{"id":1816,"date":"2023-08-10T19:02:21","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T02:02:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/alexander-zholkovsky\/?page_id=1816"},"modified":"2023-10-19T14:39:40","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T21:39:40","slug":"kuzm-stat-eng-site","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/alexander-zholkovsky\/kuzm-stat-eng-site\/","title":{"rendered":"THEMES, STRUCTURE AND INTERTEXTS IN MIKHAIL KUZMIN\u2019S INFINITIVE POEM \u201cSWEET IS IT TO DIE\u2026\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n \n
\n\n \n

Alexander ZHOLKOVSKY (USC, Los Angeles)<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\nThe term\u00a0infinitivnoe pis\u2019mo,\u00a0<\/i>\u201cinfinitive writing\u201d (IW), was coined for verses that contain sufficiently\u00a0autonomous<\/i>\u00a0infinitive verbs.[1]<\/a>\u00a0In the ideal case, the infinitives are\u00a0absolute<\/i>, i. e. function as impersonal main verbs; e.g.:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n…\u00a0To die: to sleep<\/b>;
\nNo more: and, by a sleep\u00a0to say<\/b>\u00a0we end
\nThe heart-ache <\u2026>
\nTo die, to sleep;<\/b>
\nTo sleep<\/b>: perchance\u00a0to dream<\/b>…
\n(Shakespeare,\u00a0Hamlet<\/i>)To learn<\/b>\u00a0the Transport by the Pain
\nAs Blind Men learn the sun!
\nTo die<\/b>\u00a0of thirst — suspecting
\nThat Brooks in Meadows run!To stay<\/b>\u00a0the homesick — homesick feet
\nUpon a foreign shore —
\nHaunted by native lands, the while —
\nAnd blue — beloved air!..
\n(Emily Dickinson, \u00abTo Learn the Transport by the Pain\u2026\u00bb)
\n\u0413\u0440\u0435\u0448\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0431\u0435\u0441\u0441\u0442\u044b\u0434\u043d\u043e, \u043d\u0435\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0431\u0443\u0434\u043d\u043e,
\n\u0421\u0447\u0435\u0442\u00a0\u043f\u043e\u0442\u0435\u0440\u044f\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u043d\u043e\u0447\u0430\u043c \u0438 \u0434\u043d\u044f\u043c,
\n\u0418, \u0441 \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0442 \u0445\u043c\u0435\u043b\u044f \u0442\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0439,
\n\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0439\u0442\u0438<\/b>\u00a0\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043d\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u0432 \u0431\u043e\u0436\u0438\u0439 \u0445\u0440\u0430\u043c.<\/p>\n

\u0422\u0440\u0438 \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0430\u00a0\u043f\u0440\u0435\u043a\u043b\u043e\u043d\u0438\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>\u00a0\u0434\u043e\u043b\u0443,
\n\u0421\u0435\u043c\u044c –\u00a0\u043e\u0441\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0441\u0435\u0431\u044f \u043a\u0440\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043c,
\n\u0422\u0430\u0439\u043a\u043e\u043c \u043a \u0437\u0430\u043f\u043b\u0435\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u043e\u043c\u0443 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0443
\n\u0413\u043e\u0440\u044f\u0447\u0438\u043c\u00a0\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>\u00a0\u043b\u0431\u043e\u043c…
\n(Alexander Blok, \u00abGreshit\u2019 besstydno, neprobudno…\u00bb)<\/p>\n

\u0424\u0435\u0432\u0440\u0430\u043b\u044c.\u00a0\u0414\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0447\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0438\u043b \u0438\u00a0\u043f\u043b\u0430\u043a\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>!
\n\u041f\u0438\u0441\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u043e \u0444\u0435\u0432\u0440\u0430\u043b\u0435 \u043d\u0430\u0432\u0437\u0440\u044b\u0434,
\n\u041f\u043e\u043a\u0430 \u0433\u0440\u043e\u0445\u043e\u0447\u0443\u0449\u0430\u044f \u0441\u043b\u044f\u043a\u043e\u0442\u044c
\n\u0412\u0435\u0441\u043d\u043e\u044e \u0447\u0435\u0440\u043d\u043e\u044e \u0433\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0442.<\/p>\n

\u0414\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c\u00a0<\/b>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0442\u043a\u0443. \u0417\u0430 \u0448\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c \u0433\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0435\u043d,
\n\u0427\u0440\u0435\u0437 \u0431\u043b\u0430\u0433\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0441\u0442, \u0447\u0435\u0440\u0437 \u043a\u043b\u0438\u043a \u043a\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0441,
\n\u041f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043d\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0441\u044c\u00a0<\/b>\u0442\u0443\u0434\u0430, \u0433\u0434\u0435 \u043b\u0438\u0432\u0435\u043d\u044c
\n\u0415\u0449\u0435 \u0448\u0443\u043c\u043d\u0435\u0439 \u0447\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0438\u043b \u0438 \u0441\u043b\u0435\u0437.
\n(Boris Pasternak, \u00abFevral\u2019. Dostat\u2019 chernil i plakat\u2019…\u00bb)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

In less pronounced — more traditional — cases infinitives form long sequences dependent on one and the same word and thus develop a powerful,\u00a0quasi-independent<\/i>\u00a0momentum; e. g.:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\u2026 If you can\u00a0make<\/b>\u00a0one heap of all your winnings
\nAnd\u00a0risk it<\/b>\u00a0on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
\nAnd\u00a0lose<\/b>, and\u00a0start again<\/b>\u00a0at your beginnings
\nAnd never\u00a0breathe<\/b>\u00a0a word about your loss;
\nIf you can\u00a0force<\/b>\u00a0your heart and nerve and sinew
\nTo serve<\/b>\u00a0your turn long after they are gone,
\nAnd so\u00a0hold on<\/b>\u00a0when there is nothing in you
\nExcept the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”
\nIf you can\u00a0talk<\/b>\u00a0with crowds and\u00a0keep<\/b>\u00a0your virtue,
\nOr\u00a0walk<\/b>\u00a0with Kings–nor\u00a0lose<\/b>\u00a0the common touch\u2026
\n(Rudyard Kipling, \u201cIf\u201d)\u041d\u0435\u0442, \u043f\u043e\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0443\u0442\u043d\u043e\u00a0\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0435\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0432\u0430\u0441,
\n\u041f\u043e\u0432\u0441\u044e\u0434\u0443\u00a0\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0437\u0430 \u0432\u0430\u043c\u0438,
\n\u0423\u043b\u044b\u0431\u043a\u0443 \u0443\u0441\u0442, \u0434\u0432\u0438\u0436\u0435\u043d\u044c\u0435 \u0433\u043b\u0430\u0437
\n\u041b\u043e\u0432\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0432\u043b\u044e\u0431\u043b\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u043c\u0438 \u0433\u043b\u0430\u0437\u0430\u043c\u0438,
\n\u0412\u043d\u0438\u043c\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0432\u0430\u043c \u0434\u043e\u043b\u0433\u043e,\u00a0\u043f\u043e\u043d\u0438\u043c\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>
\n\u0414\u0443\u0448\u043e\u0439 \u0432\u0441\u0435 \u0432\u0430\u0448\u0435 \u0441\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0435\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e,
\n\u041f\u0440\u0435\u0434 \u0432\u0430\u043c\u0438 \u0432 \u043c\u0443\u043a\u0430\u0445\u00a0\u0437\u0430\u043c\u0438\u0440\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>,
\n\u0411\u043b\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0435\u0442\u044c\u00a0<\/b>\u0438\u00a0\u0433\u0430\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/b>… \u0432\u043e\u0442 \u0431\u043b\u0430\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e!..
\n(Alexander Pushkin, \u00abEvgenii Onegin\u00bb)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The semantic halo [semanticheskii oreol] (in the sense of \u0413\u0430\u0441\u043f\u0430\u0440\u043e\u04321999) of IW is \u2018a mental picture of or meditation on a certain other, alternative mode of living.\u2019<\/p>\n

The element of \u2018meditation\u2019 is usually represented by the governing verbs of imagining, contemplating, hearing, remembering, dreaming of, writing about etc. In terms of genre, this relies on the tradition of philosophical and naturepoetry.<\/p>\n

The theme of \u2018other, alternative reality\u2019 is often called by name:\u00a0Odnoi volnoi podniat\u2019sia v zhizn\u2019\u00a0inuiu<\/b>\u00a0\/<…>\/\u00a0Chuzhoe\u00a0<\/b>vmig\u00a0pochuvstvovat\u2019 svoim<\/b><\/i>; Afanasii Fet). It usually takes the form of either (i) a better, \u2018sublime\u2019 version of \u2018one\u2019s own\u2019 [svo\u0451], including poetic creativity, or (ii) a \u2018debased, alien, somebody else\u2019s\u2019 [chuzhoe], which in modernist times can also be presented as\u00a0desirable<\/i>\u00a0(as in Blok\u2019s \u00abGreshit\u2019\u2026\u00bb. The generic source of both is the moralistic portrayal of, respectively, positive and character types, as in classical satires, of, say Antiokh Kantemir. The journey or transformation into the \u201cother\u201d often resorts to real or symbolic means of transportation (lad\u2019i\u00a0<\/i>[boats], proletki<\/i>\u00a0[coaches], avtomobili\u00a0<\/i>[cars] etc.).<\/p>\n

The theme of \u2018life, mode of existence,\u2019 (the word\u00a0zhizn\u2019\u00a0<\/i>[life] being a favorite in infinitive writing) often develops into the stages of a life-cycle or a typical day in the life of the speaker (or the Other), into motifs of the march of time, dying, falling asleep and\/or awakening, returning home, relapsing into childhood. Genre-wise, these are culled from meditative and narrative poetry.<\/p>\n

