Review of “Neznakomka” (1906)
Aleksandr Blok (writer).
Read in 2022.
Read in its original language and in Swedish-language prose translation.
An illustrative example of the ultimate corruption and failure of trancendental symbolism. In this poem, Blok imagines himself a kind of prophet, looking for profound truth in a hottie he sees over a bottle of wine at a pub. In other words, he’s drunk, he’s horny and he naïvely confuses his dank state for enlightenment, like some colour character in Shakespeare.
References here: Modern utländsk lyrik (1975/1985).