The poem “I Enter Dark Temples” by Alexander Blok absorbed all the main motifs of the cycle “Poems about a Beautiful Lady.” The main motive of the poem is the expectation of meeting the Beautiful Lady and high service to Her. The entire work is surrounded by an atmosphere of mystical mystery and miracle. Everything here is elusive, everything is just a hint. Some kind of reflections, flickering, hopes for an incomprehensible miracle - for the appearance of a Beautiful Lady, in whose image a certain Divine principle was embodied.
The words of the lyrical hero take on the character of a solemn hymn, a prayer chant with which believers usually turn to their Deity. The text of the work consists of appeals and exclamations expressing the hero’s immense admiration. No events occur. There is only expectation: the lyrical hero sees himself in the image of a devoted knight who has made a high vow of eternal service to his Beautiful Beloved.
The lyrical hero calls his beloved the Majestic Eternal Wife, Sweetheart, Saint. So lofty and holy is the image of the Beautiful Lady that all addresses to her are written by the author with a capital letter. And not only these words, but also pronouns: You, about Her, Yours. The ritualism and holiness of what is happening is also emphasized by the image of a temple, burning candles and lamps. The poem itself sounds like a prayer. The vocabulary is solemn: many lofty, beautiful and outdated words are used, emphasizing the exclusivity of the event (performing a ritual; flickering lamps, illuminated, vestments, gratifying).
Love for a Beautiful Lady is a kind of sacrament. The heroine appears both in the guise of the Majestic Eternal Wife, and in the guise of a simply earthly woman, when the lyrical hero calls her Sweetheart. The lyrical hero expects a miracle - the appearance of a mysterious Stranger. His lonely, anxious soul strives for the sublime, awaits revelation, rebirth. This waiting is tedious, tense, anxious. The poet uses the symbolism of the color red. In all poems dedicated to the Beautiful Lady, the color red is both the fire of earthly passions and a sign of Her appearance. In this poem, the lyrical hero waits for Her appearance in the light of red lamps. The epithet illuminated also reflects this color:
The Beautiful Lady is a dream, an ideal, but happiness with her is possible not on earth, but in eternity, in dreams. This poem contains motifs familiar to love lyrics: dreams of Her, hope of meeting. But the image of the Beautiful Lady is unusual. This is not only the real beloved of the lyrical hero, but also the Soul of the World. The lyrical hero is not just a lover, but a Man in general, who strives to merge with the Soul of the World - to achieve absolute harmony. In this reading, the poem is no longer perceived as love, but as philosophical lyrics.
The dream of meeting a Beautiful Lady is a desire to escape from the real world, from unworthy people for whom “the truth is in wine,” in profit and self-interest. Using associations, images and symbols, Alexander Blok writes not only about love, but also about a complex, unknown world that awakens harmony, beauty, and goodness in the soul. To enhance the impression, Blok uses epithets (dark temples; poor ritual; gentle candles; gratifying features). Emotionality is enhanced by personifications (smiles, fairy tales and dreams are running; the image is looking) and rhetorical exclamations (Oh, I’m used to these robes / of the Majestic Eternal Wife]; Oh, Holy One, how gentle are the candles, / How gratifying are Your features!).
Assonances are used (There I am waiting for the Beautiful Lady / in the flickering red lamps). The poem is written with a three-beat dol. The foot is multisyllabic with stress on different syllables, the rhyme is cross.
The poem “I enter dark temples...” was written by Blok on October 25, 1902. This time was marked by important events in the poet’s personal life - falling in love with his future wife, L.D. Mendeleev.
In addition, it is known that in the early period of his creativity Blok was interested in the philosophy of Vl. Solovyova. In the teachings of this philosopher, the poet was attracted by the idea of Eternal Femininity, or the Soul of the World. According to Solovyov, it is through love that the elimination of egoism and unity with each other is possible. “High love” for the world is revealed to a person through love for an earthly woman, in which one must be able to see her heavenly nature.
All these thoughts and moods are reflected in the poem “I Enter Dark Temples...” In general, the mood of the work can be characterized as a mood of expectation. The lyrical hero is in love. He expects from his beloved the revelation of her feminine essence and, through this, the knowledge of Higher Femininity, Harmony, and merging with the world. Therefore, we can say that this poem is a combination of love lyrics with spiritual lyrics.