Structurally, IW oscillates between two extremes. One calls for long, but syntactically transparent chains of infinitives, overwhelming the reader with their sheer numerical strength (e. g. in Blok\u2019s \u201cGreshit\u2019\u2026\u201d). The other is a subtler demonstration of power \u2013 through subordination to one or very few infinitives of an elaborate syntactic structure, e. g.:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\u041d\u0435 \u043e\u043a\u043e\u043d\u0447\u0438\u0432 \u0437\u0430\u0432\u044f\u0437\u0430\u0432\u0448\u0435\u0433\u043e\u0441\u044f \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0430,
\n\u041f\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0443\u0448\u0438\u0432 \u043d\u0435\u0434\u043e\u043a\u0443\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0443\u044e \u043f\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0443,
\n\u041e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0432\u0438\u0432 \u043d\u0435\u0434\u043e\u043f\u0438\u0442\u044b\u043c \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043a\u0430\u043d \u0447\u0430\u044e
\n\u0418 \u0431\u043b\u044e\u0434\u0435\u0447\u043a\u043e \u0441 \u0432\u0430\u0440\u0435\u043d\u044c\u0435\u043c, \u0433\u0434\u0435 \u043a\u0443\u043f\u0430\u044e\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043e\u0441\u044b,
\n\u041d\u0438 \u0441 \u043a\u0435\u043c \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0430\u0432\u0448\u0438\u0441\u044c, \u043d\u0435\u0437\u0430\u043c\u0435\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u043c
\n\u0412\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c\u00a0<\/b>\u0438\u00a0\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0438<\/b>\u00a0\u0441\u043e \u0441\u0442\u0435\u043a\u043b\u044f\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0432\u0435\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0434\u044b,
\n\u0428\u0443\u0440\u0448\u0430 \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u044b\u043c\u0438 \u043e\u043f\u0430\u0432\u0448\u0438\u043c\u0438 \u043b\u0438\u0441\u0442\u044c\u044f\u043c\u0438,
\n\u041c\u0438\u043c\u043e \u0446\u0432\u0435\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432, \u0433\u0434\u0435 \u043a\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0430\u0442 \u0431\u0440\u0430\u0436\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438,
\n\u0412 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0435, \u043e\u043f\u044b\u043b\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043b\u0438\u043b\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0439 \u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437\u043e\u0439,
\n\u0418\u0441\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u043b\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e \u0437\u043e\u0432\u0443\u0449\u0435\u0435 \u0432\u043e\u043f\u043b\u0435\u043c \u0441\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0447\u043a\u043e\u0432,
\n\u0421 \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0431\u043e\u044f\u043c\u0438 \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043f\u0435\u043b\u0438\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u0432\u044b\u0441\u0432\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0432,
\n\u0421\u043f\u043e\u043a\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b\u0445, \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043a\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0443\u0448\u043a\u0430 \u043d\u043e\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0436\u0430,
\n\u0422\u0443\u0434\u0430, \u0433\u0434\u0435 \u0443\u0437\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u0437\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439
\n\u041e\u0442\u043c\u0435\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043e \u0441\u043b\u0438\u044f\u043d\u044c\u0435 \u0437\u0435\u043c\u043b\u0438 \u0438 \u043d\u0435\u0431\u0430,
\n\u0418\u00a0\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>\u00a0\u0432 \u0441\u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440\u043a\u0430\u0445, \u043d\u0435 \u0443\u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u0430\u0432
\n\u041a\u0435\u043c-\u0442\u043e \u0431\u0435\u0437 \u0441\u043e\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0435\u043d\u044c\u044f \u0432\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0437\u044c
\n\u041e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u043d\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435: “\u0415\u0433\u043e \u0443\u0436\u0435 \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0435 \u043d\u0435\u0442…”
\n(Mikhail Zenkevich , \u00abV sumerkakh\u00bb)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

In Russian poetry IW goes back to the 18th<\/sup>\u00a0century, and it has experienced a powerful surge, in particular in its absolute variety, during the Silver Age, starting around 1900 and becoming quite widespread by 1911. Kuzmin participated in this blossoming of IW: he wrote a dozen infinitive poems, whose overview I\u2019ll have to omit completely<\/a>,[2]<\/a>\u00a0focusing on one: \u00abSladko umeret\u2019\u2026\u00bb (1905; publ. 1906):\u00a0[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\u0421\u043b\u0430\u0434\u043a\u043e\u00a0\u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0442\u044c<\/b>
\n\u043d\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0435 \u0431\u0438\u0442\u0432\u044b
\n\u043f\u0440\u0438 \u0441\u0432\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0435 \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435\u043b \u0438 \u043a\u043e\u043f\u0438\u0439,
\n\u043a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430 \u0437\u0432\u0443\u0447\u0438\u0442 \u0442\u0440\u0443\u0431\u0430
\n\u0438 \u0441\u043e\u043b\u043d\u0446\u0435 \u0441\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0438\u0442,
\n\u0432 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c,
\n\u0443\u043c\u0438\u0440\u0430\u044f \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0441\u043b\u0430\u0432\u044b \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0438\u0437\u043d\u044b
\n\u0438 \u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u0430 \u0432\u043e\u043a\u0440\u0443\u0433:
\n“\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0430\u0439, \u0433\u0435\u0440\u043e\u0439!”
\n\u0421\u043b\u0430\u0434\u043a\u043e\u00a0\u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0442\u044c<\/b>
\n\u043c\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0442\u044b\u043c \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0446\u0435\u043c
\n\u0432 \u0442\u043e\u043c \u0436\u0435 \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0435,
\n\u043d\u0430 \u0442\u043e\u0439 \u0436\u0435 \u043a\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u0438,
\n\u0433\u0434\u0435 \u0440\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c \u0438 \u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440\u043b\u0438 \u0434\u0435\u0434\u044b,
\n\u043e\u043a\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u043c \u0434\u0435\u0442\u044c\u043c\u0438,
\n\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0432\u0448\u0438\u043c\u0438 \u0443\u0436\u0435 \u043c\u0443\u0436\u0430\u043c\u0438,
\n\u0438 \u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u0430 \u0432\u043e\u043a\u0440\u0443\u0433:
\n“\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0430\u0439, \u043e\u0442\u0435\u0446!”
\n\u041d\u043e \u0435\u0449\u0435 \u0441\u043b\u0430\u0449\u0435,
\n\u0435\u0449\u0435 \u043c\u0443\u0434\u0440\u0435\u0435,
\n\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0432\u0448\u0438 \u0432\u0441\u0435 \u0438\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044c\u0435,
\n\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0448\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0434\u043d\u044e\u044e \u043c\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0443
\n\u0434\u043b\u044f \u0442\u043e\u0439,
\n\u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0443\u044e \u0437\u0430\u0432\u0442\u0440\u0430 \u0437\u0430\u0431\u044b\u043b \u0431\u044b,
\n\u0432\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0443\u0432\u0448\u0438\u0441\u044c
\n\u043f\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0435 \u0432\u0435\u0441\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0443\u043b\u043a\u0438
\n\u0432 \u0443\u0436\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0434\u043e\u043c,
\n\u043f\u043e\u0443\u0436\u0438\u043d\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>
\n\u0438, \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430\u0432 \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437 \u0410\u043f\u0443\u043b\u0435\u044f
\n\u0432 \u0441\u0442\u043e \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u0440\u0430\u0437,
\n\u0432 \u0442\u0435\u043f\u043b\u043e\u0439 \u0434\u0443\u0448\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0439 \u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u0435,
\n\u043d\u0435 \u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u0430 \u043d\u0438\u043a\u0430\u043a\u0438\u0445 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0439,
\n\u043e\u0442\u043a\u0440\u044b\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0441\u0435\u0431\u0435 \u0436\u0438\u043b\u044b;
\n\u0438 \u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431 \u0432 \u0434\u043b\u0438\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043e\u043a\u043d\u043e \u0443 \u043f\u043e\u0442\u043e\u043b\u043a\u0430
\n\u043f\u0430\u0445\u043b\u043e \u043b\u0435\u0432\u043a\u043e\u044f\u043c\u0438,
\n\u0441\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0438\u043b\u0430 \u0437\u0430\u0440\u044f,
\n\u0438 \u0432\u0434\u0430\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0435 \u0431\u044b\u043b\u0438 \u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u043d\u044b \u0444\u043b\u0435\u0439\u0442\u044b.
\n\u00a0<\/b>
\nSweet<\/b>\u00a0is it\u00a0to die<\/b>
\nto the whistle of arrows and lances
\non the field of battle,
\nwhen the trumpet sounds
\nand the sun stands high,
\nat noon,
\ndying for the glory of the fatherland
\nand hearing on every side:
\n“Hero, farewell!”
\nSweet<\/b>\u00a0is it\u00a0to die<\/b>
\na venerable elder
\nin the very house,
\non the very bed
\nwhere your forefathers were born and died,
\nsurrounded by your children,
\nthemselves now men,
\nand hearing on every side:
\n“Father, farewell!”
\nBut it is\u00a0sweeter<\/b>\u00a0yet,
\nyet\u00a0wiser<\/b>,
\nhaving squandered all your wealth,
\nhaving sold your last mill
\nfor the sake of her
\nwhom you would have forgotten tomorrow,
\nto return<\/b>
\nfrom a pleasant stroll
\nto the house you no longer own,
\nto eat<\/b>\u00a0a leisurely supper,
\nand, having read the tale of Apuleius through
\nfor the hundred and first time,
\nto lie<\/b>\u00a0in a warm, fragrant bath,
\nand without hearing a single farewell
\nto open<\/b>\u00a0your veins,
\nwhile through the long ceiling window
\nthe scent of stock comes drifting in,
\nthe sunset glitters
\nand the sound of flutes comes floating from afar.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

This poem is annotated in much detail in \u041f\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u04302006, 1: 266-270, and what follows relies on her analysis without futher references.<\/p>\n

\u201cSladko umeret\u2019\u2026\u201d (abbreviated below as SU) is the fourth poem of the\u00a0Alexandrian Songs<\/i>\u2019cycle \u00abWisdom\u00bb (hence the word\u00a0mudree<\/i>\u00a0[wiser] in line 20). Among its obvious pre-texts are Horace\u2019s Ode III, 2 (with its famous line:\u00a0Dulce et decorum est pro patria\u00a0mori\u00a0<\/b><\/i>[Sweet it is and honorable to die for one\u2019s native land]), and Apollon Maikov\u2019s drama \u00abThree Deaths\u00bb [Tri smerti] about Nero\u2019s execution of Seneca, Lucanus, and Lucius via their voluntary-obligatory suicides, with a focus on the three ways of accepting this kind of death. But the tripartite design of Kuzmin\u2019s poem is his own: the first, heroic episode is based on Horace; the second, on the archetypal death of a family patriarch; while the third combines elements of two deaths in Maikov\u2019s play: Seneca there opens his veins, while Lucius plans a supper [uzhin] with wine, a woman and poison.<\/p>\n

