B. L. PASTERNAK’S FIVE TALES ABOUT ART: TOWARDS THE INTERPRETATION OF THE CYCLE

The article offers an interpretation of the cycle Five Tales, that opens B. L. Pasternak’s fourth book of poetry, Themes and Variations. Through textual analysis, the instantiation of the book’s main «themes» (inspiration, art, love, nature, temptation) in the cycle is outlined, as well as their mergence into a unified composition. Furthermore, the article explores the mechanisms of transposition and variation of the «themes» borrowed by the author from his predecessors: Shakespeare, Goethe, Pushkin, and Blok. Five Tales is showcased as a «system-forming» cycle that defines the foundational motifs of Themes and Variations as a whole and the logic of the book’s unfolding.