The entire work is built on a metaphor. The hero enters the “dark temples”. I think this is a metaphor for love. The combination of these words is interesting; it reflects the hero’s attitude towards his feelings. “Temples” are something holy, divine, while “dark” is unknown, mysterious, alluringly mysterious and frightening.
The hero does not know, doubts, his beloved is really She - the woman of his life, his destiny, his Goddess and Muse. Or is he wrong? But despite this, he waits, trembling with excitement, because he loves:
In the shadow of a tall column
I'm shaking from the creaking of the doors.
What is important here, in my opinion, is the epithet “illuminated”, referred to the image, dream, dream of Her. This image is illuminated by some kind of higher light, a premonition. The hero knows within herself that she is She.
The further development of the poem confirms this:
Oh, I'm used to these robes
Majestic Eternal Wife!
They run high along the cornices
Smiles, fairy tales and dreams.
At first, the hero was uncomfortable with the thought that his beloved was the Majestic Eternal Wife, that is, the personification of the highest femininity, strength and weakness, harmony, which would save the world. But gradually he got used to the fact that every time he came into contact with such a miracle. Therefore, he says that he is “used to these vestments.” Now they don’t bother him, but inspire him to “smiles, fairy tales and dreams.” They inspire dreams of your beloved as an earthly woman.
The last stanza completes the reflections of the lyrical hero. He brings to the fore the spiritual higher essence of his beloved. He “believes” that she is the embodiment of the Supreme Harmony:
Oh, Holy One, how tender the candles are,
How pleasing are Your features!
But I believe: Darling - You.
Thus, the poem can be divided into three parts: introduction, development of thoughts, conclusion.
The language of the work is bright, rich in means of artistic expression. There are especially many epithets here (dark temples, a poor ritual, a Beautiful Lady, an illuminated image, the Majestic Eternal Wife, gentle candles, gratifying features) and metaphors (the image looks, the robes of the Wife, smiles run, fairy tales and dreams).
Syntactically, an inversion can be noted in the poem (I enter, I commit, I wait, etc.) This gives it measuredness and solemnity. There are exclamatory sentences here that convey the strength of the hero’s hopes and expectations.
In general, the structure of sentences is quite simple. It corresponds to the “poor rite” performed by the hero.
I believe that the poem “I enter dark temples...” is one of the best poems by A. Blok. It shows love, first of all, as a spiritual, emotional, emotional fusion of two people. In addition, I am close to the idea that only love will save every person and the whole world as a whole, because love is God.
Analysis of A. Blok’s poem “I enter dark temples...”
Analysis of the poem by A.A. Blok "I enter dark temples"
Poem “I enter dark temples. "was written in 1902 and is included in the first volume of lyrics (1898-1902). Blok created his first book under the strong influence of the philosophical ideas of Vladimir Solovyov. In this teaching, the poet is attracted by ideas about the ideal, about the desire for it as the embodiment of the Soul of the World, Eternal Femininity - beauty and harmony. Blok gave his ideal image the name “Beautiful Lady” and created a cycle of “Poems about a Beautiful Lady,” which includes the poem “I enter dark temples. "
The central motive of the poem is the motive of expectation and hope for a meeting with the Beautiful Lady. Gradually, the lyrical hero’s anxiety increases (“I’m trembling from the creaking of the doors.”), as her image visibly appears in his imagination, illuminated by an aura of holiness. Her appearance brings peace to the hero’s soul, he finds harmony:
Oh, Holy One, how tender the candles are,
How pleasing are Your features!
I can't hear neither sighs nor speeches,
But I believe: Darling - You.
This poem contains motifs familiar to love lyrics: dreams of Her, hope of meeting. But since the image of the Beautiful Lady is a complex, syncretic image, it is not only a real beloved, but also the Soul of the World, then these motives are comprehended on an unusual plane. The lyrical hero is not just a lover, but a Man in general, striving to merge with the Soul of the World, that is, to achieve absolute harmony. In this reading, Blok’s poems appear as philosophical lyrics.
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“I enter dark temples...” A. Blok
“I enter dark temples...” Alexander Blok
I enter dark temples,
I perform a poor ritual.
There I am waiting for the Beautiful Lady
In the flickering red lamps.
