Analysis of Bryusov's poem "To the Young Poet". A striking example of Russian symbolism

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Valery Bryusov is a prominent representative of the Symbolists and is considered the founder of this literary movement in Russia. Many poets who worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries resorted to symbolism, which protested against dogmas, moralizing and traditions. An analysis of Bryusov's poem "To a Young Poet" shows that the author wanted to give parting words to future writers, to leave behind followers who will continue the work he started.

Content of the poem

In 1896, Bryusov wrote "The Young Poet". An analysis of the poem suggests that the author dreamed of a new generation of symbolists who, no matter what, would serve art. Valery Yakovlevich urged young people to be ruthless to society, selfish and have only one goal in life - to show their writing talent. Symbolists put the spiritual in the first place and despise the material, so the followers of this trend should be deprived of earthiness and deny their connection with the current time.

An analysis of Bryusov's poem "To a Young Poet" shows that the author encourages writers to abstract from the outside world, dream about the beautiful and convey their dreams in verse. Each symbolist poet must become a demigod, a self-sufficient person who will be respected by the townsfolk. Valery Yakovlevich demanded to love himself, to understand his own uniqueness and to clearly go to the intended goal, without going astray. A real poet, in spite of everything, must devote his whole life to the muse.

The hidden meaning of the poem

At the end of the 19th century, popular unrest began to occur more and more often, revolutionary ideas began to soar in society, against which Bryusov was an opponent. "To the Young Poet" - a poem calling for spiritual development and renunciation of everything material. According to the symbolists, materialism cannot rule the world, while Valery Yakovlevich himself always believed that only time can judge who was right and who was not. As a result, Bryusov's work became a classic of Russian literature, and revolutionary ideas showed their failure and utopianism.

When the poet requires followers to love themselves, he does not mean narcissism, but the comprehension of personal originality, which will help develop good qualities in oneself, not be dependent on the opinions of others. An analysis of Bryusov's poem "To the Young Poet" suggests that the authorbelieves that the spiritual world of a person, except for himself, no one is able to evaluate. Narcissism helps the poet to better know his inner world and open up in poetry.

The reader may be shocked by the author's call not to sympathize with anyone, but an analysis of Bryusov's poem "To the Young Poet" shows that he means an attempt to protect himself from everything material and engage only in spiritual searches. If a writer begins to be interested in other people's problems, then he will simply wallow in them, there will be no time left for creativity at all. In addition, poetry should be light, sublime and have nothing to do with earthly life, and for this the poet needs to protect himself from society.