How is Brodsky's poetry different? What is the difference between real poetry and beautiful, rhymed words.

An article about Brodsky by Antipov appeared in the "prose about poetry" community.
My response to the article:

"Every self-respecting poet has experienced the unconditional influence (impact, vivid impression of) Brodsky's poetry." (With)

These "historical" enthusiastic lines, written not in the era of "tough, disgusting" socialist realism, when, indeed, one can respect oneself for reprinting Brodsky's "With one finger so as not to leave unnecessary prints", when, it seems, complete freedom opinions and complete freedom of creativity and choice of the ideals of new poetry, ideals dictated by a new, rapidly globalizing and technocratic society.
This is when, according to the philosopher Grigory Pomerants, a sub-global society arises and develops, where "a single space of information is preserved even without an empire."

At the time of Brodsky, there was no such possibility of life in the era.
Of course, one must pay tribute to Brodsky, whose work is an ideal replica of his time and his era, the era of socialist realism with the rigid dictates of the ideological, poster installations of the communist party, where each member of society felt like a small cog in the big machine of socialist realism.

Such critics of our time, who seem to be bewildered by the swiftness of the onset of a new time and era and are cowardly retreating back into the past of socialist realism, where you can plunge with all your heart and drown yourself in past sharp, dear heart experiences, where "you could get a bullet in the back of the head and even without the rights of correspondence", to put it mildly, - I am surprised.
There are associations with the image of an enchanted rabbit in front of a boa constrictor of the past.

What can be said about the poem of a young poet, which the author of a critical article cited as an example of "Brodskism"?
Well, Brodsky's ears are sticking out of the verse. So what?
The poem is stuffed with stamps and settings of the past:

"For some reason, we shed so much blood here..."; "For some reason, we recaptured from the Swedes, didn't give Livs.."; "We are unlikely to triple the power of the fleet by ourselves.."; "I know that we, as before , invincible,.."; "But they can't break us, and they can't bend where they want to..." etc.

Not only is the verse imitative, but it is a panoramic style of socialist realism, which, slowly, but leaves the historical arena of poetry for the archives of history.

Can such poetry and the principles of the past socialist realism satisfy the aesthetic tastes of modern readers?

Of course, those who cannot and do not want to get out firmly and tightly zombified consciousness with the ideals of socialist realism, Brodskyism will be sweet after the coffin of life, and, after the coffin of life, a person will, as in a dream, not paying attention to the realities of life, sort out arsenals " artistic means every major master "from a past era.
How much can you already?
So many tons of waste paper have already been written and written about Brodsky that not a single critical conveyor of descendants will pull it to the top, to the mountain.

"The author puffs on a cigarette and, squinting, exhales a long horizontal smoke. Then he looks at the cigarette and, slowly, says: the wind will still blow in the opposite direction, but the clouds will never take their former shape, never" (c)

Indeed, the basic concept of social realism is the artistic truthfulness of the work.
For example, an adherent of socialist realist criticism, Yuri Bondaryov, writes about the category of truth in the following way:

"The category of truth is not a naturalistic technique, not a photograph of truth, but the essence of Soviet literature, socialist realism, which is characterized by a fusion of history, reality and imagination. This "triad" creates that artistic truth that can compete with the truth of life, expressing the moral essence time".

I will note from myself that this socialist realist "triad", as if in a Procrustean bed, drove Russian poetry into poverty of thought and Spirit, robbed reader's perception, freezing it for many years at the level of declamation and edification, which the ideologists of socialist realism were very fond of immediately turning into a poster with a pointing finger.
at the same time, a narrow loophole was left for poetry only in objective, truthful descriptiveness and tearful, false sensitivity, which in some poets sometimes broke through to truthful sensual heights.

What distinguishes Brodsky's poetry and how Brodsky's work caused persecution and criticism of the ideological opponents of socialist realism is, in my opinion, the fact that Brodsky added to the socialist principles of the "triad" "horizontal smoke" that does nothing, slows down the flywheel of the machine, a small cog, reflecting on that "the wind will still blow in the opposite direction, but the clouds will never take their former shape, never" (c)
Hence the admiration and worship of many, many "cogs" of a huge country, driven and closed from the whole world by the "Iron Curtain".
Therefore, we can agree with the author of the article that

"The phenomenon of Brodsky's poetry is that Brodsky does not say anything radical (nothing radical in form and nothing radical in meaning) with which one could disagree."

Further, it is curious to consider the methods and principles of Brodsky's poetics, which, the author of the article sees in the "generation of clever phrases" and the introversion of the description of "trifles of a domestic nature in a state of intellectual exaltation".

Is this good or bad for modern poetry?

