Flower Representations in the Lyrics of A.A. Fet

Abstract

Cultural connotation, artistic value, and aesthetic significance contained in the images of plants determine the importance of interpreting the images of flowers within the lyrical works, considering their profound conveyance of internal emotions. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, A.A. Fet’s floral imagery employs the “language of flowers,” conveying human emotions and social conventions. This article employs the lens of “plant studies” to examine flowers not only as symbols but as active participants in A.A. Fet’s narrative. This approach contributes to an epistemological discourse that examines the relationship between nature and human experience. The research aims to analyse the peculiarities and frequency of using floral imagery in the lyrical works of A.A. Fet, considering the plant symbolism of other landscape poets. To achieve the research aims, the following methods were used: descriptive, content analysis, and comparative. The study shows how floral imagery in A.A. Fet’s works conveys emotions and experiences alongside landscape elements. The content analysis allowed us to determine that A.A. Fet is the poet who most often uses images of flowers in his poems. The analysis of 806 lyrical works made it possible to identify 15 floral images in Fet’s poetry. To convey appropriate emotions through flowers, A.A. Fet uses metaphorical elements and anthropomorphic mechanisms that endow plants with a unique language and life cycle. This analysis explores the symbolic roles of roses, lilies, violets, and other floral imagery in A.A. Fet’s works.