One day in the life of a Russian emigrant. Towards the problem of the evolution of Sasha Cherny's poetry in emigration

The article presents an analysis of Sasha Cherny’s poem (A.M. Glikberg, 1880-1952) “The Seven Wonders” (“Satyricon” No. 12, Paris, 1931). The goal of the present study is to identify the themes, images, and a creative manner of the poet, which evolved in the late period of his writing. In the poem, several content layers could be distinguished: the real one, the lyrical hero is walking in the forest on a summer day; the biblical one, the story of Adam and Eve, where Cain is also mentioned; the metaphysical one, a dispute with God; the philosophical one, a reflection on life values. The ideal locus for a Russian emigrant is nature, giving encounters with a divine harmony. The lyric hero is able to accept, let the beauty of the world around him inside and is able to transform; to argue with God and, despite this dispute, discover the Creator in the sun, bird, and flowers; to discover this for himself and show it to others, to help them fill life with new meanings. By overcoming his own existential loneliness, experiencing the horrors of the past and a fear of the unknown in the future, the poet discovers new sources of creativity and joy. The late works of A. Cherny (in emigration, the pseudonym “Sasha Cherny” replaces a more restrained “A. Cherny”, “A. Black”) are characterized by an openness to the world and trust in the living element of life, which gives a person the joy of being. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that for the first time the poet’s work is viewed through the lens of existential philosophy. The conclusion is drawn concerning the combination of everyday and existential levels of content in the poem, being the discovery of ontological depth in simple things. The evolution of Sasha Cherny’s work moves from a criticism of everyday life to a comprehension of being.