Article

Name: The Function of the Concepts of East and West in the Poetry of Olga Sedakova and Elena Shvarts

Authors: A. Schmitt

Trier University, Germany

Abstract: The article discusses the conceptual function of the East-West opposition in the verse of Olga Sedakova and Elena Shvarts, Russian poets contributing significantly to the unofficial literature of the late Soviet Union. Firstly, the concepts of East and West are briefly described from the perspective of post-colonial studies. Then, they are considered in the mirror of the poetics of the two poets. It is shown that the Judeo-Christian tradition prevails in both of them, and that the motifs borrowed from other cultural contexts, traditionally referred to under the collective term “East”, have a predominantly decorative function. Both, however, haven’t conducted any in-depth research on these cultural contexts. Yet, it is important for both poets to reconcile the religious traditions of mankind. They only perceive them as externally distinct, but unified at a deeper spiritual level. In the poetry of both, Russia appears as a geographical space, the purpose of which is to synthesize the various spiritual currents of mankind.

Keywords: Olga Sedakova, Elena Shvarts, East, West, cultural transfer, ecumenism

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