The Motif of World Transfiguration in Ivan Zhdanov’s Poem Orans

Abstract

In the works of the contemporary Russian poet Ivan Zhdanov, religious motifs, images, and ideas are intertwined with the philosophy of seeking answers to the ‘eternal’ questions of life and death, faith and breaking away from God, and good against evil. Referring to the analysis and interpretation of his most poignant poem Orans, the article demonstrates the author’s metaphysical approach to the perception and transformation of the world and humanity. As in all Zhdanov’s works, in this poem there are two worlds, i. e. the divine and the human, which the author strives to unify and transform. The poet considers love, hope, and forgiveness the fundamental way to reconfigure human experience, which is also apparent from the very title of the poem, Orans. This is a symbol of forgiveness, embodied in the person of the Mother of God, whom the author calls “hope for ultimate forgiveness”. Themes of pain and suffering, an integral part of human existence, are intertwined in this poem, as well as among many others in the author’s oeuvre. Elements of Christian axiology are among the main pillars of his artistic world, which is filled with a desire for spiritual revival. In addition to biblical motifs (the Archangel, the Last Judgment, etc.), we also observe reliance on the folk tradition of the Eastern Slavs (Pokrov Day or the Intercession of the Theotokos). In addition to decoding individual images, the article also pays attention to the poetic style, rhythmic composition, rhyme, and complex metamorphic language which make the poet a representative of metametaphorism/metarealism/neo-baroque. The relationship between the poet and memory, or poetic mission, plays an important role in the poem.