In the shadow of a tall column
I'm shaking from the creaking of the doors.
And he looks into my face, illuminated,
Only an image, only a dream about Her.
Oh, I'm used to these robes
Majestic Eternal Wife!
They run high along the cornices
Smiles, fairy tales and dreams.
Oh, Holy One, how tender the candles are,
How pleasing are Your features!
I can't hear neither sighs nor speeches,
But I believe: Darling - You.
Analysis of Blok’s poem “I enter dark temples...”
Love lyrics are of key importance in the works of Alexander Blok. And this is not surprising, since the 17-year-old poet, who experienced strong feelings for Lyubov Mendeleeva, managed to preserve them for the rest of his life. This woman was destined to become Blok's muse and his guardian angel. Even after fate separated this couple, the poet continued to love his ex-wife, helped her in every possible way and sincerely believed that they were made for each other.
For the first time, the image of Lyubov Mendeleeva appeared in the poet’s poems, dated to the last year of the 19th century. This period of creativity includes the creation of a series of works dedicated to the mysterious beautiful lady. Its prototype was the poet’s chosen one, who did not reciprocate his feelings for a long time. As a result, the young people separated and did not see each other for several years, during which Blok recreated a sweet image in his works with enviable regularity. The eyes, smile and even the voice of Lyubov Mendeleeva followed the poet everywhere. Blok even admitted that it was like a kind of insanity when in a crowd of people you try to find a familiar figure, you notice a similar head tilt in completely strangers and even the way they carry a purse in their hands.
The poet did not tell anyone about his emotional experiences, but what he felt after parting with his chosen one can be easily read between the lines of his works. One of them is the poem “I Enter Dark Temples...”, created in 1902. Its essence boils down to the fact that even in the image of the Mother of God the poet seems to be beloved, and this fills his soul with double joy. It is difficult to judge how much of what was written corresponded to reality, but acquaintances of the young Blok claim that at some point he became truly devout and rarely missed Sunday services. It can be assumed that with the help of prayer the poet tried to drown out his mental pain and come to terms with the loss of a loved one. However, the author himself explains this behavior somewhat differently, noting: “there I am waiting for the Beautiful Lady in the flickering red lamps.”
It would be foolish to expect that it would be in the temple that Blok would meet his pragmatic and free from religious prejudices lover. The poet understands this very well, but continues to go to church. There, “only an illuminated image, only a dream about Her,” looks into my face. Now there is no longer any doubt that in the images of the “Majestic Eternal Wife” the poet sees the features of the girl with whom he is in love. And this similarity fills Blok’s soul with inexplicable joy; he believes that his love is a gift from heaven, and not a curse. And such an interpretation of such a strong feeling forces Blok not to abandon it, but, on the contrary, to cultivate love in his heart, which gives him the strength to live. “I can’t hear any sighs or speeches, but I believe: Darling, you are,” the poet admits.
The romantic period in Blok’s work, associated with the creation of the cycle “Poems about a Beautiful Lady,” did not pass without a trace for the poet. Until his death, he treated women with great respect, considering them superior beings, more refined and vulnerable. As for Lyubov Mendeleeva, he truly idolized her and was even slightly afraid that with his own feelings, rude and primitive, he could denigrate the soul of the one he loved so much. However, as practice shows, not every woman can appreciate such a reverent attitude towards herself. Mendeleev's love in this regard was no exception, as she betrayed Blok more than once, falling in love with other men. However, after the poet’s death, she admitted that she was unfair to him and could not fully understand what a noble and sublime nature her husband possessed.
Poetic analysis “I enter dark temples” (A. Blok)
February 4, 2016
This poem was written when young Alexander Blok was barely 22 years old. It was this time that was marked by the poet himself as a period of active creativity, an open spiritual search for his own highest truth and truth. A whole cycle of love poems is dedicated to Lyubov Dmitrievna Mendeleeva. In her person the poet found a dear friend and muse, whom he served all his life. He idolized this girl, who later became his wife, and saw in her manifestations of the divine essence.
The poetic analysis of “I Enter Dark Temples” is intended to show and identify the main feature of Alexander Blok’s spiritual quest at a specific stage in the development of creativity. Namely, serving the image of the Eternal Femininity, trying to find her in the material world, get closer to her and make an integral and indestructible face part of her own existence.
