything from scratch, to rush into the future without looking back at the past.
The most significant event in the writer’s career was the publication of the novel “Lolita” in 1955. The scandalous novel, written in English, became a real bestseller and brought Nabokov worldwide fame. “Lolita” was filmed twice, in 1962 and 1997, and is still one of the best novels. In subsequent years, Vladimir continued to create unique works that demonstrated his linguistic abilities and talent. A collection of poems, the novels “Pale Fire” and “Ada, or Ardent,” were published, which amazed readers with their complex structure, vivid descriptions, intellectual depth, collections of short stories, translations, and much more. Nabokov’s works contained puns, allusions, and hidden meanings that captivated readers and challenged traditional literary conventions. In addition, Vladimir was repeatedly nominated for the Nobel Prize but never received the coveted award.
Although Vladimir Nabokov never received a Nobel Prize, his literary genius does not go unnoticed. Nabokov’s works are still celebrated, read, and studied in schools and universities. His ability to use wordplay, double entendre, and unusual elements to create a unique atmosphere and convey complex emotions and thoughts demonstrates his talent. Vladimir Nabokov will forever be remembered as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, pushing the boundaries of storytelling and language, inspiring generations of readers and writers.