Poems

À propos de l'œuvre

Three poems by Alexander Blok from different years: the mysterious The Stranger (1906), Russia (1908) with its images of the road and the homeland, and the short Night, street, street lamp, drugstore… (1912). A small selection to hear the music of Symbolist verse.

Table des matières

1. IChapitre 1. Незнакомка
2. IIChapitre 2. Россия
3. IIIChapitre 3. «Ночь, улица, фонарь, аптека…»

Genèse de l'œuvre

The Stranger is dated 24 April 1906 and belongs to the cycle The City. Russia was written on 18 October 1908. Night, street, street lamp, drugstore… was written on 10 October 1912 and belongs to the cycle Dances of Death.

Contexte

Blok's verse is musical but full of ambiguous images, so it is worth reading slowly and aloud. In the demo catalogue each poem is a separate chapter.

Le saviez-vous ?

• The words In vino veritas! in The Stranger are a Latin saying meaning 'truth is in wine'.
• Night, street, street lamp, drugstore… has a ring composition: the words of the first line return in the last one - drugstore, street, street lamp.