THE ICONOGRAPHIC COLOUR SYMBOLISM IN BIBLICAL POEMS BY SERGEI YESENIN Cover Image

ИКОНОПИСНАЯ ЦВЕТОПИСЬ В БИБЛЕЙСКИХ ПОЭМАХ С. А. ЕСЕНИНА
THE ICONOGRAPHIC COLOUR SYMBOLISM IN BIBLICAL POEMS BY SERGEI YESENIN

Author(s): Natalya V. Mikhalenko
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Literary Texts, Studies of Literature, Philology
Published by: Петрозаводский государственный университет
Keywords: colour symbolism of iconography; biblical poems by Sergei Yesenin; iconographic symbolism of Sergei Yesenin

Summary/Abstract: The Biblical poems by Sergei Yesenin are full of pathos of theurgic reforms and creation of a new world. All components of these poems (images, spatial-temporal organization, colour symbolics) stressed the importance of ongoing changes. The colours in small poems not only correspond to normal natural colours, but also bear a symbolic meaning, drawing the reader to the iconographic mysticism. The colourful preferences correspond to the tradition (of the Old or New Testaments, iconography or liturgy, as well as scenic tradition), which Yesenin follows in his poetry. Creating images of cosmic transformation, the poet turns to the traditional icon colour combinations and reinterprets the Old and New Testaments images. It puts the cases of prophet Sergei Yesenin in line with the acts of the biblical prophets. All poems in their colour scheme are consistent with iconographic tradition. In these poems three basic colours are used which repeat the colours of thematically close icons. So, The Coming is coloristically associated with the icon of the Nativity, The Transfiguration corresponds to the eponymous icon of Christ. The colours show the relationship and the parallelism of the processes occurring in earthly and heavenly worlds. It emphasizes the unity of the poetic world, the engagement of the Earth and the Heaven in the conversion process. The consideration of Yesenin’s revolutionary epic in line with biblical and iconographic symbolism allows analyzing in a more detailed and deep way originality of poetic recreation of the World and enables to reveal philosophical and esoteric content of the works.

  • Issue Year: 12/2014
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 455-470
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: English, Russian
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