The image of a dragon in the poetry of N. Gumilev: Chinese subtext

Cover Page

Cite item

Abstract

The article discusses the image of a dragon in the poetry of N. Gumilev. New in the work is the hypothesis on the intertextuality of the poems by N. Gumilyov “The Poem of the Begining” and A. Tolstoyʼs “Dragon”. The Chinese subtext of the image of the dragon in the poetry of N. Gumilev is grounded. The relevance of the topic is due to the development of the study of the mutual perception of Russian and Chinese cultures in the space of a poetic text. At the same time, the problem of reception of the image of China in the poetry of the Silver Age remains not yet fully understood. The objectives of the study were to identify, describe and interpret the Chinese subtext of the image of the dragon in the poetry of N. Gumilev; consideration of the authorʼs reception; comparing the perception of the image of the dragon in the culture of Russia and China. The results of the study showed: the frequency of the image of the dragon in the poetry of N. Gumilyov, the poet’s use of this image as originally Chinese; the relationship of the description of the image of the dragon in the works of N. Gumilyov and A. Tolstoy; the poet’s appeal to Chinese mythology and hieroglyphic writing. The author’s reasoning and conclusions are based on critical research, a comparison of two cultures. An analysis of the poetic works of N. Gumilev was carried out in a semantic aspect using the method of text parallels. The study of the image of the dragon in the poetry of N. Gumilev allows to approach the worldview of the culture of the Silver Age on one more side.

About the authors

Polina V. Porol

People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)

Author for correspondence.
Email: olgaporol@mail.ru

postgraduate of Department or Russian and Foreign Literature

10 Miklukho-Maklaya St., bldg. 2, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation

References

  1. Azadovskij K.M., D’yakonova E.M. Bal’mont i Yaponiya [Balmont in Japan]. Moscow: Nauka Publ., 1991. 190 p.
  2. Bal’mont K.D. Sobranie sochinenij [Collected works]: in 7 vols. Moscow: Knizhnyj klub “Knigovek”, 2010.
  3. Belyj A. Apokalipsis v russkoj poezii [Apocalypses in Russian poetry]. Public Domain, 1905. 16 p.
  4. Bronguleev V.V. Posredine stranstviya zemnogo: dokumental’naya povest’ o zhizni i tvorchestve Nikolaya Gumileva [The last voyages at the earth: about life and creativity of N. Gumilev]: gody 1886–1913. Moscow: Mysl’, 1995.
  5. Gumilev N.S. Polnoe sobranie sochinenij [Complete works]: in 10 vols. Moscow: Voskresen’e Publ., 2001.
  6. Gumilev N.S. Stihotvoreniya i poemy [Verses and poems]. Saint Petersburg: Akademicheskij proekt Publ., 2000. 736 p.
  7. Gumilev N. Neizdannoe i nesobrannoe [Unreleased]. Paris: YMCA-PRESS, 1986. 297 p.
  8. Ivanov V.V., Toporov V.N. Drakon [Dragon] // Mify narodov mira [The myths of the world]: encyclopedia: in 2 vols. Vol. 1. A – K / ed. by S.A. Tokarev. Moscow: Sov. enciklopediya Publ., 1991. Pp. 394–395.
  9. Luknickaya V. Nikolaj Gumilev: zhizn’ poeta po materialam domashnego arhiva sem’i Luknickih [Poet’s life as to the materials of Luknicki’s family archive]. Leningrad: Lenizdat Publ., 1990. 302 p.
  10. Gumilev N. Issledovaniya i materialy. Bibliografi ya [Researches and materials. Bibliography]. Saint Petersburg: Nauka Publ., 1994. 678 p.
  11. Ocup N. Nikolaj Gumilev. Zhizn’ i tvorchestvo [Nikolaj Gumilev. Life and creativity]. Saint Peterburg: Logos Publ., 1995. 200 p.
  12. Propp V.Ya. Russkij geroicheskij epos [Russian heroic epos]. Moscow: Labirint Publ., 1999. P. 71.
  13. Slavyanskaya mifologiya [Slavonic mythology]: encyclopaedic dictionary. 2nd ed. Moscow: Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya Publ., 2011. 512 p.
  14. Tolstoj A.K. Izbrannoe [Collected works] / introductory article and notes by A. Tarhova. Moscow: Pravda Publ., 1986. 476 p.
  15. Tolstoj A.K. Stihotvoreniya. Poemy. Knyaz’ Serebryanyj. Sochineniya Koz’my Prutkova [Verses. Poems. The knight Serebryany. Writings of Kozma Prutkov]. Moscow: Olimp Publ.; AST Publ., 1999. 583 p.
  16. Shahnovich M.I. Mify o sotvorenii mira [The myths about world creation]. Moscow: Znanie Publ., 1968. 60 p.
  17. Enciklopedicheskij slovar’: repr. vosproizvedenie izd. F.A. Brokgauz – I.A. Efron, 1890 g.: in 82 vols. Vol. 21. Moscow: Terra Publ., 1991. 466 p.
  18. 陈寿(撰). 裴松之(注). 三国志. 北京:中华书局, 1999. 678页. [Chen Shou. Peisongzhi (zhu). San guo zhi. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1999. 678 ye.]
  19. 许慎. 说文解字. 北京:中华书局, 1985. 558页. [Xu Shen. Shuowen Jiezi. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1985. 558 ye.]

Copyright (c) 2019 Porol P.V.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This website uses cookies

You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website.

About Cookies