Mickiewicz and Tyutchev – “Conversation” versus “Silence”

Abstract

The article is devoted to the comparison of two key works of romantic lyric poetry of Polish and Russian poetry - A. Mickiewicz's "Conversation" and F. Tyutchev's "Silentium!", devoted to the problems of language, the relationship between thought and its expression. The external similarity of the poems is shown, the possible influence of A. Lamartine's poem "God" on them. Both "Conversation" and "Silentium!" appear as vivid manifestations of national literatures of the Romantic era, developing under French influence. The differences in the authors’ approach to these issues is considered, including the way the poets eventually come to opposite conclusions. The place of these poems in the work of both authors is also stressed, and the creative evolution of the poets is analyzed in the light of the ideas expressed by them. The conclusion is made about the historical determinacy of the "coincidence" of the plot and vocabulary of the poems, caused by the fact that Mickiewicz and Tyutchev belonged to the same generation, although in different national literatures. The grammatical and syntactic foundations of the construction of the poems under consideration, their strophic structure, and the forms of versification used are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the common Slavic correspondences in the Russian and Polish poetic languages, and the mutual possibilities of versification. The conclusion is made about the fundamental philosophical differences between both poets and their worldview, manifested in these poems. In this regard, a discrepancy on the issue of the philosophy of language between the authors is revealed. The temporal characteristics of "Conversation" and "Silentium!" are compared. The question of the influence of Mickiewicz's poem on subsequent Polish poets, in particular, Przerwa-Tetmajer, is also raised. Particular attention is paid to Adam Mickiewicz’s treatment of the theme of lethargy and the possible influence of Moliere on Tyutchev’s rhetorical turn in the poem “Silentium!”

Received 13 May 2025

Revised 24 June 2025

Accepted 15 September 2025

For citation: Artemyev, M. A., 2025. Mickiewicz and Tyutchev – “Conversation” versus “Silence”. Slavic World in the Third Millennium, 20 (3–4), pp. 112–124. https://doi.org/10.31168/2412-6446.2025.20.3-4.05