In Brodsky's poem for 1971 (the height of the stagnation of socialist realism) dedicated to Lifshitz, the author of the article sees only an "unexpected beginning", "a muddy argument in favor of Gothic", "courage", "brute force", "geopolitical forecasts", "a very polemical thesis", pathos , infantilism, etc.

But, having outlined the "principles of horizontal smoke" in the article, the author of the article point-blank does not want to see the same principles, in my opinion, in Brodsky's poem.
The poet's gaze horizontally glides over the objects surrounding him at the window and lists everything that his gaze stumbles upon, while interspersing with successful rhymes and thoughts aloud that came to mind, using the ancient technique of Asian akyns "I see a camel - I sing a camel" - window , aspen, forest, knee, dust, dishes, light bulb, floor, and again look out the window at the forest, at a leaf, at a kidney, a meadow with a clearing, at the soil, at your knees, etc.
thus, the poet obtains a lateral volume of reality in which he lives at the given moment.
You can, of course, agree or disagree, as the author of the article did in his notes with the poet's imposed opinion about the need for fish and caviar, or with the poet's imposed opinion about the Gothic style, or with an example of "masturbation", but the essence of Brodsky's poetics does not change from this , namely the essence of the principles of the truthful laterality of socialist realism, but without showing off and posterity.
The Poetics of the Little Screw big car socialist realism, and how Brodsky himself "proudly" designated his style of goods of the "second-class" "second-class era".

"Citizen of the second-class era, proudly
I recognize it as a second-class product ... "

Joseph Brodsky
L.V. Lifshitz

I've always said that fate is a game.
Why do we need fish, since there is caviar.
What Gothic style win like a school
as the ability to hang around without being stabbed.
I am sitting by the window. Aspen outside the window.
I loved few. However, strongly.

I thought that the forest is only part of the log.
Why the whole maiden, if there is a knee.
That, tired of the dust raised by a century,
the Russian eye will rest on the Estonian spire.
I am sitting by the window. I washed the dishes.
I was happy here and never will be.

I wrote that in the light bulb - the horror of the floor.
That love, as an act, is devoid of a verb.
What Euclid did not know that going down the cone,
the thing acquires not zero, but Chronos.
I am sitting by the window. I remember my youth.
Sometimes I smile, sometimes I spit.

I said that the leaf destroys the kidney.
And that the seed, falling into bad soil,
does not escape; that a meadow with a glade
there is an example of masturbation, given in Nature.
I'm sitting by the window, hugging my knees,
in the company of his own overweight shadow.

My song was devoid of motive
but not to sing it in unison. It's not a miracle
what is my reward for such speeches
no one puts their feet on their shoulders.
I sit in the dark; as fast
the sea rumbles behind a wavy curtain.

Second-class citizen, proudly
I recognize it as a second-class product
your best thoughts, and the days to come
I give them as an experience in the fight against suffocation.
I am sitting in the dark. And she's no worse
in the room than the darkness outside.

1971
The same lateral principles of socialist realism can be seen in Brodsky's poem "To Urania", which the author of the article cites as an example for his intricate designation of Brodsky's poetics "Suprematism in half with astrophysics".

The poem begins with a common thought about the formula of sadness "Everything has a limit; including sadness ...".
The poet's gaze again glides horizontally over the objects that surround him next to the window: a leaf, water (one must think from a decanter), keys, a curtain, a globe, the back of his head, his gaze is carried away to "those forests" with blueberries, even further, "to south", the city, the mountains -battleships, open space, and, returns back to the view from the window on "linen with lace".

Is there any idea or thought in the poem?
Apart from the horizontal contemplation of emptiness and space, I see nothing.

I would say even more. I would say that the principles of contemplation, embedded in Brodsky's poetics, are important for modern poetry at the beginning of the 21st century at the moment.

so the modern philosopher, who is 90 years old, Grigory Pomerants, says that in the modern era of rapid technocratization and subglobalization of society, when as a result of "skew" the impudence of a young "practitioner who owns several calculating machines and is therefore convinced that there is no need for him to read" War and Peace "Enough comics - and so everything is clear. As a result of such a bias, a technically armed and spiritually stupid, barbaric population arises."
Grigory Pomerants pointed out the importance of the problem of teaching contemplation, because "Contemplation is a constant call between the kingdom inside us and the kingdom outside. As Prince Myshkin said: is it possible to see a tree and not be happy."

I will say even more that it is Brodsky’s poetics, which in the era of socialist realism, for the first time in Russian poetry, began to follow the principles of contemplation, can serve as the forerunner of the new poetry of the 21st century, the poetry of neo-transsymbolism, which absorbs the best experience of the predecessor and finds application for new methods and techniques of psychedelics and transgression .
Contemplation is one of the methods of transgression, as well as incomplete transgression - transfixation.

