REBELLIOUS FLOWERS IN THE GARDEN OF KATRI VALA

Abstract

The article is devoted to the images of flowers, gardens and Chinese literary reminiscences in the work of the Finnish poetess Katri Vala, one of the most prominent members of the literary group «Tulenkantajat» («The Flame Bearers»). The purpose of the work is to explore for the first time in Russian literary criticism the literary images in the poetry of Katri Vala in relation to the Chinese poetry throughout the entire career of the poetess. The subject of study is the lyrics of Katri Vala, which contains an alternation of poetic landscapes, sometimes overlapping, and sometimes sharply contrasting. Using the comparative typological and the historical-literary methods Vala’s poems and translations are analyzed in the context of the convergence of Chinese and Finnish cultural traditions in two similar historical situations. The topic of the article is relevant both from a literary and historical points of view. Katri Vala was accused of aestheticism, of a love of the exotic. The author argues with such point of view, and contends that in this way the Vala’s deep awareness of self-involvement in the tradition of the Tang era Chinese poetry was manifested. This was presented in Vala’s works not only in the form of «ascension to flowers». The poetess was united with the great Tang poets by her civic position, sympathy for the common people, the formulation of social problems, and an appeal to the theme of humanism. The article introduces into scientific use letters stored in the archives of the Finnish Literary Society, articles from Finnish periodicals of the 1920s, which all testify to Katri Vala’s thorough knowledge of Chinese poetry. Convincing examples prove that the translations made by Katri Vala give the Finnish readers a complete picture of the lyrics of Li Bo and Du Fu. In all situations, Katri Vala’s poetry was optimistic, and literary Chinese reminiscences were forever preserved in it.