A common source for both Maikov and Kuzmin were of course books XV, 60-64, and XVI, 18-19, of the\u00a0Annals<\/i>\u00a0of Tacitus, detailing the suicides of Seneca and Petronius at Nero\u2019s orders. Several details may have been selected by Kuzmin from Tacitus and recombined to serve his purposes. One refers to Petronius, who was a hedonist but not known, unlike some others, for wasting his possessions recklessly on pleasure. Another is the extremely prolonged dying of Seneca: first he cut his wrists, but the old man\u2019s blood was slow in leaving his body; then he had the veins on his legs cut — to no avail; after which he took poison, which wasn\u2019t enough; so he was led into a hot bath and there he finally did die. Petronius, on the contrary, deliberately now opened his wounds, now had them bandaged and thus prolonged his dying while dining and conducting literary conversations and recitation of light verse with his friends.<\/p>\n

Maikov\u2019s play was written in 1852, titled at first\u00a0Vybor smerti\u00a0<\/i>[The choice of death], staged in 1854 and published in 1857, and thus it most likely remained uninfluenced by Pushkin\u2019s unfinished\u00a0Povest\u2019 iz rimskoi zhizni\u00a0<\/i>[A tale from Roman life], focused on Petronius\u2019 death and his contemplation of preferable modes of dying (in a draft, he chooses \u201ca warm bath\u201d), including Horace\u2019s \u201csweet death\u201d in battle. Pushkin wrote it in 1833-1835 and it was posthumously published (by P. V. Annenkov) in 1855 \u2013 without, however, the crucial line from Horace\u2019s Ode III, 2, translated by Pushkin (as\u00a0Krasno i sladostno paden\u2019e za otchiznu<\/i>), included and then crossed out in the manuscript. Nor did that line appear in the Pushkin collections throughot the 1900s, i. e. by the time of SU\u2019s writing. Thus Kuzmin could not have borrowed the juxtaposition (absent in Maikov) of a sweet death in battle with a suicidal one and has independently reinvented it very much along Pushkin\u2019s lines (Pushkin\u2019s Petronius discusses also the other famous Horatian ode, II, 7 \u2013 about running away from battle.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The theme of death, in particular its acceptance by the speaker in a sort of death wish, is one of those often treated in infinitive poetry, with its focus on the life-and-death cycle.[4]<\/a>\u00a0A more or less clear Russian pre-text in that respect is Mikhail Lermontov\u2019s\u201cVykhozhu odin ia na dorogu…\u201d:<\/p>\n

\u042f \u0431 \u0445\u043e\u0442\u0435\u043b \u0437\u0430\u0431\u044b\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u0438\u00a0\u0437\u0430\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/b>!<\/p>\n

\u041d\u043e \u043d\u0435 \u0442\u0435\u043c \u0445\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u043d\u044b\u043c \u0441\u043d\u043e\u043c \u043c\u043e\u0433\u0438\u043b\u044b\u00a0…<\/em>
\n<\/b>\u042f \u0431 \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0430\u043b \u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435\u043a\u0438\u00a0\u0442\u0430\u043a \u0437\u0430\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/b>,
\n\u0427\u0442\u043e\u0431<\/b>\u00a0\u0432 \u0433\u0440\u0443\u0434\u0438 \u0434\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0430\u043b\u0438 \u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0438 \u0441\u0438\u043b\u044b,
\n\u0427\u0442\u043e\u0431<\/b>\u00a0\u0434\u044b\u0448\u0430 \u0432\u0437\u0434\u044b\u043c\u0430\u043b\u0430\u0441\u044c \u0442\u0438\u0445\u043e \u0433\u0440\u0443\u0434\u044c;<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0442\u043e\u0431 \u0432\u0441\u044e \u043d\u043e\u0447\u044c, \u0432\u0435\u0441\u044c \u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c \u043c\u043e\u0439\u00a0\u0441\u043b\u0443\u0445<\/b>\u00a0\u043b\u0435\u043b\u0435\u044f,
\n\u041f\u0440\u043e \u043b\u044e\u0431\u043e\u0432\u044c \u043c\u043d\u0435\u00a0\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0434\u043a\u0438\u0439<\/b>\u00a0\u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0441<\/b>\u00a0\u043f\u0435\u043b,
\n\u041d\u0430\u0434\u043e \u043c\u043d\u043e\u0439\u00a0\u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431<\/b>\u00a0\u0432\u0435\u0447\u043d\u043e \u0437\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0435\u044f
\n\u0422\u0435\u043c\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0434\u0443\u0431 \u0441\u043a\u043b\u043e\u043d\u044f\u043b\u0441\u044f \u0438 \u0448\u0443\u043c\u0435\u043b.<\/p>\n

Athough not rich in infinitives, which appear in it only briefly, this poem ended up influencing much Russian IW, e. g. Konstantin Fofanov\u2019s \u201cKhotel by ia usnut\u2019 pod svezheiu siren\u2019iu…\u201d:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\u0425\u043e\u0442\u0435\u043b \u0431\u044b \u044f\u00a0\u0443\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u043f\u043e\u0434 \u0441\u0432\u0435\u0436\u0435\u044e \u0441\u0438\u0440\u0435\u043d\u044c\u044e
\n\u041f\u043e\u0434 \u0440\u043e\u043a\u043e\u0442 \u0441\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u044c\u044f \u0432\u0435\u0441\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0435\u044e \u043f\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0439,
\n\u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430 \u0432\u0441\u044e \u043d\u043e\u0447\u044c \u0437\u0430\u0440\u044f \u043b\u043e\u0431\u0437\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0441 \u0437\u0430\u0440\u0435\u0439
\n\u0418 \u0441\u0443\u043c\u0440\u0430\u043a \u043e\u0437\u0430\u0440\u0435\u043d \u043e\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0436\u0435\u0432\u043e\u044e \u0442\u0435\u043d\u044c\u044e…\u0425\u043e\u0442\u0435\u043b \u0431\u044b \u044f\u00a0\u0443\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c,<\/b>\u00a0\u0438\u0437\u043c\u0443\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0431\u043e\u0440\u044c\u0431\u043e\u0439,
\n\u0418\u0441\u0447\u0435\u0440\u043f\u0430\u0432\u0448\u0438\u0439 \u0432\u0441\u044e \u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u044c \u0434\u043e \u0433\u043e\u0440\u044c\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043e\u0441\u0430\u0434\u043a\u0430.
\n\u041a\u0430\u043a \u0440\u043e\u043a\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0439 \u0431\u043e\u043a\u0430\u043b…\u00a0\u0443\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c, \u0437\u0430\u0431\u044b\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>\u00a0\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0434\u043a\u043e<\/b>
\n\u041f\u043e\u0434 \u0448\u0443\u043c \u0432\u0435\u0441\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0438\u0445 \u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437 \u0438 \u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0438 \u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0439…<\/p>\n

\u0425\u043e\u0442\u0435\u043b \u0431\u044b \u044f\u00a0\u0443\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0431\u0435\u0437 \u0436\u0430\u043b\u043e\u0431\u044b \u0438 \u043c\u0443\u043a\u0438
\n\u0418\u00a0\u043f\u043e\u0442\u043e\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0432 \u043b\u0443\u0447\u0430\u0445 \u043d\u0435\u0433\u0430\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0449\u0435\u0433\u043e \u0434\u043d\u044f,
\n\u0420\u0430\u0441\u0441\u044b\u043f\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>\u00a0\u0442\u0435\u043f\u043b\u043e\u043c \u043b\u0430\u0437\u0443\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043e\u0433\u043d\u044f,
\n\u0420\u0430\u0437\u043b\u0438\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>\u00a0\u0432 \u0430\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0430\u0442, \u0432 \u043b\u0430\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044e\u0449\u0438\u0435 \u0437\u0432\u0443\u043a\u0438…\u0425\u043e\u0442\u0435\u043b \u0431\u044b \u044f\u00a0\u0443\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c \u2013\u00a0<\/b>\u0438\u00a0\u0432\u043e\u0437\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>\u00a0\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0432\u044c
\n\u0412\u043e \u0432\u0437\u043e\u0440\u0430\u0445 \u043b\u0430\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0445, \u0432 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0435 \u0443\u0441\u0442 \u0440\u0443\u043c\u044f\u043d\u044b\u0445
\n\u0414\u043b\u044f \u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0438 \u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0439, \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0433\u0440\u0435\u0437 \u043e\u0431\u0435\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445,
\n\u0412\u0435\u0441\u044c \u0441\u0447\u0430\u0441\u0442\u044c\u0435 \u0438 \u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0433, \u0432\u0435\u0441\u044c \u0442\u0440\u0435\u043f\u0435\u0442 \u0438 \u043b\u044e\u0431\u043e\u0432\u044c.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Kuzmin\u2019s poem echoes Fofanov\u2019s quite clearly in the finale beginning with\u00a0i chtob<\/i><\/b>(about which more presently), while its own last stanza features a\u00a0sladkii<\/i><\/b>\u00a0golos.<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

In a more general sense, Kuzmin\u2019s poem belongs to the infinitive tradition of Hamlet\u2019s pondering of the alternatives of life full of hardship and suicidal trip into into the unknown.[5]<\/a>\u00a0The choice is usually either between various modes of living or between life and death, but Kuzmin innovatively paints the picture of a deliberate and unforced suicide. Indeed, in Maikov\u2019s play, the suicides are imposed on the three protagonists from above; in Lermontov\u2019s poem, there is a distinct death wish and a detailed scripting of the desirable manner of dying and being dead, but not via suicide. In SU, on the other hand, suicide is portrayed<\/a> as the best way of dying, preferable to the two previously discussed ones, honorable, but due to external causes \u2013 a violent military combat and a peaceful end to the natural course of human life, while the third, suicidal, magically combines peace and violence (to oneself) and above all is hedonistic and voluntary.[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

