Cosmic Imagery in Russian Poetry at Turn of 18th and 19th Centuries: Strategies of Study
https://doi.org/10.24224/2227-1295-2023-12-10-211-228
Abstract
The article explores the mechanisms of poetic representation of celestial bodies, the celestial sphere, and extraordinary cosmic phenomena in Russian poetry at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries in the context of changing artistic paradigms (classicism and romanticism), poets’ worldview, and their artistic methods. It analyzes literary-critical articles from the 1820s-1840s and works by literary scholars from the second half of the 19th to the 21st centuries. The main research strategies for analyzing the cosmic imagery in Russian poetry of this period are identified. The existing methodology for interpreting the poetic works of G. R. Derzhavin and V. A. Zhukovsky, who were at the forefront of the leading artistic systems of the time, is evaluated in terms of understanding the image of the cosmic universe. It is determined that in literary criticism and scholarship, three main approaches have emerged in interpreting the image of the cosmic universe: interpretations of the astronomical universe as classical emblems, as typical elements of landscape in romantic aesthetics, and as ontologically charged images. It is proven that the study of cosmic motifs did not have a systematic character in relation to the literary process at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.
About the Author
K. A. PotashovaRussian Federation
Ksenia A. Potashova - PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, Department of Russian and Foreign Literature.
Moscow
References
1. Anoshkina-Kasatkina, V. N. (2014). Russian romanticism. V. A. Zhukovsky, A. S. Pushkin. Moscow: Moskovskiy gosudarstvennyy oblastnoy universitet. 400 p. (In Russ.).
2. Bashkirov, D. L. (1998). Ode by G. R. Derzhavin “God”. The problems of historical poetics, 5: 140—150. (In Russ.).
3. Blagoy, D. D. (1947). Derzhavin. In: History of Russian literature: in 10 volumes. Vol. IV: Literature of the 18th century. Moscow, Leningrad: Publishing house of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 383—429. (In Russ.).
4. Danko, E. Ya. (1940). Fine arts in Derzhavin's poetry. In: XVIII century: Articles and materials. Collection 2. Moscow; Leningrad: Publishing house of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 166—247. (In Russ.).
5. Esaulov, I. A. (2016). Ode by G. R. Derzhavin “God”: a new understanding. In: The problems of historical poetics, 14: 45—67. DOI: 10.15393/j9.art.2016.3722. (In Russ.).
6. Frayman, T. N. Derzhavin and Zhukovsky. On the issue of creative inheritance. Available at: http://zhukovskiy.lit-info.ru/zhukovskiy/kritika/frajman-derzhavin-i-zhukovskij.htm (accessed 27.10.2023). (In Russ.).
7. Grot, Ya. K. (1997). Derzhavin's life. Moscow: Algoritm. 685 p. (In Russ.).
8. Kiseleva, I. A. (2017). The work of M. Yu. Lermontov as a religious and philosophical system. Moscow: Moskovskiy gosudarstvennyy oblastnoy universitet. 178 p. (In Russ.).
9. Kiseleva, I. A. (2019). On the semantic integrity of the definitive text of the poem “Demon” by M. Yu. Lermontov (1839). The problems of historical poetics, 17 (4): 91—106. DOI: 10.15393/j9.art.2019.6422. (In Russ.).
10. Kleyn, Y. (2004). Religion and enlightenment in the 18th century: Derzhavin’s ode “God”. In: XVIII century. Collection 23. St. Petersburg: Nauka. 126—133. (In Russ.).
11. Kron, A.-L. (1995). «Evgeniyu. Zhizn' Zvanskaya» as a metaphysical poem. In: Norwich symposia on Russian literature and culture. Volume IV: Gavriil Derzhavin. 1743—1816. Nortfild, Vermont. 268—282. (In Russ.).
12. Levitskiy, A. (2012). The image of the sun in Derzhavin’s poetry. Russkaya literature, 1: 55—65. (In Russ.).
13. Likhachev, D. S. (1998). Poetry of the gardens. Moscow: Soglasie. 469 p. (In Russ.).
14. Logvinova, I. V. (2014). G. R. Derzhavin and romanticism. Literaturovedcheskii zhurnal, 34: 159—166. (In Russ.).
15. Maymin, E. A. (2015). About Russian romanticism; Russian philosophical poetry; Lev Tolstoy: The Writer's Path. Memories. Correspondence. Pskov: Pskovskaya istoricheskaya biblioteka. 904 p. (In Russ.).
16. Mann, Yu. V. (1976). Poetics of Russian Romanticism. Moscow: Nauka. 375 p. (In Russ.).
17. Mann, Yu. V. (1995). Dynamics of Russian Romanticism. Moscow: Aspekt-press. 380 p. (In Russ.).
18. Morozova, N. P. (2002). About the poem by G. R. Derzhavin “To Prince Chlorus”. In: Readings of the Department of Russian Literature of the 18th Century. 1. 58—65. (In Russ.).
19. Nikolyukin, A. N. (2003). About Russian literature: Theory and history. Moscow: INION RAN. 559 p. (In Russ.).
20. Pozdnyakova, N. A. (1993). The image of artistic time in the poetry of G. R. Derzhavin. In: G. R. Derzhavin: personality, creativity, modern perception: Abstracts of the International Scientific Conference. Kazan: Kazanskiy universitet. 39. (In Russ.).
21. Serman, I. Z. (1967). Derzhavin. Leningrad: Prosveshchenie. Leningrad branch. 119 p. (In Russ.).
22. Shatalov, E. S. (1988). Characterology of Zhukovsky’s elegy and ballads (to the question of the unity of the poet’s artistic world). In: Zhukovsky and literature of the late 18th-20th centuries: collection of articles. Moscow: Nauka. 48—69. (In Russ.).
23. Stanichuk, I. A. (2014). Poetics of moonlight in the works of N. V. Gogol. Bulletin of Tver State University, 3: 467—472. (In Russ.).
24. Vatsuro, V. E. (1994). Lyrics of Pushkin's time. Elegiac school. St. Petersburg: Nauka. 240 p. (In Russ.).
25. Veselovskiy, A. N. (1918). V. A. Zhukovsky. Poetry of feeling and “heartfelt imagination”. Petrograd: Nauchnoe delo. 550 p. (In Russ.).
26. Yanushkevich, A. S. (1995). The moon motif and its Russian tradition in twentiethcentury literature. In: The role of tradition in the literary life of the era. Plots and motives. No-vosibirsk: Sibirskoe otdelenie RAN. 53—61. (In Russ.).
27. Zapadov, V. A. (1989). The problem of literary servility and amateurism and the poetic position of G. R. Derzhavin. In: XVIII century. Collection 16: Results and problems of studying Russian literature of the 18th century. Leningrad: Nauka. Leningrad branch. 56—75. (In Russ.).
Review
For citations:
Potashova K.A. Cosmic Imagery in Russian Poetry at Turn of 18th and 19th Centuries: Strategies of Study. Nauchnyi dialog. 2023;12(10):211-228. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24224/2227-1295-2023-12-10-211-228