Abstract
The sonorous presence of a voice intoning a poem triggers a number of experiential transformations, the most obvious being that the reader is turned into a listener, who cedes control of the temporality in which the poem is experienced. Another consequential effect of the aural experience of poetry is a reduction of the text's inherent polysemy, as the elements of prosody conspire to produce a sonorous “reading” that is necessarily an interpretation. At the same time, the voice that sounds the poem creates new, vocal polysemies, new problems for interpretation. In this article, I attempt to track some of the transformations that occur when the works of Boris Ryzhii, a poet to whom sincerity has frequently been ascribed, are given as vocal performances. How do we hear the “sincere authorial voice” of Ryzhii when his works are not read but spoken – or, more radically, when they are not spoken but sung?
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