As for hedonism, it is strikingly emblematized by the poem\u2019s catchy and paradoxical first line as well as its overall compositional design. That design coincides with its syntactic \u2013 infinitive — structure: the anaphoric\u00a0sladko — sladko \u2013 (eshche) slashche<\/i>, governing the poem\u2019s infinitives:\u00a0umeret\u2019 \u2013 umeret\u2019 — pouzhinat\u2019 — otkryt\u2019 (sebe zhily)<\/i>. The phrase\u00a0sladko(sladostno) +\u00a0<\/i>Infinitive is based on Horace\u2019s\u00a0Dulce est\u2026<\/i>\u00a0and the entire Russian tradition of deploying such formulae, which it implicitly references. Cf. AlekseiKhomiakov\u2019s \u201cZhelanie\u201d:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<…> \u041a\u0430\u043a\u00a0\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0434\u043a\u043e<\/b>\u00a0\u0431\u044b\u043b\u043e \u0431\u044b \u0432 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0435
\n\u0422\u043e \u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u044c \u0438 \u0440\u0430\u0434\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c\u00a0\u0440\u0430\u0437\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c,<\/b>
\n\u0422\u043e \u0432 \u0433\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0430\u0445, \u0432\u0438\u0445\u0440\u044f\u0445, \u043d\u0435\u043f\u043e\u0433\u043e\u0434\u0435
\n\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e \u043d\u0435\u0431\u0430\u00a0\u043e\u0431\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

and Aleksandr Blok\u2019s \u201cIskusstvo \u2013 nosha na plechakh…\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<…> \u041a\u0430\u043a\u00a0\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0434\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043d\u043e<\/b>\u00a0\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>\u00a0\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0438,
\n\u041f\u043e\u0447\u0443\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>, \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0432 \u0436\u0438\u043b\u0430\u0445 \u043a\u0440\u043e\u0432\u044c
\n\u041f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043f\u0435\u0432\u0443\u0447\u0435,
\n\u0411\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0430\u044e\u0449\u0443\u044e \u0432 \u0436\u0430\u0440 \u043b\u044e\u0431\u043e\u0432\u044c
\n\u041f\u043e\u0439\u043c\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0437\u0430 \u0442\u0443\u0447\u043a\u043e\u044e \u043b\u0435\u0442\u0443\u0447\u0435\u0439
\n\u0418\u00a0\u0433\u0440\u0435\u0437\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>, \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0442\u043e \u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u044c \u0441\u0430\u043c\u0430
\n\u0412\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0432\u043e \u0432\u0441\u0435\u043c \u0448\u0430\u043c\u043f\u0430\u043d\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043c \u0431\u043b\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0435…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

But SU\u2019s sequence\u00a0sladko \u2013 sladko \u2013 slashche\u00a0<\/i>is not merely a formal gradation, expectable in a well-constructed poem. The sweetness of the perfect heroic and then patriarchal deaths is a metaphorical and moral one, whereas the experiences associated with the chosen suicide, introduced by the adjective\u2019s comparative degree, are physical, material, they appeal to all five senses, including taste proper (the dining,\u00a0pouzhinat\u2019,\u00a0<\/i>singled out for infinitive treatment) and reify, as it were, the generic clich\u00e9. In contrast, Lermontov\u2019s speaker wishes to retain only one sense, hearing.<\/p>\n

The leitmotif phrase\u00a0sladko umeret\u2019<\/i>\u00a0is emblematic in the strict sense: brief (just two words) and striking (oxymoronic in a decadent way). Borrowed as it is from Horace:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\net decorum est pro patria\u00a0mori:<\/b>
\nmors et fugacem persequitur virum
\nnec parcit inbellis iuventae
\npoplitibus timidoque tergo,
\n\u00a0<\/b>
\nSweet is it and honorable to die for one\u2019s native land.
\nDeath hunts down even the man who runs away
\nand does not spare the back
\nor the hamstringsa of young cowards.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

its emotional impact is much enhanced, compared. In Horace, (i)<\/a> the two words are a whole line apart; (ii)\u00a0dulce<\/i>\u00a0is deprived of part of its sensuality thanks to the coupling, strengthened by alliteration, with the more official\u00a0decorum<\/i>; (iii) the verb\u00a0mori,\u00a0<\/i>\u201dto die,\u201d is preceded by\u00a0pro patria<\/i>, \u201cfor the fatherland,\u201d which lends it a civic aura.[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

Another possible naturalization \u2013 and enhancement — of the boldly proclaimed sweetness of death in battle, relies psychologically on the very paradox of dying at the height of a heated battle, which lends its passion to the experience. Intertextually, this time it is Pushkin who gives a hand. Whereas Horace\u2019s arguments in III, 2, are rather prosaic (running away may be as risky as fighting), Kuzmin stresses the excitement (the whistle of arrows and lance,<\/i>\u00a0sun blazing, etc.), which tap Pushkin\u2019s lines about intoxication with battle and mortal danger in\u00a0Pir vo vremia chumy<\/i>:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n

\u2026\u0415\u0441\u0442\u044c\u00a0\u0443\u043f\u043e\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u0432 \u0431\u043e\u044e,<\/b>
\n<\/b>\u0418 \u0431\u0435\u0437\u0434\u043d\u044b \u043c\u0440\u0430\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u0440\u0430\u044e<\u2026>
\n<\/b>\u0412\u0441\u0435, \u0432\u0441\u0435, \u0447\u0442\u043e\u00a0\u0433\u0438\u0431\u0435\u043b\u044c\u044e\u00a0<\/b>\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0442,
\n\u0414\u043b\u044f \u0441\u0435\u0440\u0434\u0446\u0430 \u0441\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0442\u0430\u0438\u0442
\n\u041d\u0435\u0438\u0437\u044a\u044f\u0441\u043d\u0438\u043c\u044b\u00a0\u043d\u0430\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0436\u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c\u044f<\/b>\u2026<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

which among other relevant parallels features the root for \u201csweetness\u201d:\u00a0naslazhd<\/b>enia<\/i>, \u201cdelights, delectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

In proceeding from\u00a0sladko<\/i>\u00a0to\u00a0slashche\u00a0<\/i>the poem follows two patterns frequent in IW: choice and gradation. These are often instanced by the generic sequence\u00a0khorosho \u2013 luchshe\u00a0<\/i>(dostoinei,<\/i>\u00a0ne luchshe l\u2019?<\/i>), as in Vladimir Benediktov\u2019s \u201cZachem\u201d:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\u0417\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043c\u043c\u0435\u0447\u0442\u0430\u043c \u043d\u0430\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0441\u043d\u044b\u043c\u00a0\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>?
\n\u041d\u0435\u00a0\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0448\u0435<\/b>\u00a0\u043b\u0438 \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0441\u0443\u0434\u043a\u0443 \u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043e\u00a0\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>?
\n\u041e, \u0434\u0430!\u043a \u0447\u0435\u043c\u0443 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0441\u043d\u044b\u043c\u00a0\u0443\u0432\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f,<\/b>
\n\u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430 – \u0443\u0432\u044b! – \u043d\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0437\u044f \u0438\u043c\u00a0\u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

and Blok\u2019s \u201cMai zhestokii s belymi nochami…\u201d:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<…>\u00a0\u0425\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043e<\/b>\u00a0\u0432 \u043b\u0443\u0433\u0443 \u0448\u0438\u0440\u043e\u043a\u043e\u043c \u043a\u0440\u0443\u0433\u043e\u043c
\n\u0412 \u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0434\u0435 \u043f\u043b\u0430\u043c\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u043c\u00a0\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0439\u0442\u0438,<\/b>
\n\u041f\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0432\u0438\u043d\u043e,\u00a0\u0441\u043c\u0435\u044f\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>\u00a0\u0441 \u043c\u0438\u043b\u044b\u043c \u0434\u0440\u0443\u0433\u043e\u043c
\n\u0418 \u0432\u0435\u043d\u043a\u0438 \u0443\u0437\u043e\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0435\u00a0\u043f\u043b\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438,<\/b>
\n\u0420\u0430\u0437\u0434\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0446\u0432\u0435\u0442\u044b \u0447\u0443\u0436\u0438\u043c \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0440\u0443\u0433\u0430\u043c,
\n\u0421\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u044c\u044e, \u0433\u0440\u0443\u0441\u0442\u044c\u044e, \u0441\u0447\u0430\u0441\u0442\u044c\u0435\u043c\u00a0\u0438\u0437\u043e\u0439\u0442\u0438,-<\/b>
\n\u041d\u043e\u00a0\u0434\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0439\u043d\u0435\u0439<\/b>\u00a0\u0437\u0430 \u0442\u044f\u0436\u0435\u043b\u044b\u043c \u043f\u043b\u0443\u0433\u043e\u043c
\n\u0412 \u0441\u0432\u0435\u0436\u0438\u0445 \u0440\u043e\u0441\u0430\u0445 \u043f\u043e\u0443\u0442\u0440\u0443\u00a0\u0438\u0434\u0442\u0438!<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Sometimes the score is more even, harking back to Hamlet\u2019s agonizing over priorities, e. g. in Nikoilai Nikitin\u2019s \u201cS. V. Chistiakovoi\u201d:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\u0427\u0442\u043e\u00a0\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0448\u0435<\/b>: \u0440\u0430\u043d\u044c\u0448\u0435\u00a0\u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0442\u044c<\/b>
\n\u0418\u043b\u0438\u00a0\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0438\u00a0\u0441\u043e\u043a\u0440\u0443\u0448\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f,<\/b>
\n\u0413\u043b\u044f\u0434\u0435\u0442\u044c \u043d\u0430 \u0437\u043b\u043e, \u0438 \u0437\u043b\u043e\u00a0\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043f\u0435\u0442\u044c,<\/b>
\n\u0418\u00a0\u0432\u0435\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c,<\/b>\u00a0\u0438\u00a0\u0441\u043e\u043c\u043d\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f?<\/b>\u0423\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0442\u044b, \u043d\u0443\u0436\u0434\u044b\u00a0\u0438\u0441\u043f\u044b\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>,
\n\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0432\u0435\u0441\u044c \u0441\u0432\u0438\u0442\u043e\u043a \u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0438 \u0433\u043e\u0440\u044c\u043a\u043e\u0439,
\n\u0427\u0442\u043e\u0431 \u0443 \u0434\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0439 \u043c\u043e\u0433\u0438\u043b\u044b \u0442\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e
\n\u0418\u0445 \u0441\u043c\u044b\u0441\u043b \u0442\u0430\u0438\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439\u00a0\u043f\u043e\u043d\u044f\u0442\u044c<\/b>?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Kuzmin\u2019s gradation\u00a0sladko \u2013 sladko \u2013 slashche<\/i>\u00a0seems to be unique, but there is an interesting instance of\u00a0slashche<\/i>\u00a0capping a series of contemplated options, all of them desirable, in Anton Del\u2019vig\u2019s jocular and hedonistic \u201cFani.\u00a0A Horatian\u00a0<\/i>[!]\u00a0Ode<\/i>\u201d (\u0414\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0432\u0438\u0433 1986: 123):<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\u041c\u043d\u0435 \u043b\u044c \u043f\u043e\u0434 \u043e\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043c\u0438 \u0413\u0438\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0430
\n\u0412\u0441\u0435\u00a0\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0435\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0442\u043e \u0436\u0435 \u0438 \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e?
\n\u041c\u043e\u0435 \u0431\u043b\u0430\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e – \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0430,
\n\u042f \u0434\u0435\u0432 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f\u044e, \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0432\u0438\u043d\u043e <\u2026>.<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0435\u043c \u0441 \u0434\u0435\u0432\u043e\u0439 \u0440\u043e\u0431\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u0438 \u0441\u0442\u044b\u0434\u043b\u0438\u0432\u043e\u0439
\n\u0421\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0430\u0439\u043d\u043e\u00a0\u0431\u044b\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u043d\u0430\u0435\u0434\u0438\u043d\u0435,
\n\u0414\u0440\u043e\u0436\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0438 \u043c\u0438\u0433 \u043b\u044e\u0431\u0432\u0438 \u0441\u0447\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043b\u0438\u0432\u043e\u0439
\n\u041b\u043e\u0432\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0432 \u0435\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0440\u043d\u043e\u043c \u0441\u043d\u0435 –<\/p>\n

