Trimoruk E.D. Three types of mirror in Vyacheslav Ivanov's Poetics: orphic anthropology and theurgic aesthetics
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The article deals with a systematic analysis of mirror imagery in Vyacheslav Ivanov’s poetics. Contrary to the established tradition of interpreting the mirror primarily as a symbol of illusory knowledge, the study substantiates the existence of three ontologically distinct types of mirror. The first type, the “mirror‑abyss,” is associated with motifs of absorption, loss, and illusory doubling. It corresponds to the paradigm of “idealistic” symbolism. The second type, i.e. the “mirror‑zercalo” (speculum), actualizes the semantics of a transparent medium, through which the archetype emerges. It is vividly embodied in the chorus of the Nereids from the tragedy “Prometheus,” where reflection transforms the reflectors themselves. The third type, the “mirror‑revelation”, leads to the theurgic limit, where the mirror becomes an ontological mediator. Its ultimate image is Christ as the “mirror of man.” The material includes poetry, tragedies, and theoretical works by Ivanov. The methodology combines historical‑literary, mythopoetic, and typological analysis. The methodological framework also incorporates the ideas of Jung, Eco, Hegel, and other contemporary scholars. The conclusion is made that the three‑part model of the mirror organically fits into Ivanov’s concept of “realistic symbolism” and Orphic anthropology, opening new perspectives for the study of Symbolist poetics as an integral worldview.
Author: Триморук, Евгений
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204142933