In my opinion, the author's further reflections on the ""coefficient of lyricism" of each of Brodsky's poems cited are not worth further consideration.
If only it is worth paying attention that the author does not want to be the experimental "Pavlov's dog" and wants to say his "Fi!"

"Still, I feel offended that he keeps me for Pavlov's dog, and instead of admiration, I answer with skepticism"

"In my opinion, poetry is not divided into male, female, children's. It is either
good, or all the rest.
Andrei Mikhailovich Olear

There is a lot of controversy about whether poetry is divided into male and female. Many argue that there is a male and female pitch or type of writing.
If about features women's poetry talked a lot and often, then it is customary to talk about men's poetry as poetry in general. Perhaps for the simple reason that until women's poetic texts were established, men's simply had nothing to compare with.
Gender traits in poetry do not depend on the gender of the poet
According to Yuli Gugolev, there is no masculine and feminine poetry, but there is masculine and feminine in poetry - no matter who the author is. The thing is, it's really hard to talk about it. Until now, no one was interested in the muscular side of poetry, even such a thing as " male poetry", does not exist. The simplest example is lyric poetry Pushkin. It is written on behalf of a man, it is addressed to a woman, painted with all the male psycho-physiological colors, tones and semitones that are characteristic of this gender. Yesenin is a very masculine poet, expressing the interests of his gender.
Assad is a perfect example. Because he seemed to be frank, like a woman, emotional, like a woman, he considers absolutely female subjects, but he does it very firmly, very tenaciously and very boldly. And he also has this non-fear of bad taste. The girl would be afraid of bad taste. In terms of courage, these are still masculine poems, in terms of the courage to use trash material, that is, an urban ballad, frankly folklore, some kind of thieves sources. Only a man could afford it Soviet times, and even then a man of a very definite warehouse. Blind, that is, a person who is obviously limited in rights, and in his work he can afford more than what is called a normal, physically complete person.
Closer to the female type of writing are men who somehow suffered. I mean disabled people like Asadov, just people who were traumatized by something very deeply, and gays. Homosexual poetry is not something that is close to female, but it is some kind of third language, when you cannot really understand what gender this work is written on behalf of. And this is a very instructive piece of Russian literature when we talk about male or female poetry, from Kuzmin to Evgeny Kharitonov, to our contemporaries. Now the people are not ashamed of their orientation, after the criminal prosecution has been canceled, and people openly write in verse about their experiences.

How is Real Poetry different from beautiful, rhymed words
Andrey Aranyshev Poetic mood

Sergei Aleinik, poet and philosopher:

True art is always polished inaccuracies. And hints. And a fairy tale. And music. And some weirdness. A poet (artist, musician, etc.) is a tightrope walker. He always balances between dick and rose. A little to the left - and the vulgarity of everyday life. A little to the right - and the vulgarity of sweet molasses. In real poetry there is always a fabulous understatement.

I always give this example, and now I will. In 1907, at a party brilliant poet Alexander Blok met and talked with a lady. On her shoulder she had a brooch in the form of a snake (this is important).

Well, it would seem - what nonsense, well, we will describe in verse - like “she is so beautiful, like in a fairy tale, she has a mask on, I see only her eyes, we talk to her, her eyes sparkle, she has thin waist, on the shoulder a brooch in the form of a snake.

As Block writes:


Andrey Aranyshev. Glass of wine

In a long story
secretly hiding,
The hour strikes.
In a dark mask
Slot
Bright eyes.
There is no sadder cover
There is no thinner...
You are kinder than I knew
Mr Poet!
- You do not know Russian,
My lady...
On the shoulder behind a dull cloth,
At the end of the shoes are narrow
A silent snake slumbers.

This is true poetry. A real event is taken - and it is described in such a way that everything becomes a fairy tale (even a real brooch acquired some kind of mystical shade from Blok). And this is not just a brooch - but a symbol. This is the very thing ... And, by the way, this cannot be taught. It is either given or not. And technology can be distinguished from dactyl, such as iambs. But if "it is" - and you cannot distinguish a dactyl from an anapaest - this is bad.

Real poets (as I said above) - after all, they don’t write “right on the forehead”. For example, also Blokovskoe:

Gone, but the hyacinths were waiting.
And the day did not wake the windows.
And in the dark folds of a delicate shawl
The silence of the night bloomed...

It's about love! (not only, of course, since in a good poem there are not one, but several layers, worlds, call it what you want). But it's also about love. Or from Brodsky:

I woke up twice this night
and wandered to the window, and the lights in the window,
snippet of a phrase said in a dream,
nullifying, like an ellipsis
brought no comfort to me.

