Innokentij Annenskij and the Acmeist Doctrine

An analysis of the lyrics and literary criticism of Innokentij Annenskij both as a means of understanding an important and insufficiently studied poet and as a vehicle for studying the impact of Annenskij's aesthetic theory and practice on the literary doctrine of the Acmeists. The discussion of Annenskij's work is supplemented by an exploration of the essays comprising the Acmeist doctrine and a brief treatment of several illustrative poems, with a concluding chapter linking the earlier poet with his illustrious pupils. "On the whole this book is a well-informed and valuable work on Annenskii, symbolism, and acmeism. It is a good addition to the critical literature on the period, can be used successfully in the classroom, and may be of interest to the general reader." (SR)