\u041d\u0435\u00a0\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0449\u0435<\/b>\u00a0\u043b\u0438 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0424\u0430\u043d\u0438
\n\u041f\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0443\u0448\u043d\u044b\u043c\u00a0\u0431\u044b\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0443\u0447\u0435\u043d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u043c,
\n\u041f\u043b\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u043b\u044e\u0431\u0432\u0438 \u0431\u0435\u0441\u043f\u0435\u0447\u043d\u043e \u0434\u0430\u043d\u0438
\n\u0418\u00a0\u043e\u0436\u0438\u0432\u043b\u044f\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0433\u0438 \u0441\u043d\u043e\u043c?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The curve linking the three occurrences of the anaphoric\u00a0sladko\/slashche\u00a0<\/i>is shaped by the so called recoil pattern: (i) violence and emotion — (ii) no emotion or violence \u2013 (iii) protracted emotion crowned by (self-inflicted) violence. The absence of verbally expressed emotion in the second episode is in accord with the naturalness of death due to old age and a concomittant diminution of sensuality. One other aspect of the three-part sequence is that all three scenes are strictly all-male (with only a fleeting and dismissive mention of a woman in the third), — probably reflecting Kuzmin\u2019s gay orientation.[8]<\/a><\/p>\n

The poem\u2019s infinitive series is not absolute, nor is it very long per se. But its three installments cover the entire poem \u2013 due to an elaborate use of subordinate clauses and nominative, adverbial, participial and gerund constructions (roughly one per line). The poem clearly belongs to the second of the two syntactical types mentioned earlier (Zenkevich\u2019s \u201cV Sumerkakh,\u201d not Blok\u2019s\u201cGreshit\u2019…\u201d).[9]<\/a><\/p>\n

In the overall structural balance of the poem, its infinitive backbone helps hold together the text that is unrhymed and unmetered \u2013 an early example of free verse \u2013 providing a measure of order. This is a role often played by IW writing,[10]<\/a>\u00a0but more often than not by its other type, the one regularly punctuated by numerous parallel infinitives. In this case, the patterning is much more subtle. Naturalization comes from (i) the poem\u2019s classical — Greek \u2013 frame of reference, which helps dispense with rhyme and syllabo-tonic meter; (ii) the anaphoras cum infinitives; and, additionally and overwhelmingly, (iii) the pronounced similarity of the syntactic structures of the segments governed by infinitives.<\/p>\n

The poem\u2019s 37 lines are organized into three sections governed by the\u00a0sladko<\/i>\/slashche<\/i>\u00a0+ Infinitive (9 +9 +19), with the third further subdivided into two — thanks to a fourth infinitive.The near perfect symmetry of these divisions, with a clear doubling in the third instance, is announced in its beginning by the reduplication of anaphoric phrases (eshche slashche, eshche mudree<\/i>).<\/p>\n

Symmetries, serving as basis for development, are all-pervasive. In every segment, there are 9 (and once 10) lines (= phrases\/clauses) specifying the circumstances of the considered death: time, place, movements, people present\/absent, sounds\/speeches heard. On two occasions the same direct speech \u2013\u00a0Proshchai<\/i>\u2026! — concludes the segment, while the third time around its absence is pointedly indicated (ne slysha nikakikh proshchanii<\/i>).<\/p>\n

The differences are all the more conspicuous. To begin with, there is the gradual narrowing of the publicness of the death: maximum in the first case (na pole bitvy\u2026 dlia slavy otchizny<\/i>) \u2013 medium in the second (in the bosom of the family) \u2013 minimal in the third (alone). At the very end, however, there is an additional twist: by\u00a0opening<\/i>\u00a0his veins in the vicinity of the\u00a0window<\/i>,\u00a0<\/b>rereading Apuleius and mentioning the sounds of flutes and scent of flowers the lonely suicide opens himself up to the wide world of nature and culture.<\/p>\n

Also relevant in this connection is the temporal unfolding of the poem. The first scene captures one glorious moment, hopefully one to reverberate through time as \u201cglory.\u201d The second offers a multilayered chronology of the extended family\u2019s life: the death comes to the man late in his life, and the many generations of the clan are invoked, both dead and alive, iconized by the superposition of a jumble of subordinate clauses and nominative, participial and gerund constructions. The third sequence again, like the first, focuses on one short episode in the life of the protagonist, but lavishly protracts its description, including, like the second, a complex chronology of these last days\u2019 events (note the many perfective gerunds and participles, as well as the word\u00a0posle<\/i>) and even a glimpse into tomorrow (kotoruiu zavtra zabyl by<\/i>) and the moments immediately following the opening of veins (i chtob\u2026<\/i>). In this way the last moment is effectively made to linger, as per Horace\u2019s\u00a0carpe diem<\/i>\u00a0or Goethe\u2019s Faustian motto, comprising as many other events and sensations as possible.<\/p>\n

Several new developments distinguish the last section: the expectations set up by the first two are effectively broken. Some of these twists have been already noted. Yet another has to do with the semantic and syntactic dynamics of the way the infinitives are deployed relative to their dependents. The first two times an unambiguous\u00a0umeret\u2019<\/i>\u00a0is at the beginning of the segment. The third time the verb is not only not deadly but pointedly life-affirming (pouzhinat\u2019<\/i>, the supper borrowed from Maikov\u2019s Lucius) and placed at the end of the string of its qualifiers, thus maximizing the suspense (before proving the expectation wrong). The fourth and last infinitive is both quite chillingly specific and yet somewhat open-ended (otkryt\u2019\u2026 zhily<\/i>, borrowed from Maikov\u2019s Seneca, as well as Tacitus\u2019 Seneca and Petronius, about whom presently) and placed in the middle of the segment — so that death can be perceived as deferred and life as still lingering, as the smells and sounds invade the scene.<\/p>\n

Yet, on a subtler level, death may be implied to have happened right at the semi-colon after\u00a0zhily.<\/i>\u00a0There are two almost unnoticeable grammatical twists as that boundary is crossed. One is the disappearance of the subject, albeit already grammatically impersonal throughout the poem due to infinitiveness, yet one that has been quite clearly functioning until now as the active agent in all the verbal forms, infinitive or otherwise. But the verbs\u00a0pakhlo, svetila\u00a0<\/i>and\u00a0byli slyshny<\/i><\/a>\u00a0may or may not imply a perceiver. The stated wish \u201cthat it should be so\u201d (i chtob<\/i>) shows the speaker\u2019s insistent, somewhat childish, desire, but does not guarantee the subject\u2019s staying alive and alert; and in any event, these smells and sounds will persist after he stops perceiving.[11]<\/a><\/p>\n

An additional break signal is the deliberate mishandling of the\u00a0i chtob\u00a0<\/i>clause, borrowed from Lermontov\u2019s \u201cVykhozhu…\u201d In that poem, it is explicitly governed by the main clause:\u00a0Ia b zhelal naveki\u00a0tak<\/b>\u00a0zasnut\u2019,\/\u00a0Chtob<\/b>\u2026<\/i>Kuzmin not only drops this marked connection, but in fact creates a syntactic rupture (an anacoluthon): his\u00a0i chtob<\/i>\u00a0is supposed to be governed by\u00a0eshche slashche, eshche mudree<\/i>, which is ungrammatical. As a result, the wish sounds both more pronounced and less assured of fulfillment. On the other hand, here as elsewhere in the poem there is room for ambiguity; after all, in Lermontov\u2019s model, the speaker somehow assumes he will keep listening even in death (Pro liubov\u2019\u00a0mne<\/b>\u00a0sladkii golos pel<\/i>).<\/p>\n

All these subtle differences, gradations, and reversals stand out against the very stable background provided by the manyrecurring patterns, including one not yet mentioned. The poem, along with other\u00a0Alexandrian Songs<\/i>\u00a0is precisely a song, which also helps naturalize all those symmetries and the text\u2019s extreme semantic and even lexical and repetitiveness. Indeed, almost every word recurs, sometimes tautologically. Note the lexical chains:<\/p>\n

