THE “LATIN CODE” IN THE TITULAR COMPLEX AND TEXTS OF VYACHESLAV IVANOV’S “ROMAN SONNETS”

Abstract

The article examines Vyacheslav Ivanov’s “Roman Sonnets” – a cycle of nine poems created in 1924 after the poet arrived in Rome on an official mission to foster cultural ties between Italy and Soviet Russia (a mission that ultimately turned into permanent emigration, as Ivanov never returned from the trip). These sonnets marked his first poetic endeavor after a four-year hiatus, signifying a creative rebirth and a return to writing. The study analyzes the titling complex (the “textual frame”), which incorporates both Latin and Russian names for Roman locations; identifies patterns in the use of Latin and Russian; and demonstrates how the author integrates the “Roman text” into his work. It also traces connections to the concepts of ancient Roman rhetoric and the compositional structures of Marcus Fabius Quintilian, while highlighting parallels between the poems and details of the author’s biography. It is demonstrated that the text’s frame holds the key to interpreting the author’s communicative intention, as well as the counterpoint between time – the recounting of the history of ancient and later Rome within the poems – and space – the lyrical protagonist’s physical walk through Rome, taking in specific landmarks.