Phenomenological aspect of the title of B. Pasternak’s book of poems The Twin in the Clouds

About the author:

Alexey V. Barykin, Cand. Sci. (Philol.), Associate Professor, Department of Russian Language, Tyumen Higher Military Engineering Command School; barykin.aleksej@list.ru; ORCID: 0000-0002-9799-8748

Abstract:

This article focuses on the phenomenological interpretation of Boris Pasternak’s first book of poems, The Twin in the Clouds, examining the artistic intentions that shape the work’s subjective structure. The study delves into the creative conflict involved in defining the lyrical subject, seeking self-identity and engaging in a dialogue with their “double”. The analysis incorporates mythopoetic, hermeneutic and psychoanalytic perspectives to explore the work’s imagery. The author investigates the unique intentional experiences of the lyrical subject within the artistic text’s syntagmatic-paradigmatic connections, transcending conventional sign-defined certainty. This aspect models the existential-ontological realization of the lyrical hero and the author’s self-awareness in phenomenological reflection. The article also examines the linguistic structure of the poetic texts, exploring various interpretations of metaphors that trace back to the sacred tradition of naming. The analytical portion of the article focuses on texts that best demonstrate the ideologically significant aspects of Pasternak’s book. These texts primarily reveal the intentional specificity of resolving the existential conflict of the lyrical subject in their quest for cosmogonic unity with their divine counterpart. The study’s conclusions present findings from an analysis of all poems in the book, considering the actualization of artistic intentions in three main aspects: ontological, gnoseological, and metaphysical. This comprehensive approach uncovers the full range of the hero–subject’s existential experiences.

References:

Barykin, A. V. (2008). Self-identification of the lyrical subject in B. Pasternak’s poem “Lesnoe”. In From Text to Context: An Interuniversity Collection of Scientific Papers (Vol. 7, pp. 99–101). [In Russian]

Barykin, A. V. (2021). Phenomenological poetics of a lyric work: methodological aspect. Tyumen State University Herald. Humanities Research. Humanitates, 7 (3), 73–86. https://doi.org/10.21684/2411-197X-2021-7-3-73-86 [In Russian]

Bakhtin, M. M. (1997). Rhetoric to the best of its falsity... In M. M. Bakhtin. Collected Works (Vol. 5, pp. 63–70). Russkie slovari. [In Russian]

Ventslova, T. (1997). About some of the subtexts of Pasternak’s “Feasts.” In T. Ventslova. Interlocutors at the Feast: Articles about Russian Literature (pp. 199–211). Baltos Lankos. [In Russian]

Vroon R. (1998).  Sign of the Twins: the experience of interpreting the first collection of poems by B. Pasternak. In Pasternakovskie chteniya (Vol. 2, pp. 334–354). [In Russian]

Gasparov, M. L. (1990). “The Twin in the clouds” and “The initial time” by B. Pasternak: from composing the collection to composing the cycle. Izvestiya AN SSSR. Literature and language, 47, 142–147. [In Russian]

Gasparov, M. L., & Polivanov, K. M. (2005). “Twin in the clouds” by Boris Pasternak: The Experience of Commentary. Russian State University for the Humanities. [In Russian]

Guenon, R. (1997). Symbols of Sacred Science. Belovodye. [In Russian]

Gromov, M. N. (1989). To the interpretation of the apocrypha about the creation of Adam. Proceedings of the Department of Ancient Russian Literature, XLII, 255–261. [In Russian]

Jackson, G. (1997). Man and Man. Psychoanalysis of Relationships. Chero. [In Russian].

Campbell J. (1997). The Hero with a Thousand Faces. REFL-book; AST. [In Russian]

Lipovetskiy M. I., & Sandomirskaya I. I. (2006). How not to complete Bakhtin? Correspondence from two electronic corners. New Literary Observer, (3), 86–100. [In Russian]

Lotman, Yu. M. (1996). About Poets and Poetry. Art-SPb. [In Russian]

Miretskaya, E. B. (1992). Mayakovsky and Pasternak in 1910–1920s: to the problem of relating poetic worlds. In It Is Ugly to Be Famous… Pasternak’s Readings (Vol. 1). [In Russian]

Pasternak, B. L. (1989–1992). Collected Works in 5 vols. Khudozhestvennaya literatura. [In Russian]

Pasternak, E. B., & Pasternak E. V. (2004). The Life of Boris Pasternak. Zvezda. [In Russian]

Polivanov, K. M. (1996). Pasternak’s “Chorus”: the commentary. Literary Review, (4), 50–55. [In Russian]

Takho-Godi, A. A. (1987). Dioscuri. In Myths of the Peoples of the World: Encyclopedia in 2 vols. (Vol. 1., p. 383). [In Russian]

Fleyshman, L. (1993). Fragments of Pasternak’s “futuristic” biography. In Studies of American Scientists (pp. 544–585). Petro-RIF. [In Russian]

Fulcanelli. (1964). Le Mystère des Cathédrales. Paris.