\u0421\u043b\u0430\u0434\u043a\u043e \u2013 \u0441\u043b\u0430\u0434\u043a\u043e \u2013 \u0441\u043b\u0430\u0449\u0435; \u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0442\u044c \u2013 \u0443\u043c\u0438\u0440\u0430\u044f \u2013 \u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0442\u044c — \u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440\u043b\u0438; \u0441\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0438\u0442 — \u0441\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0438\u043b\u0430; \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0441\u043b\u0430\u0432\u044b \u2013 \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0442\u043e, \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0443\u044e; \u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u0430 \u2013 \u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u0430 \u2013 \u043d\u0435 \u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u0430 \u2013 \u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u043d\u044b; \u0432\u043e\u043a\u0440\u0443\u0433 \u2013 \u043e\u043a\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u043c \u2013 \u0432\u043e\u043a\u0440\u0443\u0433; \u041f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0430\u0439 — \u041f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0430\u0439 \u2013 \u043d\u0438\u043a\u0430\u043a\u0438\u0445 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0439; \u0432 \u0442\u043e\u043c \u0436\u0435 \u2013 \u043d\u0430 \u0442\u043e\u0439 \u0436\u0435 \u2013 \u0432\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0443\u0432\u0448\u0438\u0441\u044c \u2013 \u0432 \u0441\u0442\u043e \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u0440\u0430\u0437; \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0435 \u2013 \u0434\u043e\u043c; \u0435\u0449\u0435 \u2013 \u0435\u0449\u0435; \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0448\u0438 \u2013 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/i>;<\/p>\n

and the semantic ones:<\/a><\/p>\n

\u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0442\u044c \u2013 \u043e\u0442\u043a\u0440\u044b\u0442\u044c \u0436\u0438\u043b\u044b; \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0435 \u2014 \u0432 \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0435 \u2013 \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u0438 \u2013 \u0432 \u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u0435; \u043f\u0440\u0438 \u0441\u0432\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0435 \u2013 \u043a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430 \u0437\u0432\u0443\u0447\u0438\u0442 — \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0441\u043b\u0430\u0432\u044b — \u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u0430; \u0442\u0440\u0443\u0431\u0430 \u2013 \u0444\u043b\u0435\u0439\u0442\u044b; \u0441\u043e\u043b\u043d\u0446\u0435 \u2013 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c \u2013 \u0437\u0430\u0432\u0442\u0440\u0430 — \u0437\u0430\u0440\u044f; \u0440\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c \u2013 \u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440\u043b\u0438; \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0438\u0437\u043d\u044b — \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0446\u0435\u043c \u2013 \u0434\u0435\u0434\u044b \u2013 \u0434\u0435\u0442\u044c\u043c\u0438 \u2013 \u043c\u0443\u0436\u0430\u043c\u0438 \u2013 \u043e\u0442\u0435\u0446; \u0438\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0432\u0448\u0438 \u2013 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0448\u0438; \u0437\u0430\u0431\u044b\u043b \u0431\u044b \u2013 \u0438 \u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431; \u0432\u0441\u0435 \u0438\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044c\u0435 \u2013 \u043f\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0434\u043d\u044e\u044e \u043c\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0443 \u2013 \u043d\u0438\u043a\u0430\u043a\u0438\u0445 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0449\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0439; \u0434\u0443\u0448\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0439 \u2013 \u043f\u0430\u0445\u043b\u043e; \u0434\u043b\u0438\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u2013 \u0432\u0434\u0430\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0435..<\/i>.[12]<\/a><\/p>\n

There are also numerous echoes in SU of other Alexandrian songs, for the cycle as a whole revolves around a cluster of common motifs (hedonism, lost estates and mills, strolls, music, reading, smert\u2019 bez sozhalen\u2019ia o zhizni etc.)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The principle of redundant, as it were, repetition is laid bare in the give-away line about rereading Apuleus for the hundred and first time.[13]<\/a>\u00a0The point of mentioning the endless rereading of a text \u2013 and a classic too, in every sense of the word, — is, in addition to the obvious broadening of the poem\u2019s chronological, spatial and cultural horizons in the finale, the insistence on the value of repeatable and thus core, basic, fundamental, eternal values.<\/p>\n

As a metapoetic statement it also stresses Kuzmin\u2019s penchant for using stylized literary conventions as a canvas on which to embroider his innovative patterns. This rereading of Apuleus is the one and only reference to literature in the entire text of SU, and comews up at the moment that is to poignantly put an end to all reading, signalling as it does a deliberately chosen death. Of course, dying with a book in hand is a literary stereotype; for instance, at the end of Goethe\u2019s\u00a0Sorrows of the Young Werther<\/i>, lying open next to the body of the suicide protagonist is found a copy of Lessing\u2019s\u00a0Emilia<\/i>\u00a0Galotti<\/i>\u00a0(also ending in what amounts to suicide).<\/p>\n

The great suicides of antiquity, Socrates, Seneca, and Petronius all die continuing their dialogues with disciples or dictating to them. But Kuzmin\u2019s speaker insists on dying alone. Moreover, he does not claim to be a great teacher or even necessarily to be living in ancient times; he is a modern everyman in Alexandrian disguise, thus instead of dictating — he just reads.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Works Cited<\/b><\/p>\n

\u0413\u0430\u0441\u043f\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0432 \u041c. \u041b. \u041c\u0435\u0442\u0440 \u0438 \u0441\u043c\u044b\u0441\u043b. \u041e\u0431 \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u043c \u0438\u0437 \u043c\u0435\u0445\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0437\u043c\u043e\u0432 \u043a\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0443\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u0430\u043c\u044f\u0442\u0438. \u041c.: \u0420\u0413\u0413\u0423, 1999.<\/p>\n

\u0414\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0432\u0438\u0433 \u0410.\u0410. \u0421\u043e\u0447\u0438\u043d\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044f. \u0421\u043e\u0441\u0442. \u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0433. \u0412. \u042d. \u0412\u0430\u0446\u0443\u0440\u043e. \u041b.: \u0425\u0443\u0434\u043e\u0436\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0430\u044f \u043b\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443\u0440\u0430, 1986.<\/p>\n

\u0416\u0438\u0440\u043c\u0443\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0412. \u041c..\u00a0\u041a\u043e\u043c\u043f\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0446\u0438\u044f \u043b\u0438\u0440\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0445 \u0441\u0442\u0438\u0445\u043e\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0439.<\/i>\u00a0\u041b.: \u0421\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0438\u0441\u0430\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c, 1975.<\/p>\n

\u0416\u043e\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0410. \u041a. \u201c\u0411\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0438 \u0438\u043d\u0444\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0442\u0438\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043f\u0438\u0441\u044c\u043c\u043e. \u041c\u0430\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0438\u0430\u043b\u044b \u043a \u0442\u0435\u043c\u0435<\/a>\u00a0\u201d.\u00a0\u041d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0435 \u043b\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043e\u0431\u043e\u0437\u0440\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/i>\u00a045 (2000): 187-98.<\/p>\n

\u0416\u043e\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0410. \u041a. \u201c\u0421\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c \u0413\u0430\u0441\u043f\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0432<\/a>\u00a0\u201d.\u00a0\u041d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0435 \u043b\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043e\u0431\u043e\u0437\u0440\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/i>\u00a077 (2006): 39-44.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u0416\u043e\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0410. \u041a.\u00a0\u0418\u0437\u0431\u0440\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0438 \u043e \u0440\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u044d\u0437\u0438\u0438<\/a>\u00a0: \u0418\u043d\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0430\u043d\u0442\u044b, \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0443\u043a\u0442\u0443\u0440\u044b, \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0435\u0433\u0438\u0438, \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0442\u044b.<\/i>\u00a0\u041c.: \u0420\u0413\u0413\u0423, 2005.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u0416\u043e\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0410. \u041a.. \u201c<\/i>\u0418\u0437 \u0437\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0441\u043e\u043a \u043e\u0431 \u0438\u043d\u0444\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0442\u0438\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u044d\u0437\u0438\u0438<\/a>\u00a0: \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0431\u043b\u0435\u043c\u044b \u043e\u043f\u0438\u0441\u0430\u043d\u0438\u044f \u0438 \u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0446\u044b \u043a\u043e\u043c\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0435\u0432\u201d.\u00a0\u042f\u0437\u044b\u043a \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043c\u0430\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0438\u044f \u0441\u043c\u044b\u0441\u043b\u0430: \u0421\u0431\u043e\u0440\u043d\u0438\u043a \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u0435\u0439 \u043a 90-\u043b\u0435\u0442\u0438\u044e \u0430\u043a\u0430\u0434\u0435\u043c\u0438\u043a\u0430 \u041d. \u042e. \u0428\u0432\u0435\u0434\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0439.<\/i>\u00a0\u0421\u043e\u0441\u0442. \u041c. \u0412. \u041b\u044f\u043f\u043e\u043d. \u041c.: \u0410\u0437\u0431\u0443\u043a\u043e\u0432\u043d\u0438\u043a, 2007: 476-87.<\/p>\n

\u0417\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u0413. \u0410. \u201c\u041e \u043a\u043e\u043c\u043f\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0446\u0438\u0438 \u0442\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0442\u0430\u201d. \u041e\u043d\u0430 \u0436\u0435 \u0438 \u0434\u0440.\u00a0\u041a\u043e\u043c\u043c\u0443\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0432\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0433\u0440\u0430\u043c\u043c\u0430\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430 \u0440\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e \u044f\u0437\u044b\u043a\u0430<\/i>. \u041c.: \u041c\u0413\u0423, 1998: 440-69.<\/p>\n

\u041a\u043e\u0432\u0442\u0443\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u0418.\u0418.\u00a0\u041f\u043e\u044d\u0442\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0441\u0438\u043d\u0442\u0430\u043a\u0441\u0438\u0441<\/i>. \u041c.: \u041d\u0430\u0443\u043a\u0430, 1986.<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0443\u0437\u043c\u0438\u043d \u041c. \u0421\u0442\u0438\u0445\u043e\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044f. \u0421\u043e\u0441\u043e\u0442. \u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0433. \u041d. \u0410. \u0411\u043e\u0433\u043e\u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432. \u0421\u041f\u0431: \u0410\u043a\u0430\u0434\u0435\u043c\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0440\u043f\u043e\u0435\u043a\u0442, 1996.<\/p>\n

