Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok

Emily Lygo (University of Exeter)
Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error

Aleksandr Blok is a major Russian poet of the Silver Age who lived through the revolutions of 1905 and 1917 and responded to his times both as a poet and essayist. He is generally associated with the second generation of Symbolists, but after 1917 he also worked with the Bolshevik regime until his death in 1921. Blok’s character tended towards extreme moods that ranged from a religious yearning for the divine to an embracing of demonic and destructive forces, and these poles characterise the sharp contrasts found in his work. Although he is known primarily as a lyric poet, he also wrote essays, reviews, and lyric dramas; the latter were performed in the experimental theatres of the Silver Age and early Revolutionary period.

Blok was born in 1880 in St Petersburg. His parents did not

2847 words

Citation: Lygo, Emily. "Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 December 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=449, accessed 19 March 2024.]

449 Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

If you need to create a new bookshelf to save this article in, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to your 'Account' here

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.