Appreciation
"The Dagger" was written in 1903, when Russia was in an era of violent turmoil. The poet Bryusov keenly captured the signs of change in that era. He used unique and profound symbolic images to show us a complex and real Russian spiritual world. He was undoubtedly a profound singer of that era. Through the surface of the poet's words, we can still feel the ruthless exploitation, endless oppression, angry resistance and tragic death of that era. How clearly these life scenes and spiritual mirrors are highlighted before our eyes. Thus, we hear the poet's heart "churning like lightning." Therefore, the poet will sing and roar loudly. He is a singer of battle. He will take revenge with the people in the storm. Revenge against ruthless exploitation and oppression, as well as the humble, shallow, ugly and unfair life system. At this time, the "dagger" was pulled out from the scabbard, and it "gleamed with blood-red lightning just like in the past." On the one hand, there is disgust and clear understanding of the status quo, because it is a "humble, shallow, ugly, and unfair life system"; on the other hand, it is moving towards "the land of silence, silence and death." The poet is always waiting for the call, because the poet himself is a fighting singer. At such moments, the poet's emotions blend with the emotions of the times and the people and explode together. He is a profound singer of this era. He sings and roars for the Russian nation and people with his powerful and majestic voice!
As a profound singer of the times, Bryusov is also a master of language. In this song "Dagger", we will be shocked and attracted by the poet's language full of magical power.
"It is pulled out of the scabbard, shining at you, / as in the past, sharpening iron like clay, unbreakable." The beginning of the first stanza of the poem seems so smooth, simple and powerful! It is like a drumbeat in music that beats in the reader's heart, even in the depths of his soul. Music is a pure form of artistic expression, while poetry also has content. In "The Dagger", the poet skillfully combines the form of music with simple and powerful words, producing a magical effect, which is transparent. Through language, it gives people a strong auditory and psychological impact, making people glow with incomparable passion and power after reading it.
The language of the poet Brusov has a profound and powerful unique charm, and it has a magical penetrating power. This is inseparable from the poet's careful selection and integration of the rhetoric, vocabulary, rhythm and pronunciation (sound selection) of the poem. The words and sounds of the poem "Dagger" are sonorous and powerful, producing a solemn and sublime sound effect, like a passionate revolutionary march. It is worth mentioning that the poet also particularly likes to use ancient words and abstract expressions, such as "past" and "battle singer". Because this can better awaken people's memory of the original, vigorous and wild charm, thus giving modern people a sense of fighting spirit and passion.
Among the Symbolist poets, Bryusov is unique. The poet prefers to reveal the sublime, awe-inspiring and even "barbaric" passion and beauty from modern life and ancient centuries, and regards these qualities as the basis of human existence. The poet was called the "bronze and marble poet" at that time, and this title was undoubtedly very appropriate.
This is a poem with "dagger" as its title and also as its image. In addition to its traditional characteristics, "dagger" in this poem also has a unique meaning and metaphor given to it by the poet. The whole poem begins with "It was drawn out of the scabbard", here it is a real "dagger", and the ending "the dagger of poetry" has multiple layers of meaning. It is a symbol of spiritual power from primitive and barbaric times, as well as a symbol of unlimited destructive power. This kind of fresh and primitive factors, full of innovative information and desire, gather together and explode together under the poet's instructions! When we read Bryusov's poems aloud, we will realize the epic temperament and majestic momentum contained in it. In this overall momentum and emotional flow, unique images such as the "flaming flag", "missing trumpet sound" and "reliable steel blade" are like gems and pearls inlaid on the "dagger", shining brightly !
However, the poet's emotion did not rush out uncontrollably, but was well released and expressed under the control of the overall form and rhythm.
(Xi Wang)