One Less Hope: Essays on Twentieth-Century Russian Poets (Internationale Forschungen zur Allgemeinen und Vergleichenden Literaturwissenschaft 101) (Internationale ... & Vergleichenden Literaturwissenschaft)

This collection of essays, which should appeal both to Slavists and students of comparative literature, deals with twelve major twentieth-century Russian poets who, for varied reasons, became estranged from the Soviet state. Some stayed in Russia to become inner emigres, others chose to go into exile in the West. One less hope, one more song (Akhmatova’s words), stands both for their suffering and often their deaths, but also for their humanity and poetic achievement. The poets in question are Anna Akhmatova, Osip Mandelshtam, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Alexander Blok, Sergey Esenin, Nikolay Gumilev, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Marina Tsvetaeva, Vladislav Khodasevich, Boris Poplavsky, Boris Pasternak and Joseph Brodsky. The whole collection is followed by a cultural perspective of the Russian 19th and 20th centuries. Contents: Introduction Conscience in Anna Akhmatova’s Poetic Work Marina Tsvetaeva’s Mystic Path Vladislav Khodasevich’s Nightmare World Boris Poplavsky: Poet of Unknown Destination The Ebb of Joseph Brodsky’s Poetic Inspiration The Search for the Cosmic Connection in Twentieth-Century Russian Poetry Nikolay Gumilev’s 'The Pillar of Fire' Alexander Blok’s 'The Twelve' Alienation in Sergey Esenin’s Poetry Osip Mandelshtam’s 'Stone' and 'Tristia'. Poet of Loneliness Epilogue A Cultural Perspective This collection of essays, which should appeal both to Slavists and students of comparative literature, deals with twelve major twentieth-century Russian poets who, for varied reasons, became estranged from the Soviet state. Some stayed in Russia to become inner émigrés, others chose to go into exile in the West. One less hope, one more song (Akhmatova's words), stands both for their suffering and often their deaths, but also for their humanity and poetic achievement. The poets in question are Anna Akhmatova, Osip Mandelshtam, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Alexander Blok, Sergey Esenin, Nikolay Gumilev, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Marina Tsvetaeva, Vladislav Khodasevich, Boris Poplavsky, Boris Pasternak and Joseph Brodsky. The whole collection is followed by a cultural perspective of the Russian 19th and 20th centuries Conscience In Anna Akhmatova's Poetic Work -- Marina Tsvetaeva's Mystic Path -- Vladislav Khodasevich's Nightmare World -- Boris Poplavsky : Poet Of Unknown Destination -- Ebb Of Joseph Brodsky's Poetic Inspiration -- Search For The Cosmic Connection In Twentieth-century Russian Poetry -- Nikolay Gumilev's The Pillar Of Fire -- Alexander Blok's The Twelve -- Alienation In Sergey Esenin's Poetry -- Osip Mandelshtam's Stone And Tristia : Poet Of Loneliness -- Cultural Perspective. Constantin V. Ponomareff. Essays. Includes Bibliographical References. Contents 6 Introduction 8 Conscience in Anna Akhmatova’s Poetic Work 12 Marina Tsvetaeva’s Mystic Path 36 Vladislav Khodasevich’s Nightmare World 58 Boris Poplavsky: Poet of Unknown Destination 74 The Ebb of Joseph Brodsky’s Poetic Inspiration 94 The Search for the Cosmic Connection in Twentieth-Century Russian Poetry 116 Nikolay Gumilev’s The Pillar of Fire 134 Alexander Blok’s The Twelve 140 Alienation in Sergey Esenin’s Poetry 146 Osip Mandelshtam’s Stone and Tristia. Poet of Loneliness 152 Epilogue 158 A Cultural Perspective 160 The lives of too many of the major Russian poets of the twentieth century were tragic.