Theme of the poem
“I Enter Dark Temples” is one of the pinnacles of Alexander Blok’s poetry in the cycle dedicated to the Beautiful Lady. The key point should be considered an attempt to find a dream, an image of Eternal Femininity in the everyday world with prevailing material values and attitudes. From here the moment of discrepancy in ideas, irresponsibility, futility of search is clearly visible.
The analysis of “I Enter Dark Temples” shows how disconnected the lyrical hero of A. Blok is from reality, absorbed in his own obsession. And it is difficult for him to cope with this mystical desire; it subjugates him, deprives him of his will, common sense, and reason.
The state of the lyrical hero
The verse “I enter dark temples” is the eleventh in a number of works addressed to Lyubov Dmitrievna Mendeleeva. The lyrical hero is in a state of anxiety, he wants to find integrity with himself, to find his lost soulmate - a part of himself, without which he cannot become happy. In a holy place, a temple, he sees only echoes of that mysterious, unearthly image to which his search is directed, on which all his attention is focused. Here the author himself connects with the feelings of the lyrical hero in these deep inner experiences.
Image of Eternal Femininity
One of the most beautiful and mysterious is the poem “I Enter Dark Temples.” Blok endowed his heroine with fabulous, mystical features. It is elusive in its essence, beautiful and incomprehensible, like a dream itself. This is how the image of Beauty arises as a hypostasis of divine love. Often the lyrical hero compares her with the Mother of God and gives her mystical names. Alexander Blok called her the Dream, the Most Pure Virgin, the Eternally Young, the Lady of the Universe.
Readers always have rave reviews and impressions after reading poems such as “I enter dark temples.” Blok is a favorite poet of many intellectuals, especially his work is close to young boys and girls. The one whom the lyrical hero serves is shrouded in the greatest mystery. He treats her not as an earthly woman, but as a deity. She is surrounded by secret signs and shadows, in which her attraction to the Apollonian principle is discernible - the hero contemplates her and himself receives aesthetic pleasure from experiencing the feeling. The analysis of “I Enter Dark Temples” demonstrates to the reader an interesting approach to the interpretation of lines known and loved by millions.
Key characters
In the poem, one can highlight several images that create a kind of background for the development of the action and complement the plot with bright pictures.
The robes emphasize the holiness and sublimity of the image of the Beautiful Lady. This is the material embodiment of the divine principle (Mother of God, church). Everything earthly is alien to her; she represents the sublime element of freedom and light. You can pray to her at night in the moonlight, chanting her unsurpassed beauty with every thought and action.
Red lamps symbolize the unattainability of a dream, its remoteness and unreality, compared to everyday life. Here there is a connection between the fictional world and reality.
Thus, the analysis of “I Enter Dark Temples” emphasizes the idea that the poet’s intimate and personal experiences of youth occurred against the backdrop of a desire to unravel the mystery of Beauty.
Listen to Blok's poem I Enter Dark Temples
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Picture for the essay analysis of the poem Entering dark temples
Poem “I enter dark temples...”. Perception, interpretation, evaluation
The poem “I enter dark temples...” was created by A.A. Blok in 1902. It was written under the impression of the poet’s meeting with Lyuba Mendeleeva in St. Isaac’s Cathedral. The poem was included in the “Cycle of Poems about the Beautiful Lady.” In his youth, the poet was fascinated by the philosophical teachings of V. Solovyov. According to this teaching, the world, mired in sins, will be saved and revived to life by a certain Divine principle, embodying the Eternal Femininity. Blok endowed this image with ideal features and gave it various names: Beautiful Lady, Majestic Eternal Wife, Kupina. He imagined himself as a knight who had taken a vow of service to the Beautiful Lady. As part of these creative searches, this work was created.
Compositionally, the poem develops the same theme - the hero’s wonderful dream; his date with the Beautiful Lady is described. At the beginning of the poem, some signs of reality are given: “dark temples”, “poor ritual”. All these images precede the hero’s date with the Beautiful Lady. And it’s not for nothing that it happens in the temple. This is a world in which love and harmony, kindness, warmth and perfection always reign. Thus, the image of the heroine in the mind of the lyrical hero is equated to the Divine principle. And gradually the image of the hero also becomes clearer for the reader. The second stanza becomes a kind of culmination of the theme of the date:
In the shadow of a high column I tremble from the creaking of doors.
