Biography of Brodsky

Author: Liu Wenfei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: Over ten years ago, while writing my doctoral dissertation on Brodsky's works, I had a detailed reading of Brodsky. For this book, "A Biography of Brodsky," I reread the poet's works and some related materials, spending dozens of days as if rekindling an old romance and engaging in an in-depth conversation with Brodsky. What is recorded here is the content of our conversation, as well as my reflections and thoughts after the discussion. Brodsky was not one to seek the spotlight, except for the two reflective essays on his early life, "Less Than One" and "In a Half-Domed Room," he left behind almost no autobiography. To this day, no biography or critical study of Brodsky has been published in the United States, Russia, or other European countries. The lack of relevant materials posed some challenges for the writing of this book, but it also provided the author with greater creative freedom. Brodsky has repeatedly said in different contexts, "Poetry is the biography of the poet," "Poetry is the self-portrait of its author," and "Poetry contains echoes of everything." We attempt to understand the poet and his creative process by interpreting Brodsky's poetic works, which is why the author of this book quotes extensively from Brodsky's works, analyzes them in detail, and organizes and summarizes his poetic and aesthetic ideas.