Astral Symbolism in the Poetry of A. I. Gotovtseva in the 1820s

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Koptelova, N. G. “Astral Symbolism in the Poetry of A. I. Gotovtseva in the 1820s.” Dva veka russkoi klassiki, vol. 8, no. 3, 2026, pp. 28–49. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22455/2686-7494-2026-8-3-28-49
Abstract:
The article examines the semantics, functions, and methods of artistic embodiment of astral symbolism used in the lyrics of A. I. Gotovtseva of the 1820s, in comparison with the work of some of her contemporaries. It demonstrates that the poetess creates her own astral myth in her lyrics. In her interpretation, positive semantics are attributed to the following astral images: meteor, sun, moon, and stars. It is noted that Gotovtseva also uses astral symbols with ambivalent meanings, such as the moon and sun with “spots.” It is shown that in her artistic depiction of the cosmos, an unambiguously negative semantics is ascribed only to the image of the comet, inspired by the folkloric and mythological concepts of the ancients and genetically linked to the biblical tradition. The analysis reveals that Gotovtseva emphasizes the comet’s demonic nature by contrasting it with the star. The article concludes that astral images in the poetess’s work serve as mediators between the earthly and the heavenly and are primarily associated with motives of spiritual and creative search.
Keywords: A. I. Gotovtseva, poetry, astral symbolism, elegiac romanticism, semantics, functions, poetics, V. A. Zhukovsky, A. S. Pushkin, M. Yu. Lermontov
Author: Nataliya G. Koptelova
Information about the author:
Nataliya G. Koptelova, DSc in Philology, Professor, Kostroma State University, Dzerzhinskogo 17/11, 156005 Kostroma, Russia.

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7145-223X

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Received: March 02, 2026
Approved after reviewing: May 09, 2026
Published: September 25, 2026
Issue: 2026 Volume 8 No. 3
Department: Russian Literature of the 18th–19th Centuries
Pages: 28-49
DOI: Visit Website
EDN:
https://elibrary.ru/LYYVPA
UDK: 821.161.1.09"19"
Publication Type: Research Article

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