And he looks into my face, illuminated,
Only an image, only a dream about Her.
The reader here understands that the Beautiful Lady is just the hero’s dream. However, there is no bitterness or regret in his soul. He is completely immersed in his dream, endlessly devoted to it. Reality does not burden him, because it seems to not exist in his soul. The hero’s world is a world of “smiles, fairy tales and dreams.” The main thing is faith in the dream: “I can’t hear neither sighs nor speeches, But I believe: Darling - You.”
The poet uses characteristic images and colors here: we see the flickering of “red lamps”, the golden shine of icons, the dullness of yellow candles. The color palette here is symbolic: the red color speaks of sacrifice, hinting at the lyrical hero’s willingness to give his life for the sake of the Beautiful Lady (red color is associated with blood). Yellow and gold, on the contrary, are colors that symbolize life, sun, and warmth. Obviously, the lyrical hero merged so much with his dream that it became an unchanging part of his life.
The poem was written by a dolnik. The poet uses various means of artistic expression: epithets (“dark temples”), metaphor (“Smiles, fairy tales and dreams run high along the eaves”), alliteration (“I tremble from the creaking of doors”).
Thus, the work is “programmatic” for Blok’s early lyrics. The young poet embodied his myth about the World Soul through allegories, mystical premonitions, mysterious hints and signs.
I enter dark temples,
I perform a poor ritual.
There I am waiting for the Beautiful Lady
In the flickering red lamps.
In the shadow of a tall column
I'm shaking from the creaking of the doors.
And he looks into my face, illuminated,
Only an image, only a dream about Her.
Oh, I'm used to these robes
Majestic Eternal Wife!
They run high along the cornices
Smiles, fairy tales and dreams.
Oh, Holy One, how tender the candles are,
How pleasing are Your features!
I can't hear neither sighs nor speeches,
But I believe: Darling - You.
Analysis of the poem “I Enter Dark Temples” by Blok
A. Blok entered Russian poetry thanks to the publication of the first collection of poems, “Poems about the Beautiful Lady,” which was dedicated to L. Mendeleeva. This woman became the poet's first and only true love. She did not reciprocate Blok’s feelings for a long time, so the poet’s sad mood is felt in the collection. The cycle includes the work “I Enter Dark Temples...” (1902).
At the beginning of the century, Blok was greatly fascinated by the philosophical ideas of Vl. Solovyov, especially his teaching about Eternal Femininity. This concept underlies all the poems in the series “Poems about a Beautiful Lady.” The poet treated his chosen one as a deity. He considered it blasphemous to mention her name or describe her physical qualities. Love, according to Solovyov, underlies the whole world. The embodiment of ideal beauty in an earthly woman is a rare occurrence. Therefore, the search for such an embodiment is a primary task for understanding the meaning of life and achieving world harmony.
A characteristic feature of Blok’s early work is also religious symbolism. In search of his beloved, the lyrical hero enters “dark temples.” The poet was not a convinced Christian. In religious symbols he saw a source of special power, which emphasized the mystical meaning of his search. In fact, Blok replaced the Mother of God with the image of his Beautiful Lady. According to Solovyov’s teachings, the Eternal Mother, Wife and Lover are united in a single female image. All Blok’s hopes and aspirations are addressed to the “Great Eternal Wife.” This was one of the reasons that Mendeleeva did not reciprocate the poet’s feelings for a long time. The simple girl was amused and a little frightened by such an exalted state of her admirer. Even alone with his beloved, Blok completely abstracted himself from reality. Instead of the usual manifestations of love, he recited his vague, enthusiastic works.
The lyrical hero is in the temple, but religion does not interest him at all. He awaits with trepidation the appearance of his Beloved, sees her image in everything around him. The hero in love no longer notices anything around him: “I can’t hear either sighs or speech.” Being in such an enthusiastic state, distant from reality, was generally characteristic of Blok. This surprised and alarmed not only Mendeleeva, but also all the people around her. The poet was considered a very strange and mysterious person. Only a narrow circle of close friends treated him with understanding and respect.
