Figurative and Motive Unity of Joseph Brodsky’s Cycle “Mexican Divertissement”

An interpretation of the semantic unity poetic cycle Joseph Brodsky “Mexican Divertissement” (1975), consisting 7 (15) lyrical texts, is proposed. If earlier researchers considered one or another poem in isolation, then problem integrity entire work actualized work, question relationship individual cyclic texts raised. It shown how same characters (emperor Maximilian, Huaretz, hero), images (ducks, parrot, lizard, cancer, etc.), motives (loneliness, death, delirium), details (geometry figures, words and signs (explicated implied) pass from text to text, ensuring whole variety melodic “pictures” divertissement. traced “random” appearing are overgrown with additional connotations another, providing logical support for whole. Brodsky’s intertextual references classical Russian literature revealed, which translate code divertissement” “Leningrad / Petersburg”, allowing discern contours history Russia fate hero himself (alter ego author) behind exotic realities Mexico. Some “dark places” deciphered, new interpretations those already reflected by criticism that intention hero-narrator focused not on position scriptertraveler, but creator-thinker.