WAR AND REVOLUTION IN ST. PETERSBURG: MODERNIST LINKS IN THE POETRY OF EDITH SÖDERGRAN AND ANNA ANDREEVNA AKHMATOVA Marlene Broemer ISBN: 978-952-92-5831-4 (Paperback) ISBN: 978-952-10-5670-3 (PDF) Helsinki University Print Helsinki 2009 Marlene Broemer WAR AND REVOLUTION IN ST. PETERSBURG: MODERNIST LINKS IN THE POETRY OF EDITH SÖDERGRAN AND ANNA ANDREEVNA AKHMATOVA Academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by due permission of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki in auditorium XV, on the 5 th of September, 2009 at 10 o’clock. Published by Marlene Broemer Lauttasaarentie 24-26 A5 00200 Helsinki FINLAND Cover photographs: Edith Södergran, used by permission of Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland, Historiska och litteraturhistoriska arkivet, SLSA 566 Anna Andreevna Akhmatova, by Nathan Altman, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. Used by permission of George Mitrevski. ISBN: 978-952-92-5831-4 (Paperback) ISBN: 978-952-10-5670-3 (PDF) Helsinki University Print Helsinki 2009 Dedication To the memory of Stephen Frederick Apperson (1948-1985) and Laimi Sophia Huhta Broemer (1922-2007) Abstract Important modernists in their own countries, Anna Akhmatova and Edith Södergran are compared in this dissertation as poets whose poetry reflects the climactic events of the early twentieth century in Finland and Russia. A comparatist, biographical and historical approach is used to uncover the circumstances surrounding these events. First the poets’ early works are reviewed and their contemporaries are mentioned to provide a poetic context. Then a brief review of Finnish and Russian history situates them historically. Next, the rich literary diversity of St. Petersburg’s Silver Age is presented and the work of the poets is viewed in context before their poetry is compared, as the First World War, October Revolution and subsequent Finnish Civil War impact their writing. While biography is not the primary focus, it becomes important as inevitably the writers’ lives are changed by cataclysmic events and the textual analysis of the poems in Swedish, Russian and English shows the impact of war on their poetry. These two poets have not been compared before in a critical review in English and this work contributes to needed work in English. They share certain common modernist traits: attention to the word, an intimate, unconventional voice, and a concern with audience. In addition, they both reject formal traditions while they adopt new forms and use modern, outside influences such as art, architecture and philosophy as subject matter and a lens through which to focus their poetry. While it may seem that Anna Akhmatova was the most socially aware poet, because of the censorship she endured under Stalin, my research has revealed that actually Edith Södergran showed the most social consciousness. Thus, a contrast of the poets’ themes reveals these differences in their approaches. Both poets articulated a vibrant response to war and revolution becoming modernists in the process. In their final works created in the years before their deaths, they reveal the solace they found in nature as well as final mentions of the violent events of their youth. Keywords: St. Petersburg, Modernism, Symbolism, Acmeism, Silver Age, Finland-Swedish literature Acknowledgements This work began as an independent study project at the University of Helsinki under the auspices of The Fulbright Foundation in 2000-2001. Thus, I am first most grateful to that organization and to The Fulbright Center in Finland for supporting my original idea. Professor Merete Mazzarella was kind enough to give me approval to begin my research in Finland. Since then the Faculty of Arts and Professors Hannu Riikonen and Heta Pyrhönen of the Department of Comparative Literature have been steadfast advisors and supporters and I owe them a great deal for their perseverance in supporting my unusual multi-lingual project. Eminent scholar Riikonen guided me in my study of the historical and literary history of Finland and Dr. Pyrhönen was an exacting reader of many drafts and offered numerous constructive suggestions. The pre-examiners of my thesis, Professor Reet Sool of the University of Tartu, Estonia and Professor Leena Kirstinä of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland have provided invaluable comments and ideas to help me arrive at the final document. I am very grateful for their scholarly and poetic direction. I am very grateful for the financial support of Svenska kulturfonden in the early stages, which made it possible for me to continue my studies. I have also had the support of numerous colleagues and fellow scholars in the Finnish- Swedish- and Russian-speaking community in Finland and I especially want to thank Birgitta Bouchts, Leena Ellitä, Paul Graves, Roger Holmström, Holger Lillqvist, Kai Mikkonen, Agneta Rahikainen, Veronica Shenshin, Ljuba Tarvi, Henrikka Zilliacus-Tikkanen, and Bitte Westerlund for their interest in and support of my work. They answered questions, directed me to libraries and books and generally guided me in the multi-lingual academic community in Finland. Throughout most of my research, I have also worked as an English Language teacher at the University of Helsinki Language Centre and I have appreciated the moral and technical support of my colleagues there in the English section, especially Felicity Kjisik and Tuula Lehtonen. In addition, I have especially appreciated the help of Elina Anttila, and Camilla Boije with translations. Finally, I could not have accomplished this daunting task without the support of people too numerous to name--my friendship-family in Finland, the women of the American Women’s Club, Fulbright colleagues in the ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association, and an independent group of women known as The Witches. Their continued support in my darkest hours was unwarranted, but gratefully accepted. Especially the memory of Pearl Lönnfors will forever be entwined with this long project. My newfound Finnish family has welcomed me to Finland and encouraged me in countless ways. I am forever grateful to have met all of those who have descended from Maria and Juha Lepistö in Pohjanmaa. My own birth family in the United States has had to endure my prolonged absence and I am especially happy that they have not forgotten me—thanks to Suzanne, Jessi, and Clint and their families, and also to my Mother-in-law, Maxine Apperson, for their unfailing love. Despite all of the outside influences I have used in order to produce my final work, I must take responsibility for any errors or fact or interpretation. WAR AND REVOLUTION IN ST. PETERSBURG: MODERNIST LINKS IN THE POETRY OF EDITH SÖDERGRAN AND ANNA ANDREEVNA AKHMATOVA Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................. 4 1.2 Source Material on Edith Södergran ............................................................................................ 9 1.3 Source Material on Anna Akhmatova .........................................................................................13 1.4 Chapter Outlines ...........................................................................................................................15 2.0 THE POETS ........................................................................................................ 19 2.1 Edith Södergran ............................................................................................................................19 2.1.1 Early Poems ................................................................................................................................21 Two Shore Poems .....................................................................................................................................22 from The Day Cools..................................................................................................................................23 2.1.2 Södergran’s Contemporaries ......................................................................................................30 2.2 Anna Andreevna Akhmatova .......................................................................................................32 2.2.1 Akhmatova’s Early Poems .........................................................................................................35 I see the faded flag ....................................................................................................................................37 2.2.2 Akhmatova’s Contemporaries ...................................................................................................38 3.0 LITERATURE AND EMPIRE ......................................................................... 44 3.1 St. Petersburg 1703-1917: Historical and Literary Roots .........................................................44 3.1.2 Poetry and Music: Aleksandr Pushkin, Aleksandr Blok & P. I. Tschaikovsky .........................46 3.1.3 Seamless Border—Finland and Russia 1809-1917 ....................................................................47 Tyst, tyst, tyst Russian .........................................................................................................................50 3.2 1898: Arrival of the Works of Friedrich Nietzsche: Södergran’s Later Response ................52 I saw a tree . ..........................................................................................................................................58