Nikolai Klyuev: Time and Text, Place and Poet (Studies in Russian Literature and Theory)

Nikolai Klyuev is the first book in English to examine the life and work of this enigmatic poet. Klyuev (1884–1937) rose to prominence in the early twentieth century as the first of the so-called "new peasant poets" but later fell victim to Stalinist hostility to both his cultural ideology and his homosexuality. He was arrested and exiled in 1933, then shot in 1937. Klyuev’s work incorporates rich elements of folklore, mysticism, politics, and religion, and he sometimes invokes arcane Russian syntax and vocabulary. Makin’s feat is particularly notable because Klyuev was often elusive in his own accounts of his life, and Makin successfully brings into focus the poet’s deliberate strategies of self-mythologization. Nikolai Klyuev is an indispensable guide to the life and the work of an important poet winning wider recognition outside of Russia. "Nikolai Klyuev: Time and Text, Place and Poet is the first book in English to examine this enigmatic poet's life and work. Klyuev (1884-1937) is an important but not well-understood figure in twentieth-century Russian poetry. The allusions in his work to folklore, mysticism, politics, and religion, in addition to occasionally arcane vocabulary and difficult syntax, require extensive elucidation. Klyuev rose to prominence in the early twentieth century as the first of the so-called "new peasant poets" before being arrested and exiled in 1933, then shot in 1937: a victim of Stalinist hostility to both his cultural ideology and his homosexuality. Makin's feat is particularly notable because Klyuev was often elusive in his own accounts of his life; a major element of this book is an effort to clarify the poet's strategies of self-mythologization. Nikolai Klyuev: Time and Text, Place and Poet is an insightful guide to both the life and the work of an important poet still relatively unknown to a Western audience." --Book Jacket Nikolai Time and Text, Place and Poe t is the first book in English to examine this enigmatic poet's life and work. Klyuev (1884-1937) is an important but not well-understood figure in twentieth-century Russian poetry. The allusions in his work to folklore, mysticism, politics, and religion, in addition to occasionally arcane vocabulary and difficult syntax, require extensive elucidation. Klyuev rose to prominence in the early twentieth century as the first of the so-called "new peasant poets" before being arrested and exiled in 1933, then shot in 1937: a victim of Stalinist hostility to both his cultural ideology and his homosexuality. Makins feat is particularly notable because Klyuev was often elusive in his own accounts of his life; a major element of this book is an effort to clarify the poets strategies of self-mythologization. Nikolai Time and Text, Place and Poet is an insightful guide to both the life and the work of an important poet still relatively unknown to a Western audience. Lives Of The Poet : Klyuev's Life, As Lived, Imagined, Re-created, And Disputed -- Text, Time, And Place : What, When, Where, How, And Why In Klyuev's Poetics -- Texts Of Fraternity : Klyuev's Early Collection Bratskie Pesni, Transformation Of The Lyric, Popular-religious Motifs -- Prose Of Identity And The Identity Of Prose : Gagarʹya Sudʹbina : Klyuev's Prose, Questions Of Genre, Problems Of Autobiography -- Poetry Of Destruction And The Destruction Of Poetry : Klyuev's Late Lyric Poetry And The Razrukha Cycle -- Mother Song : Pesnʹ O Velikoi Materi And Other Poemy. Michael Makin. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 359-371) And Indexes. Examines the enigmatic poet Nikolai Klyuev's life and work. Klyuev (1884-1937) is an important but not well-understood figure in twentieth-century Russian poetry. Makin's feat is particularly notable because Klyuev was often elusive in his own accounts of his life; a major element of this book is an effort to clarify the poet's strategies of self-mythologization. An insightful guide to both the life and work of the important Russian poet explores the allusions in his work to folklore, mysticism, politics and religion, in addition to his occasionally arcane vocabulary and difficult syntax. Examine the important but not well-understood figure in 20th-century Russian poetry - Nikolai Klyuev. This book guides to both the life and the work of an important poet relatively unknown to a Western audience.