A. Blok wrote this work in 1902. This time of the author’s life is characterized by elation, the cause of which was falling in love with L.D. Mendeleev, the future wife of the writer.
Also during this period, Blok’s widespread passion for the philosophy of V. Solovyov was noted. According to his philosophical ideas, love is the surest means to eradicate selfishness within oneself. Having fallen in love with a woman, a person comprehends her essence, the nature given from God, which in turn leads to high love for the whole world.
Similar ideas, to one degree or another, are reflected in the work “I Enter Dark Temples...”. The main character is in love with an earthly woman. All his thoughts are permeated with the desired knowledge of the broad female soul, comprehension of the harmony of this world, merging with it. Spiritual lyrics are mixed in the lines with love lyrics, creating an amazing contrast.
The main means of expressiveness in the poem is metaphor. “Dark Temples” is love, the attitude of the lyrical hero to the feelings that he experiences. Darkness means the unknown, temples - mystery and divine value.
The poem is riddled with doubts of the hero. He is not sure of the reciprocal feelings of the woman he loves. However, he knows for sure that she is his muse and goddess:
And he looks into my face, illuminated,
Only an image, only a dream about Her.
The use of the epithet “illumined” shows the reader that she is the ultimate dream of the protagonist, his sun, to which he strives.
At first, the hero is embarrassed by the femininity and harmony that his “Majestic Eternal Wife” personifies, but later he finds special sensitivity and pleasure in this. He likes to be involved in such a creation of nature (“I’m used to these vestments”). Now the former embarrassment is gone, the hero is open to “smiles, fairy tales and dreams,” dreams of a beautiful lady.
The end of the poem sums up the thoughts of the hero in love. He finally comprehends the lofty nature of his goddess: “Oh, Holy One, how gentle are the candles, How gratifying are Your features!”
To summarize, we can distinguish several parts in the work: the introductory part, the hero’s reflections and the final part.
The poem itself is written in a lively, sensual language, filled with means of artistic expression (epithets “poor rite”, “Beautiful Lady”, metaphors such as “smiles run”). Exclamations convey the hero's emotions, his hopes and expectations.
In conclusion, we can say that this is one of the most striking poems by A. Blok. In it, the author shows love as the merging of the emotional experiences of two people, as the source of the salvation of the world, love for God.
Analysis of Blok's poem I Enter Dark Temples No. 2
Today we will talk about Alexander Alexandrovich Blok’s poem “I Enter Dark Temples.” Alexander Alexandrovich is one of the most famous poets of the 20th century. I would also like to note that the poetry of the Golden Age is beautiful, but the poetry of the 20th century is more understandable for modern people; in my opinion, the poetry of the 20th century is the golden mean, the poetry of the 21st century is not yet fully formed, and the poetry of the Golden Age does not always raise understandable problems us.
Alexander Alexandrovich Blok is a very interesting person and a unique poet. His unique handwriting can be recognized immediately, a slightly confused riff and unique means of expression, of course, a deep meaning, and our poem “I Enter Dark Temples” fully meets all of the above criteria.
The work: “I Enter Dark Temples,” written in 1902 on October 25, was dedicated to his future wife, and at that time simply his beloved Lyubov Mendeleeva, who after marriage took her husband’s surname Blok, whom the poet madly loved.
How pleasing are Your features!”
For Alexander Alexandrovich, the figure of his future wife, Lyubov Dmitrievna, is a guide in the darkness, a beautiful light in the window: “In the flickering of red lamps.”
In general, the entire poem is permeated with love, when reading it you understand that true love exists, and the work is written so brilliantly that it reflects all the feelings of the author, reveals his soul through and through, and Alexander Alexandrovich Blok’s soul is as rich, pure and unique as his work.
Analysis of the poem I enter dark temples according to plan
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The symbolist work of the poet Alexander Blok was influenced by the Russian philosopher Vladimir Solovyov, especially his idea of “Eternal Femininity”. Therefore, Blok’s first collection of poetry was called “Poems about a Beautiful Lady.” This image is inspired by memories of the Middle Ages and chivalry.
One of the first poems was “I enter dark temples...” The rhythm, melody, monotony and at the same time solemnity of sound involuntarily subjugate the reader. This state also corresponds to the internal mood of the lyrical hero: he enters a high temple (not just a church!), determined to meet the Beautiful Lady, whom he speaks of as something lofty and unattainable.