\u041c\u0430\u0439\u043a\u043e\u0432 \u0410. \u041d. \u201c\u0422\u0440\u0438 \u0441\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0438.\u00a0\u041b\u0438\u0440\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0434\u0440\u0430\u043c\u0430<\/i>\u201d. \u041e\u043d \u0436\u0435.\u00a0\u0418\u0437\u0431\u0440\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0435\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/i>. \u0421\u043e\u0441\u0442. \u041b. \u0421. \u0413\u0435\u0439\u0440\u043e. \u041b.: \u0421\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0438\u0441\u0430\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c, 1977: 443-60 (annot.: 841-46).<\/p>\n

\u041f\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u041b. \u0413.\u00a0\u0420\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0415\u0433\u0438\u043f\u0435\u0442. \u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0440\u0438\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u043f\u043e\u044d\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430 \u041c\u0438\u0445\u0430\u0438\u043b\u0430 \u041a\u0443\u0437\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0430. \u0412 2-\u0445 \u0442\u0442.<\/i>\u00a0\u041c.: \u0412\u043e\u0434\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0439 Publishers and \u041f\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0435\u0441\u0441-\u041f\u043b\u0435\u044f\u0434\u0430, 2006.<\/p>\n

\u041f\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430, \u041b\u0430\u0434\u0430. \u201c\u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0440\u0438\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u043f\u0435\u0441\u043d\u0438\u00a0<\/i>\u041c\u0438\u0445\u0430\u0438\u043b\u0430 \u041a\u0443\u0437\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0430: \u0433\u043e\u043c\u043e\u044d\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0441\u0446\u0435\u043d\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0439\u201d.\u00a0N\u00e4he schaffen, Abstand halten.\u00a0<\/i>Zur Geschichte von Intimit\u00e4t und N\u00e4he in der russischen Kultur.<\/i>\u00a0Hrsg. Nade\u017eda Grigor’eva et al.. Wien-M\u00fcnchen:\u00a0Wiener Slawistischer Almanach<\/i>, Sonderband 62 (2005): 203-25.<\/p>\n

\u041f\u0430\u043d\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043a\u043e \u041e. \u041d. \u201c\u041d\u043e\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0432\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0438 \u0438\u043d\u0444\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0442\u0438\u0432\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0440\u044f\u0434\u044b \u0432 \u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0435 \u0441\u0442\u0438\u0445\u043e\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044f\u201d.\u00a0\u041e\u0447\u0435\u0440\u043a\u0438 \u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0438 \u0440\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u044d\u0437\u0438\u0438 \u0425\u0425 \u0432\u0435\u043a\u0430. \u0413\u0440\u0430\u043c\u043c\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0435\u0433\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0438. \u0421\u0438\u043d\u0442\u0430\u043a\u0441\u0438\u0441 \u0442\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0442<\/i>.\u0420\u0435\u0434. \u0415. \u0412. \u041a\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0430. \u041c.: \u041d\u0430\u0443\u043a\u0430, 1993. 81-100.<\/p>\n

\u0428\u0435\u043d\u0433\u0435\u043b\u0438 \u0413\u0435\u043e\u0440\u0433\u0438\u0439. \u0418\u043d\u043e\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0435\u0446.\u00a0\u0421\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u0441\u0442\u0438\u0445\u043e\u0432. \u0412\u0438\u0437\u0430\u043d\u0442\u0438\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/i>\u00a0\u00ab\u041f\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0440 \u0431\u0430\u0437\u0438\u043b\u0435\u0432\u0441\u0430\u00bb.\u00a0\u041b\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0438. \u0412\u043e\u0441\u043f\u043e\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0430\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/i>. \u0421\u043e\u0441\u0442. \u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0433. \u0412\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043c \u041f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043c\u0443\u0442\u0442\u0435\u0440. \u041c.: \u0421\u043e\u0432\u043f\u0430\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435, 1997.<\/p>\n

Kuzmin, Mikhail.\u00a0Selected writings<\/i>. Transl. Michael A. Green and Sytanislav A. Shvabrin. Lewisburg: Bucknell UP.<\/p>\n

West, David Horace Odes III. Dulce Periculum. Oxford: UP, 2002.<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n

[1]<\/a>\u00a0On IW see \u0416\u043e\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 2000, 2002, 2007; for cognate studies see \u041a\u043e\u0432\u0442\u0443\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430 1986, \u041f\u0430\u043d\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043a\u043e 1993, \u0417\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0430 1998.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a>\u00a0For detailed annotations of Kuzmin\u2019s infinitive poems see \u0416\u043e\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 2007.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a>\u00a0See Kuzmin 1996: 123-24, 2005: 54-55. The English version has been slightly emended here to make it correspond to the original line by line.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a>\u00a0Remarkably, there are infinitive sequences in Maikov\u2019s drama, e. g.:<\/p>\n

\u0412\u043e\u0442 \u0442\u0430\u043a \u0438 \u043c\u044b \u2013 \u041b\u0443\u043a\u0430\u043d, \u0421\u0435\u043d\u0435\u043a\u0430,\/ \u0421\u043b\u0443\u0433\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043a\u043e\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0432\u0430\u0448 \u2013 \u0443\u043c\u0440\u0435\u0442\/\u2039…\u203a\/ \u0418\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u044f\u0432\u0438\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043f\u0435\u0432\u0435\u0446,\/ \u0414\u0440\u0443\u0433\u0438\u0435 \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0443\u0442\u00a0\u0436\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0438\u00a0\u0432\u0437\u0434\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>,\/\u00a0\u0421\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>,\u00a0\u043b\u044e\u0431\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>, \u043e \u0442\u043e\u043c \u0436\u0435\u00a0\u0441\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>,\/ \u041e \u0447\u0435\u043c \u0438 \u043c\u044b \u0441 \u0442\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0439, \u043c\u0443\u0434\u0440\u0435\u0446!..\/ \u041d\u043e \u043f\u0443\u0441\u0442\u044c \u043f\u043e \u0441\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0438\u00a0\u0436\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u043c\u044b \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0435\u043c!\/ (\u0422\u0435\u0431\u0435 \u0433\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0432 \u044f\u00a0\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>!)\/ \u0410 \u0432\u0441\u0435 \u0441\u0435\u0431\u044f \u043c\u044b \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0443\u0434\u0438\u043c\/\u0411\u0435\u0437 \u0441\u043e\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0435\u043d\u044c\u044f\u00a0\u043a\u043e\u043d\u0447\u0438\u0442\u044c \u0436\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>!\/ \u2039…\u203a\/ \u0427\u0442\u043e \u043c\u043d\u0435\u0432 \u0438\u0445 \u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0438 \u0431\u0435\u0437 \u0432\u043e\u043b\u043d\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0439?\/ \u041c\u0438\u0440\u0430\u043c\u0438, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u043b\u0438\u00a0\u0443\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043b\u044f\u0442\u044c<\/b>?\/\u0412 \u043d\u0438\u0445 \u0434\u0435\u043a\u043e\u0440\u0430\u0446\u0438\u0438\u00a0\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f\u0442\u044c<\/b>,\/ \u0418, \u0432\u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043e \u0432\u0441\u044f\u043a\u0438\u0445 \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0432\u043b\u0435\u0447\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0439,\/ \u041b\u044e\u0434\u044c\u043c\u0438, \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0448\u0430\u0448\u043a\u0430\u043c\u0438,\u00a0\u0438\u0433\u0440\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>,\/ \u0418, \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0430\u043a\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430\u043c\u0438 \u043f\u043b\u043e\u0445\u0438\u043c\u0438,\/ \u041e\u0442\u043d\u044e\u0434\u044c \u043d\u0435\u00a0\u0443\u0432\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>\u00a0\u0438\u043c\u0438,\/ \u041d\u0438 \u0441\u043a\u0443\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u044c\u0435\u0441\u043e\u0439!.. \u041d\u0435\u0442<\/i>! \u043a\u043b\u044f\u043d\u0443\u0441\u044c<\/i>,\/ \u042f<\/i>\u00a0\u0432<\/i>\u00a0\u0431\u043e\u0433\u0438<\/i>\u00a0\u0432\u043e\u0432\u0441\u0435<\/i>\u00a0\u043d\u0435<\/i>\u00a0\u0433\u043e\u0436\u0443\u0441\u044c<\/i>\u2026<\/i>\u00a0(\u041c\u0430\u0439\u043a\u043e\u0432 1977: 448).<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a>\u00a0On the role of Hamlet\u2019s soliloquy \u201cTo be or not to be…\u201d in the history of Russian IW see \u0416\u043e\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 2000.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a>\u00a0To be sure, the mention of financial ruin (the loss of the house and mills recurs in several of the\u00a0Alexandrian Songs<\/i>)may be interpreted as a reason for suicide<\/a>, thus diluting the stark willfulness of the decision.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a>\u00a0Even so, already Horace\u2019s sweet dying was defiantly original.<\/p>\n

