Michał Kózka
Konteksty Kultury, Volume 19 Issue 2, 2022, pp. 277-293
https://doi.org/10.4467/23531991KK.22.021.16255The aim of this paper is to present a detailed analysis and interpretation of two poems: A Cloud in Trousers (1915) and At the Top of My Voice (1930). The first, in the manner of an extended metaphor, announces the necessity of redefining the political and social reality, while the latter, concerns itself with the accounts settled in the Soviet reality. In the poet’s lyrical (post-futuristic) attempts one can very often find a lively apologia for the ideas of the constructed system: support for revolutionary movements, a proposal to create generally accessible, universally comprehensible art for the masses. In a much later poem from the 1930s, Mayakovsky again and again, expresses his failure in conveying his political ideas and rebellion, which – in his opinion – has its cause in the misunderstanding of his work. These issues are often presented by the author of The Bedbug in the form of bitter irony, in a style and imagery distinctive of him. On the basis of texts by 20th century literature researchers, as well as in reference to the biography of Mayakovsky, the study analyses various themes and their execution in the selected works of the poet.