Where Did “Stolen Air” Come From?

Abstract

Irina Surat traces the theme of theft through Osip Mandelstam’s work, finding its roots in works by François Villon and Paul Verlaine as well as Mandelstam’s life experience. Mandelstam’s attention to the earlier French poets allows him to note a word cluster that supports an image of the poet as thief and outlaw, supporting his work and self-image at a time when the Soviet literary system was no longer welcoming or supportive.