Finding space for a winter eclogue: Joseph Brodsky and ‘Eclogue 4’

The article is devoted to the Joseph Brodsky's essay «Journey to Istanbul». The author considers one of the central subjects of the essay, which is connected with the plans of the Emperor Constantine for the foundation of New Rome and the spread of Christianity. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the reconstruction of the historical picture in the essay, the characteristics of the diverse tasks that Brodsky set for himself, as well as to the stylistic features of the essay text.The article shows that the ideological subtext, to which literary critics and colleagues in the pen often attached excessive importance, plays a rather secondary role in this habitual journey into the past for Brodsky, not to mention that the circumstance of his private life acts as an incentive for such an essay. While the idea of Constantine as emperor and the idea of Constantinople as the New Rome, which marks the idea of Christianity, comes to the fore.

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Venice from Another Perspective

Czytanie Literatury Łódzkie Studia Literaturoznawcze ◽

10.18778/2299-7458.09.11 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 227-234

Author(s):

Francesco M. Cataluccio

Keyword(s):

Joseph Brodsky ◽

History Of ◽

Cultural Texts ◽

The City

This essay with a clearly personal touch is a narrative anchored in cultural texts which deals with experiencing Venice in a multi-faceted way. Talking about his many years of wandering around the city (in the company of, for instance, Joseph Brodsky) and describing places and architectural details important to him, the author argues that especially the mediation of painting, which also documented the history of Venice, allows for a better understanding of the phenomenon of the city. This fusion of the two modalities of experience is also reflected in the structure of the text, which closes the reflection on the contemporary condition of the city and various threats which Venice has to face.

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