«Как страшно всё!» Идея реинкарнации в художественном осмыслении Н. Гумилева и А. Блока

Abstract

The idea of Reincarnation is analyzed as a core motive, by the example of which the similarities and differences of poetic universes of Blok and Gumilyov are interpreted. Gumilyov’s opposition to Blok can be characterized as “fear of influence”, since a lot of Gumilyov’s themes, externally opposed to Blok, turn out to be internally connected with the work of the latter, and even in Gumilyov’s later works reminiscences from Blok’s poetry could be found. These reminiscences are placed in a new context and thus they acquired a different meaning. Blok represents the idea of reincarnation in a pessimistic vein, intertwining with elements of Christian eschatology, Platonism and the teaching of Vl. Solovyov. Blok’s heroes are immersed in the “elements” of time and space, they experience influences from multiple worlds and do not have the ability and desire to escape from the infinity of rebirths. Blok’s and Gumilyov’s initial understanding of metempsychosis and anamnesis reveals striking similarities. Like Blok’s hero, Gumilyov’s hero “wanders” “in the blind transitions of spaces and times”. Even Gumilyov’s understanding of the metaphysics of history is close to Blok. The difference between two poets is the hero’s attitude to the tragedy of eternal repetitions. In accordance with “manly” attitude, Gumilyov’s hero promotes an active attitude to his own destiny and hopes for a final “awakening”, which is a way out of the circle of reincarnations. Combining themes of metempsychosis and anamnesis with Christian motives, Gumilev, unlike Blok, gradually strengthens the latter, introducing into his texts the Christian concept of the Resurrection from the dead, which contradicts with the doctrine of reincarnation. Gumilyov’s reflections on metempsychosis and Resurrection lead to the religious and philosophical dialogism of his later works such as “The Lost Tram” and “The Memory”. In both texts, the apocalyptic image of Christ is encrypted, and this image is opposed to “Isus” from Blok’s poem “The Twelve”. The strengthening of Christian motives in Gumilyov’s work also leads to a disagreement with Blok in understanding of the Platonic dual world, which was transformed by Blok into the concept of multiple “worlds of art”; Gumilyov, on the other hand, reinterprets the dual world in the context of the doctrine of “two cities”, so at the end of his career Gumilyov gives preference to the Christian mystical tradition.