\u201c[S]cholars have objected to the sweetness. Honourable, yes. Sweet, no. There is no parallel in previous literature for such an assertion. But Tyrtaeus does say thta it is\u00a0kalon<\/i>, beautiful, goodly, noble, for a good man to fall in the front ranks while fighting for his native land <…>, and in Virgil\u2019s account of the fall of Troy <…> it rushes into Aeneas\u2019 mind,\u00a0succurrit<\/i>, that it is a a beautiful thing to die in arms,\u00a0pulchrumque<\/i>\u00a0mori<\/i>\u00a0succurrit\u00a0<\/i>in armis <…> Admittedly Horace\u2019s sentiment is a romantic view of war, which would not survive much close fighting\u201d (West 2002: 25-26).<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a>\u00a0Cf. \u041f\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430 2005.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a>\u00a0On the contrary, Georgii Shegeli\u2019s 1925 parody of SU, written on the occasion of Maks Voloshin\u2019s birthday, follows the other pattern and numbers 9 infinitives:<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0430\u043a<\/i><\/b>\u00a0\u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043e\/<\/b>\u00a0\u041d\u0430 \u043c\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043f\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0435 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0438\u043d\u043d\u043e\u043c\/\u00a0\u041f\u043e\u0435\u0445\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0432 \u0433\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0434\/ \u0418\u00a0\u0432\u044b\u043f\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0443 \u042e\u0440\u044b\/ \u0411\u0443\u0437\u044b \u0433\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0439\u0448\u0435\u0439,\/ \u0410 \u043f\u043e\u0442\u043e\u043c \u0443 \u0444\u043e\u043d\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0430\/\u00a0\u041f\u043e\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0447\u0435\u0431\u0443\u0440\u0435\u043a\u043e\u0432,\/ \u041c\u043e\u043d\u0443\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0442 \u0441\u043e\u0437\u0435\u0440\u0446\u0430\u044f,\/ \u041a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u044b\u0439 \u0432\u043e\u0442-\u0432\u043e\u0442 \u0443\u0440\u043e\u043d\u0438\u0442\/ \u0411\u0435\u0442\u043e\u043d\u043d\u0443\u044e \u0433\u043b\u044b\u0431\u0443\/ \u041d\u0430 \u043f\u0430\u043b\u044c\u0446\u044b \u043d\u043e\u0433.\/\u00a0\u041a\u0430\u043a \u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043e\/<\/b>\u00a0\u041f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u043f\u043e \u043f\u043e\u0447\u0442\u0435\/ \u0413\u043e\u043d\u043e\u0440\u0430\u0440 \u0437\u0430\u0441\u043b\u0443\u0436\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439\/ \u0418\u0437 \u041c\u043e\u0441\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0433\u0440\u0430\u0444\u0430\/,\u00a0\u0423\u043f\u043b\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u043e\u043c\u043e\u0435\/ \u0418\u00a0\u0432\u044b\u043a\u0443\u043f\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/b>, \u043d\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d\u0435\u0446,\/ \u041f\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0434\u043d\u0443\u044e \u0442\u043e\u0433\u0443,\/ \u0421\u0438\u0440\u0435\u0447\u044c \u0448\u0442\u0430\u043d\u044b.\/\u00a0\u041d\u043e \u0435\u0449\u0435 \u043b\u0443\u0447\u0448\u0435<\/b>,\/ \u041f\u043e\u0443\u0436\u0438\u043d\u0430\u0432 \u0432 \u041d\u0430\u0440\u043f\u0438\u0442\u0435\/ \u0412\u0447\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0448\u043d\u0435\u0439 \u043a\u0435\u0444\u0430\u043b\u044c\u044e\/ \u0412 \u043c\u0430\u0448\u0438\u043d\u043d\u043e\u043c \u043c\u0430\u0441\u043b\u0435,\/\u00a0\u0412\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b>\u00a0\u0434\u043e\u043c\u043e\u0439,\/ \u0412 \u043a\u043e\u043c\u043d\u0430\u0442\u0443, \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0443\u044e\/ \u0415\u0441\u0442\u044c \u0443\u0436\u0435 37 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0442\u0435\u043d\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0442\u043e\u0432,\/ \u0418 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430\u0432 \u0432 \u0441\u0442\u043e \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u0440\u0430\u0437 \u00ab\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u043e\u043f\u043e\u043f\u0430 \u0410\u0432\u0432\u0430\u043a\u0443\u043c\u0430\u00bb,\/\u00a0\u0421\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0432\u043e \u0433\u0440\u043e\u0431\u0435\/ \u0418\u00a0\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0440\u044b\u0442\u044c<\/b>\u00a0\u0432\u0435\u043d\u044b,\/ \u0418 \u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431\u044b \u0432 \u0449\u0435\u043b\u044c\/ \u0421\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0438\u043b\u0430 \u0437\u0430\u0440\u044f,\/ \u0412\u0438\u0434\u043d\u0435\u043b\u0430\u0441\u044c \u043e\u0447\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434\u044c\/ \u0418 \u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u0430\u043b\u0441\u044f \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0441 \u041d\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0448\u0438\/ \u0418 \u043f\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u044c \u041c\u0430\u043a\u0441\u0430,\/ \u0421\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0436\u0430\u0449\u0435\u0433\u043e \u043f\u043e\u0441\u0435\u0432 \u0443 \u0432\u0435\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0434\u044b.<\/i>\u00a0(\u0428\u0435\u043d\u0433\u0435\u043b\u0438 1997: 275-76).<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a>\u00a0On the various strategies of \u201cdisciplining\u201d the free verse see \u0416\u0438\u0440\u043c\u0443\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 1975:<\/i>\u00a0527-535.<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a>\u00a0A telling case of accepting an unambiguous death amidst the world and life that go on is Bunin\u2019s \u201c<Bez menia>\u201d:<\/p>\n

\u041d\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0435\u0442 \u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c — \u0438\u0441\u0447\u0435\u0437\u043d\u0443 \u044f,\/ \u0410 \u0432 \u044d\u0442\u043e\u0439 \u043a\u043e\u043c\u043d\u0430\u0442\u0435 \u043f\u0443\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0439 \/ \u0412\u0441\u0435 \u0442\u043e \u0436\u0435 \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0442: \u0441\u0442\u043e\u043b, \u0441\u043a\u0430\u043c\u044c\u044f \/ \u0414\u0430 \u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0437, \u0434\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0438 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0439.\/\/ \u0418 \u0442\u0430\u043a \u0436\u0435 \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0442 \u0437\u0430\u043b\u0435\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c\/ \u0426\u0432\u0435\u0442\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0431\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0430 \u0432 \u0448\u0435\u043b\u043a\u0443.\/ \u041f\u043e\u0440\u0445\u0430\u0442\u044c, \u0448\u0443\u0440\u0448\u0430\u0442\u044c \u0438 \u0442\u0440\u0435\u043f\u0435\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c\/ \u041f\u043e \u0433\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0431\u043e\u043c\u0443 \u043f\u043e\u0442\u043e\u043b\u043a\u0443.\/\/ \u0418 \u0442\u0430\u043a \u0436\u0435 \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0442 \u043d\u0435\u0431\u0430 \u0434\u043d\u043e\/ \u0421\u043c\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0442\u044c \u0432 \u043e\u0442\u043a\u0440\u044b\u0442\u043e\u0435 \u043e\u043a\u043d\u043e,\/ \u0418 \u043c\u043e\u0440\u0435 \u0440\u043e\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0441\u0438\u043d\u0435\u0432\u043e\u0439\/ \u041c\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0442\u044c \u0432 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440 \u043f\u0443\u0441\u0442\u044b\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0439.<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/i>On this poem see \u0416\u043e\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 2006.<\/p>\n

[12]<\/a>\u00a0In fact, Lermontov\u2019s poem, which has been set to music by numerous composers, including anonymous folk ones, thus proving its song-like nature, also exhibits a wealth of repetitions:<\/p>\n

<\/i>\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043d \u2013 \u043f\u0443\u0441\u0442\u044b\u043d\u044f;<\/i>\u00a0\u0434\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0443 \u2013 \u043f\u0443\u0442\u044c; \u0442\u0443\u043c\u0430\u043d \u2013 \u0445\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u043d\u044b\u043c; \u0431\u043b\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0442 \u2014 \u0441\u0438\u044f\u043d\u044c\u0438; \u043d\u043e\u0447\u044c \u2013 \u043d\u043e\u0447\u044c; \u0442\u0438\u0445\u0430 \u2013 \u0442\u0438\u0445\u043e; \u0432\u043d\u0435\u043c\u043b\u0435\u0442 \u2013 \u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0442 \u2013 \u0441\u043b\u0443\u0445 \u2013 \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0441 \u2013 \u0448\u0443\u043c\u0435\u043b; \u0437\u0432\u0435\u0437\u0434\u0430 \u2013 \u0437\u0432\u0435\u0437\u0434\u043e\u044e; \u043d\u0435\u0431\u0435\u0441\u0430\u0445 \u2013 \u0437\u0435\u043c\u043b\u044f; \u0441\u043f\u0438\u0442 \u2013 \u0437\u0430\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c \u2013 \u0441\u043d\u043e\u043c \u2013 \u0437\u0430\u0441\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c \u2013 \u0434\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0430\u043b\u0438; \u0433\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0431\u043e\u043c \u2013 \u0437\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0435\u044f; \u0442\u0430\u043a \u2013 \u0442\u0430\u043a — \u043d\u0435 \u0442\u0435\u043c \u2013 \u0442\u0430\u043a; \u0436\u0434\u0443 \u2013 \u043d\u0435 \u0436\u0434\u0443;\u00a0<\/i>\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0435\u044e<\/i>\u00a0—\u00a0\u043d\u0435 \u0436\u0430\u043b\u044c;<\/i>\u00a0\u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0438 \u2013 \u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0438; \u043d\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0433\u043e \u2013 \u043d\u0438\u0447\u0443\u0442\u044c — \u0432\u0441\u044e \u043d\u043e\u0447\u044c \u2013 \u0432\u0435\u0441\u044c \u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c; \u044f \u0438\u0449\u0443 \u2013 \u044f \u0431 \u0445\u043e\u0442\u0435\u043b \u2013 \u044f \u0431 \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0430\u043b; \u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435\u043a\u0438 \u2013 \u0432\u0435\u0447\u043d\u043e; \u0432 \u0433\u0440\u0443\u0434\u0438 \u2013 \u0433\u0440\u0443\u0434\u044c; \u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431 \u2013 \u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431 \u2013 \u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431 \u2013 \u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431; \u0432\u0437\u0434\u044b\u043c\u0430\u043b\u0430\u0441\u044c \u2013 \u0441\u043a\u043b\u043e\u043d\u044f\u043b\u0441\u044f; \u043b\u0435\u043b\u0435\u044f \u2013 \u0441\u043b\u0430\u0434\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u2013 \u043b\u044e\u0431\u043e\u0432\u044c.<\/i><\/p>\n

[13]<\/a>\u00a0Later in life, Kuzmin was to translate his favorite\u00a0Golden Ass<\/i>\u00a0into Russian.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":355,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1816","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTHEMES, STRUCTURE AND INTERTEXTS IN MIKHAIL KUZMIN\u2019S INFINITIVE POEM \u201cSWEET IS IT TO DIE\u2026\u201d - Alexander Zholkovsky<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/alexander-zholkovsky\/kuzm-stat-eng-site\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"THEMES, STRUCTURE AND INTERTEXTS IN MIKHAIL KUZMIN\u2019S INFINITIVE POEM \u201cSWEET IS IT TO DIE\u2026\u201d - 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