O. Mandelstam’s Poem “The Strawˮ: A Linguistic Commentary

Abstract

As our analysis has showed, the figurative outline of O. Mandelstam’s poem “The Straw” is an expanded intertextual allusion to E. Poe’s story “Ligeia”, largely obscured by a number of semantic transfers to the point of tightness. The identification of the precedent supports of this allusion contributes to a more complete understanding of this text; facts are given in the light of which the name Ligeia might be considered as meaningful; the anacyclicity of the structure of the poem has been clarified. The indicated intertextual background of Mandelstam’s poem casts certain doubt on the euphonic interpretations belonging to: 1) M.L. Gasparov, who believes that when searching for a rhyme, the name Serafita came to the word ubita ‘killed,’ which “led to a string of romantic names”, in particular the name Ligeia; 2) V.V. Musatov, who believes that “it’s not a woman, but the sound of her name, which vibrates, creating a feeling of blissfulness, and from this vibration arises a new series of names: Lenore, Solominka ‘Straw’, Ligeia, Seraphita”. Mandelstam’s poem “The Straw” is written in a high lyrical style. High style is incompatible: 1) with vulgarisms and rude vernacular; 2) with the category of the comic. Factor (1) casts certain doubt on the hint postulated by G. Freudin to the “vulgar expression of erotic content”, which, according to his interpretation, lies at the heart of the Mandelstam’s poem; factor (2) – N.I. Khardzhiev’s supposed connection of this poem with V. Khlebnikov’s comic grotesque “The error of death” and V.V. Ivanov’s alleged connection of the lyrical name the heroines of Mandelstam’s text with a straw, through which the Lady Death in the specified play by Khlebnikov drank cherry juice.