All the words with which it is named may sound quite ordinary if you do not see how they are written. And they are all written with a capital letter, in addition, each is preceded by an epithet, giving the words-names identity and majesty: Beautiful Lady, Majestic Eternal Wife. This technique should lead the reader’s imagination away from ideas about an ordinary beloved woman to the thought of the divine, unearthly, eternal. She is a dream, a saint, and at the same time Sweet - an epithet that hardly refers to a deity.
The earthly and the divine intertwined, and this is how “two worlds” appeared. In Blok’s poem there is reality, that is, a visible, tangible world: a temple with high columns, vaguely flickering red lamps near icons, elegant, with gilded vestments. Another world - unattainable, divine. But one detail seems alien in the poetic vocabulary of the poem - this is the “creaking of doors.” However, it is justified because it conveys the feeling of the “creaking” itself as an obstacle that interferes with contemplation and expectation. Or maybe the “creak” connects two images and two expectations into one? The Heavenly Eternal Wife will descend and reveal herself to the spirit of man through illumination, but the Sweet One can only enter through the real door.
Trembling at the sound of a creaking door is not irritation from a disturbance, but a sign of impatience and timidity of a lover hoping to see his earthly deity. One thing turns into another and it is difficult to distinguish where is reality and where is a dream and what it means:
They run high along the cornices
Smiles, fairy tales and dreams...
These words and images cannot be deciphered in detail, but they act through their sound, emotionality, and the elusive content of the poem’s subtext. One can hear in them a quiet joy, immersion in a vague but wonderful feeling. The image of the Beautiful Lady reveals some kind of double meaning: for the hero she is a symbol of something lofty and beautiful, which the reader cannot definitely judge. Everything is shrouded in mystery, riddle.
Blok’s early poems are not subject to logical analysis, but after reading “I Enter Dark Temples...” it becomes clear to everyone that the author himself is absorbed in vague premonitions and expectations, is directed towards eternity more than towards immediate reality, lives in a world of dreams, just like his hero.
Blok was captivated by V. Solovyov’s idea: there is an unchanging, eternal image of Love - “Eternal Femininity.” It exists in another, higher, unearthly world, then the network is imperishable and incorporeal, but it must descend, “descend” to the earth, and then life will be renewed, become happy and ideal. The attraction of souls to this highest principle is love, but not ordinary, earthly, but, as it were, reflected, ideal.
In this idea of the philosopher Solovyov, although it is religious and idealistic, hope for the renewal of humanity has been preserved. For people who were ideally tuned, and young Blok belonged to such people, it was important that a person, through love, found himself connected with the whole world, and with something greater than himself. Personal intimate experience in the light of V. Solovyov’s idea acquired the meaning of universality.
Therefore, Vladimir Solovyov with his idea of “Eternal Femininity” turned out to be close to Alexander Blok, a dreamer and at the same time seriously thinking about life, about its deepest foundations. His fascination with Solovyov’s ideas coincided with those years of his youth when Blok began to feel like a poet. It was at this time that he fell in love with Lyubov Dmitrievna Mendeleeva, his future bride and wife. Abstract philosophy and living life were so mixed and intertwined in Blok’s mind that he attached a special, mystical meaning to his love for Mendeleeva. It seemed to him that she personified Solovyov’s idea. She was not just a woman for him, but embodied the Beautiful Lady - Eternal Femininity.
Therefore, in each of his early poems one can find a fusion of the real and the ideal, specific biographical events and abstract philosophizing. This is especially noticeable in the work “I Enter Dark Temples...”. There is dual world here, and the interweaving of illusions with the present, abstraction with reality. In almost all the poems of the first volume, reality retreats before another world, which is open only to the poet’s inner gaze, before a beautiful world that carries harmony.
However, many critics reproached the poet for the fact that the “myth discovered by Blok” shielded him from contradictions, doubts and threats to life. How did this threaten the poet? By listening to the calls of “another soul” and joining in his own dreams to world unity, the World Soul, a person actually leaves real life. The struggle of the soul with reality will form the content of all of Blok’s subsequent lyrics: he himself combined his works into three volumes and called them “a trilogy of humanization” or “a novel in verse.”
- “Stranger”, analysis of the poem
