17 Comments
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Aaliya's avatar

Love this, the contrast between the romantic allure of the white nights and the heroine’s despair is striking. Akmatova’s ability to convey such deep emotion is truly remarkable.

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

Thank you, Aaliya, for reading and so exactly expressing Akhmatova’s turmoil amongst the beauty of nature.

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you for sharing this poem, Larisa!

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

Thank yoy, Paul, for reading. I translated several of her poems; they are included in my essay about her, which I continue to work on.

Roger Scott's avatar

very nice, Larisa. Thank you for sharing.

Marian Grudko's avatar

Larisa, thank you for the description of "white nights.' How beautiful! I will be thinking about this. The poem is vivid. I felt her suffering.

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

Oh, Marian, I loved them, and I miss them! Don’t feel to much her suffering She loved a lot.

Marian Grudko's avatar

Okay, thanks. Things like that haunt me, so I am relieved to know she loved a lot. You should write an autobiography, Larisa, and show us more about the white nights.

Mona's avatar

Larisa, if this poem was written in 1911, it was most likely inspired by Akhmatova’s complicated relationship with her then-husband, N. Gumilev, don’t you think?

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

I couldn't find any names to whom this poem was addressed. But I will mention all her lovers later, because her poetry was always addressed to them. Gumiliov loved her passionately before their marriage, but after had many lovers, she had hers.

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

Thank you, Mona. You know, the time between two revolutions was the time of freedom, intellectual, political, and sexual. I will write about it later in 2d and 3d parts of my essay.

Chen Rafaeli's avatar

...I should look for that book of mine. Thank you 🩵

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

Chen, I would like you to translate some of Akhmatova's poems into English. You will do it better because You are a poet.

Chen Rafaeli's avatar

I'll try, dear Larisa❤️

PS I did find the book- it is a reprinting of the very first edition, I think, judging by the preface. And so, it contains all the яти и твердые знаки and "i" s. I didn't remember that...

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

It would be so extraordinary if you give the poem in the old, pre revolutionary Russian! At least, this is one thing the communsits made well.

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

Thank you, 8th Gen. Texan, Emica Oka, The Monday to Friday, Jem Hilario, Metheus, Ben Sabat, Michael Morgan, Catherine Hyland, Cams Compbell, Sandra Andrade, Asmira, History Explored, Izabel Chenot, Nigel Southway, Kat, Eugine Terekhine, and 31 others for reading and liking Akhmatova's poem.

Larisa Rimerman's avatar

Thank you, David, for restaking.