Intellectual humour. Konstantin Simonov’s individual style: the poet through the lens of parodists

Abstract

The article discusses the bulk of parodies emulating K. Simonov’s poetry and penned by historians of literature such as V. Bakhnov, L. Lazarev, S. Rassadin, etc. Korzhova explains that, following the genre’s peak popularity and productive comprehension in the 1920s, scholarly interest is rekindled in the 1960s–1970s, when Problems of Literature [Voprosy Literatury] becomes the medium for discussions about the genre’s potential. The journal sides with L. Grossman’s thesis that claimed that a parody, ‘undoubtedly, constitutes a creative evaluation of a written work’ and publishes studies that examine parodies of verse by K. Simonov, a leading Soviet lyrical poet. In her analysis of the parodies, which exaggerate and mock the signature traits of Simonov’s poetics, the scholar identifies elements of the poet’s idiostyle that is ultimately targeted by the parodists: the lyrical hero’s unparalleled resilience and fortitude, the brutally realistic depictions of battle scenes, and overly rationalized love poetry. Korzhova also notes that the authors of the best parodies not only succeed in pinpointing the key motifs and certain aspects of Simonov’s poetics but also hint at the genesis of his verse.