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Language and Text
2026. Vol. 13, no. 1, 108–120
doi:10.17759/langt.2026130108
ISSN: 2312-2757 (online)

The concept of “Desert” and its semantic content in the works of A.A. Blok

 
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Abstract

Context and relevance. The concept of "Desert" is end-to-end in world poetry: that is, it appears in different literary texts in different periods and has similar features. The article presents an analysis of the concept of “Desert” and its semantic content in the work of the symbolist poet Alexander Alexandrovich Blok. The term of “concept" was revealed by the example of the works of Nina Sergeevna Bolotnova. Objective. To find out how the concept of “Desert” is transformed in Blok's poetry, how its aesthetic essence changes and how its imaginative content expands throughout the author's creative career. Hypothesis. The changes in the concept of "Desert" are closely related to the creative stages of the author, which he himself called the "trilogy of incarnation." Methods and materials. The poetic texts were taken in chronological order with reference to the three stages of A.A. Blok's work, which the poet himself outlined in correspondence with Andrei Bely. The article also touches upon the biblical motives and philosophy of Vladimir Sergeevich Solovyov about romantic dualism, which had a significant impact on the transformation of the concept of “Desert” in the works of A.A. Blok. Results. The results showed that the concept of “Desert” was transformed, its semantic content deepened, and its figurative meanings directly reflected the creative quest of the author at certain intervals of time. Conclusions. At the end of the article, the scheme drawn up by the authors was presented, which reflects the variety of semantic content of the concept of “Desert” in the poetry of Alexander Blok.

General Information

Keywords: poetic work, creative oeuvre, A.A. Blok, concept, desert, lyrical hero, artistic image, semantic content, motif, aesthetic essence, biblical motif, trilogy of incarnation

Journal rubric: World Literature. Textology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/langt.2026130108

Received 16.01.2026

Revised 28.02.2026

Accepted

Published

For citation: Zenkevich, I.V., Varlamov, A.R. (2026). The concept of “Desert” and its semantic content in the works of A.A. Blok. Language and Text, 13(1), 108–120. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17759/langt.2026130108

© Zenkevich I.V., Varlamov A.R., 2026

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

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Information About the Authors

Irina V. Zenkevich, senior lecturer of the Department of Linguodidactics and Intercultural Communication, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education (MSUPE), Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3733-9388, e-mail: zenkevichiv@mgppu.ru

Andrey R. Varlamov, MA student, UNESCO Department of Cultural and Historical Psychology of Childhood, Moscow State University of psychology and education, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4455-6233, e-mail: varlamov.andrey2018@mail.ru

Contribution of the authors

Irina V. Zenkevich — data collection and analysis; monitoring of research.

Andrey R. Varlamov — research ideas; annotation, writing and design of the manuscript; research planning; visualization of research results.

All authors participated in the discussion of the results and approved the final text of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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