Barbarus (ja Semper) ning „modernim ahvisugu”. XX sajandi esimese poole haritlasvasakpoolsuse estetistlikust aluspõhjast
This article explores how the works and activities of close intellectual companions Johannes Barbarus and Johannes Semper reconcile their alignment with a decadent and aestheticist artistic stance with their leftist views (leading to collaboration with Soviet power and the writing of propagandistic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Estonian |
| Published: |
SA Kultuurileht
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Keel ja Kirjandus |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://keeljakirjandus.ee/ee/archives/36328 |
| _version_ | 1797306745947684864 |
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| author | Aare Pilv |
| author_facet | Aare Pilv |
| author_sort | Aare Pilv |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores how the works and activities of close intellectual companions Johannes Barbarus and Johannes Semper reconcile their alignment with a decadent and aestheticist artistic stance with their leftist views (leading to collaboration with Soviet power and the writing of propagandistic poetry). The discussion begins with Barbarus’ poem “Journey” (Teekond), where the individualistic poet contrasts with the “modern apes”, representing progressivist and calculating bourgeois modernity. The article delves into the internal ambivalence expressed in Barbarus’ poetry, revealing simultaneous attraction and repulsion towards large revolutionary crowds; the poet likely perceives the masses primarily as a source of aesthetic sublimity akin to other natural elements. The use of Verhaeren’s name in this poem and elsewhere in the works of Barbarus and Semper is then examined. The second half of the article broadens the discussion, exploring the shared grounds of decadence/aestheticism and utopian avant-gardism – an aesthetic resistance to modern progressivist society that ultimately leads to ideological transformation through the actualization of utopia and the internal collapse of initial aspirations. Barbarus and Semper’s mid-century choices can also be seen as artists’ aesthetic decisions, the fulfilment (but also failure) of aesthetic aspirations originating from decadence. The article concludes with the suggestion that aestheticism rooted in the attitudes of decadence may still be a viable approach to overcome the miseries of modernity – not by merging into revolutionary utopianism, but by assuming the form of “dark ecology”. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T00:45:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9cca03270b0d435e8ec9c49f19cf85ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0131-1441 2346-6014 |
| language | Estonian |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T00:45:22Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | SA Kultuurileht |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Keel ja Kirjandus |
| spelling | doaj.art-9cca03270b0d435e8ec9c49f19cf85ba2024-02-15T10:51:26ZestSA KultuurilehtKeel ja Kirjandus0131-14412346-60142024-02-01671–214415710.54013/kk794a7Barbarus (ja Semper) ning „modernim ahvisugu”. XX sajandi esimese poole haritlasvasakpoolsuse estetistlikust aluspõhjastAare Pilv 0Under and Tuglas Literature Centre of the Estonian Academy of SciencesThis article explores how the works and activities of close intellectual companions Johannes Barbarus and Johannes Semper reconcile their alignment with a decadent and aestheticist artistic stance with their leftist views (leading to collaboration with Soviet power and the writing of propagandistic poetry). The discussion begins with Barbarus’ poem “Journey” (Teekond), where the individualistic poet contrasts with the “modern apes”, representing progressivist and calculating bourgeois modernity. The article delves into the internal ambivalence expressed in Barbarus’ poetry, revealing simultaneous attraction and repulsion towards large revolutionary crowds; the poet likely perceives the masses primarily as a source of aesthetic sublimity akin to other natural elements. The use of Verhaeren’s name in this poem and elsewhere in the works of Barbarus and Semper is then examined. The second half of the article broadens the discussion, exploring the shared grounds of decadence/aestheticism and utopian avant-gardism – an aesthetic resistance to modern progressivist society that ultimately leads to ideological transformation through the actualization of utopia and the internal collapse of initial aspirations. Barbarus and Semper’s mid-century choices can also be seen as artists’ aesthetic decisions, the fulfilment (but also failure) of aesthetic aspirations originating from decadence. The article concludes with the suggestion that aestheticism rooted in the attitudes of decadence may still be a viable approach to overcome the miseries of modernity – not by merging into revolutionary utopianism, but by assuming the form of “dark ecology”.https://keeljakirjandus.ee/ee/archives/36328literary studiesaestheticismavant-gardebarbarussemperleftism |
| spellingShingle | Aare Pilv Barbarus (ja Semper) ning „modernim ahvisugu”. XX sajandi esimese poole haritlasvasakpoolsuse estetistlikust aluspõhjast Keel ja Kirjandus literary studies aestheticism avant-garde barbarus semper leftism |
| title | Barbarus (ja Semper) ning „modernim ahvisugu”. XX sajandi esimese poole haritlasvasakpoolsuse estetistlikust aluspõhjast |
| title_full | Barbarus (ja Semper) ning „modernim ahvisugu”. XX sajandi esimese poole haritlasvasakpoolsuse estetistlikust aluspõhjast |
| title_fullStr | Barbarus (ja Semper) ning „modernim ahvisugu”. XX sajandi esimese poole haritlasvasakpoolsuse estetistlikust aluspõhjast |
| title_full_unstemmed | Barbarus (ja Semper) ning „modernim ahvisugu”. XX sajandi esimese poole haritlasvasakpoolsuse estetistlikust aluspõhjast |
| title_short | Barbarus (ja Semper) ning „modernim ahvisugu”. XX sajandi esimese poole haritlasvasakpoolsuse estetistlikust aluspõhjast |
| title_sort | barbarus ja semper ning modernim ahvisugu xx sajandi esimese poole haritlasvasakpoolsuse estetistlikust aluspohjast |
| topic | literary studies aestheticism avant-garde barbarus semper leftism |
| url | https://keeljakirjandus.ee/ee/archives/36328 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aarepilv barbarusjasemperningmodernimahvisuguxxsajandiesimesepooleharitlasvasakpoolsuseestetistlikustaluspohjast |