American Context of the Russian Proletarian Poetry in the USA (1920s): Yakov Tarle

Abstract

The article explores how an American context is represented in the poetry of YakovThe article explores how an American context is represented in the poetry of YakovTarle, one of the Russian “proletarian” émigré poets from the poetical circle ofDavid Burliuk, the leader of “proletarian writers and painters in North America”.Tarle took part in cultural life in New York, and the article traces some ways of representingthis cultural experience in his poems (for example, his contacts with NikolaiiEvreinov), examines Tarle’s attitude to the American poetry, among others to JohnReed and Carl Sandburg. Creating the industrial images of Chicago and New YorkTarle follows the American poets , but in contrast to them emphasizes the motives ofsocial protests and the global hegemony of proletariat. Being under the influence ofBurliuk’s poetic school Tarle uses some avant-garde techniques in his poetry. Some ofthem are analyzed in the article.

Keywords

• russian émigré poetry
• cultural and literary context
• literary reception
• intercultural communication
• ya. tarle
• american poetry
• john reed
• carl sandburg
• soviet poetry