DANTE’S “DIVINE COMEDY” IN MANDELSTAM’S POETRY OF THE THIRTIES

Abstract

The article analyzes Dante’s influence on Osip Mandelstam’s poetry. By showing that Mandelstam knew “The Divine Comedy” perfectly well, the author traces the system of images and metaphors, which the poet took from Dante. The article discusses in detail the poetic interpretation of “Paradise” and demonstrates that just as in “The Divine Comedy”, in the later works of Mandelstam, fear and perplexity led by the search for true knowledge give way to the metaphors of light and joy of recognition as well as to responsibility, repentance and forgiveness associated with them.