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Linguo-aesthetic analysis of I. A. Krylov’s fable "Animal Pestilence": the rhythmic and semantic aspect (to the 255th anniversary of the birth)
https://doi.org/10.30515/0131-6141-2025-86-1-49-59
Abstract
The article analyses "Animal Pestilence", one of the most famous fables by I. A. Krylov. No comprehensive linguistic and aesthetic analysis of this text has been performed before. The study uses slow reading, rhythmic-semantic analysis, the methods of "reference points" and the hermeneutic circle. It is noted that a linguo-aesthetic analysis of the text enables a teacher-philologist to gain a more profound understanding of the message conveyed in the fable. Moreover, it reveals the organic connection between its content and form whose most important element is rhythm, i. e. metrics and strophic structure. The article concludes that the role of the rhythmic means (metrics, rhyme, strophic structure) is far from being confined to the identification of key words and stylistic devices. They help to establish contact with readers, hold an internal dialogue with them, and create the subtext of the work. The study draws attention to the leading role of the flexible rhythmic fable organisation in conveying the disharmony and chaos motifs arising in the world as a result of the Moral law violation. Another objective of the article is familiarising teachers with some versification concepts, as well as elements of the subtext theory (in particular, understanding subtext as a dialogic and contradictory relationship between form and content).
Keywords
About the Author
B. G. BobylevRussian Federation
Boris G. Bobylev, Doctor of Science (Pedagogy), Candidate of Science (Philology), Honorary Worker of Higher Professional Education of the Russian Federation, Hierodeacon Nathanael, Master of Theology, Independent researcher
Novosil
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Review
For citations:
Bobylev B.G. Linguo-aesthetic analysis of I. A. Krylov’s fable "Animal Pestilence": the rhythmic and semantic aspect (to the 255th anniversary of the birth). Russian language at school. 2025;86(1):49-59. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.30515/0131-6141-2025-86-1-49-59
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