Examining the dynamics of the imagery in Vladimir Gandelsman’s poem ‘A day in September’ [‘Den’ v sentyabre’], the article assesses the effects of metaphtonymy as the core method that creates its meaning. Metaphtonymy is defined as interaction of metaphor and metonymy, which becomes a main tool for uncovering various interpretations of a single text. Gandelsman’s poetic experiments are of special interest due to his skillful implementation of a finely nuanced psychologism by a variety of means, often uncommon, in the field of the poem’s imagery and semantics. The development of the system of images and conditionality of their dynamics reveal the ways to shape varying interpretations, all thanks to the poet’s careful and competent treatment of words. It is through the metaphtonymic shift that the reader’s attention is drawn to the interpretation that’s closest to him/her, while the use of ancillary methods of repetition and coupling within the general poetic metaphtonymy generate polysemantics. Multidimensionality in the semantic field of the text is the leading trend in the modern poetic paradigm.