If it weren’t for the name of the poem: “Love” - for an amateur, try to understand what it’s about ... (there, the truth goes further, but still there is no word “love” in the verse itself).

Or the same Blok collections "Snow Mask" and "Faina" - he was madly in love with N.N.V. And these two collections are about love. But the main themes in them are storm, blizzard, wind, masks, voices in the clouds, impulse, freedom, delight...

Or “The Gray-Eyed King” by Anna Akhmatova - after all, this is about love too ..

They ruthlessly shove love into every verse (thus vulgarizing it) - only mediocre poets. Well, or crooks - to show off in front of fragile girlish souls ...

What is your main poetic message?

Guys, write. And, having written, ask yourself - but if Blok (this is how I do it - you choose at your discretion) - would write such a thing - would he be ashamed? - And if not - you have made a masterpiece.

Here is my poem, I think he would like it:

Russia is even more likely not
country, and part of the world ...
G. Green.

Bus.
Long road.
Rainy day.
Trembling dog.
Village.
House. At the threshold
crooked willow dumb question.
We drove.
More and more...
Deafer...
Charon-driver crumples the pedal.
...a huge expanse of land...
And there is no prophet in him.
It's a pity.
Shout!
Screaming: “Where are you, messiah?
The one whose soul is as pure as snow?!”
... Downcast horse Russia
looks out from the red bush.

S. Aleinik

Andrey Aranyshev. blue yard

Conductor

Andrey Aranyshev. House under the red roof


Andrey Aranyshev. Embrace

Donkeys at the pier. Greece


Andrey Aranyshev. Beach

Andrey Aranyshev.Rybak

Andrey Aranyshev. northern spring

Andrey Aranyshev. Violinist

old yard

Andrey Aranyshev. Portrait with red wine

Andrey Aranyshev. Artist, painter, restorer. Member of the Union of Artists of Russia. Born in 1956 in Yaroslavl.
Exhibitions were held in Russia, USA, Belgium, Finland, Luxembourg, England, Greece, Czech Republic.
A. Aranyshev extremely convincingly combines the methods of creating conditional decorativeness, color surface and figurative-spatial reality. His objects are visual and elegant, his figures are not bodily, but emotional, the artist is fundamentally static, not narrative, intuitive and visibly artistically cultured.
Sergei Aleinik

Although poetry is in decline at the present time, one cannot live without it at all. It reflects the spiritual side of our life and will certainly be reborn in new trends, with new names. But if you now ask an adult who is not engaged in literature: "Name features poetic work", he is unlikely to answer. Although this is necessarily studied in schools.

Where did it all begin?

A huge number of texts have been written about images in literature and the semantics of the text. But the very first analyst of poetry who tried to create a theory of versification was Aristotle. In that unfinished work that has come down to us under the name Poetics, he mentioned that poetry is one of the arts designed to give pleasure to a person.

Aristotle's poetic work is: observance of meter, harmony, order and the art of the word. Speaking modern language, the art of the word meant the figurativeness of speech.

Without what there will be no poem? Distinctive features of a poetic work

So, what features of a poetic work can be distinguished as absolute, without which the poem will be a faded parody?

1. Image. Fiction is distinguished by figurativeness, which is achieved by various comparisons and other figurative and expressive means.
2. Rhyme and rhythm. Poetry is based on the ability to alternate stressed and unstressed syllables. The melodic pattern of the verse depends on this. Rhyme can be rich or poor, but it is an obligatory link. Of course, free verse is also written without rhyme. But they are dominated by meaningful, expressive artistic images that hold the reader's attention.
3. Emotionality. A work of art is intended to influence the feelings of the reader, the deep impulses of his soul.
4. The syntactic integrity of the whole poem. Moreover, the poem is short work, it is not written in sheets, like a story. Therefore, it is desirable to express all ideas in such a way that they are syntactically capacious.

Also for good poem harmony is important. A work that is too emotional or saturated with visual means is more likely to cause antipathy. Hence the conclusion that in classical theory the distinctive features of a poetic work are, first of all, a sense of harmony of images, sounds and emotions and the observance of rhythm.

Modern views on versification

Poetry is also a science. This was insisted on by Yuri Lotman, an art and literary critic who received Nobel Prize. He was the teacher of the new age.

But in our time, all the great schools are gradually disappearing. Gone is symbolism, romanticism, modernism, even postmodernism in literature is already at sunset. But still, many people write their poems without trying to conform to any school, and therefore poetry lives on.

What are the hallmarks of a poetic work now? Now avant-gardism is making itself known more and more loudly. guided by the muse, intuition. And the only feature is the denial of dogma, freedom of expression.