Reminiscence of A. S. Pushkin’s <i>Tale about the Dead Princess</i> in B. L. Pasternak’s Poem <i>Hoarfrost</i>

Abstract

Purpose. The poem Hoarfrost among the other works of B. L. Pasternak shows a problem of borders in three different ways: as the inner world of the lyrical hero, as a correlation of a fairy-tale and casual aspects of life, and as a state of nature. It is no coincidence that Hoarfrost is included in the “boundary”, transitional to the late stage of Pasternak's work, the Peredelkino cycle.Results. On the one hand, the theme of an end of a unique human life (in contrast to the endlessly reproduced cycle of death and rebirth of nature) is revealed in images of fear, deceptive order and mistrust. On the other hand, the creative gift of poetic (and childlike) vision brings semantics of consolation. The most surprising thing that happens to the lyrical hero is the discovery of correlations: all the solemn harmony of the environment turns out to be a living representation of the poetical harmony, such as Pushkin's quatrain in The Tale of the Dead Princess.Conclusion. Thus, the everyday world is an extension of the ideal, sacred sense. This discovery requires the efforts of the hero, who moves from a sense of discord between a human and the world to a dialogue with nature and the hope of being heard.