Twin Poems by Lermontov
Michael
Wachtel
The emphasis of my presentation will be on the semantic
significance of poetic form. The talk will concentrate on two
chronologically contiguous poems by Mixail Lermontov
(Angel [1831] and Rusalka [1832]), both of
which are quite well known and often discussed. To my knowledge,
however, they have never been seen in juxtaposition. I hope to
demonstrate the value of setting the poems side by side, in terms of
Lermontov's general world view as well as his poetics. Both of these
poems reflect an interest in a world beyond, in one case demonic and
in the other case angelic. In both, the theme of music is essential,
and it is expressed in a particularly mellifluous sound patterning.
Most importantly, Lermontov's choice of meter encourages the reader to
understand these works as companion poems. Although the meters are not
identical, little effort is necessary to derive
one
from the other.
While most of the talk will be devoted to close textual analysis, I
intend to conclude by showing what can be gained by supplying new
context to such classic
poems. Moreover, I
will—very briefly—indicate how the same phenomenon (meter
as a semantic indicator) occurs with frequency in Lermontov's work and
why it should interest us.