THE BOOK OF POEMS IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY ... - TopReferat

Breathe, breathe, cling to Him more tenderly,
Holy, joyful, moonless night...
Be tender, warm the newborn within you,
Light, golden-fleeced straw...
Spread the news, starry swords,
There, there, where the gloom stirs,
Where the snows are glazed with black blood,
Spread the news, sharp rays.
To the end of the earth, the very end, there—
That three-crowned Freedom has been born
And that a rising Star burns,
Many-eyed, many-pointed...
In addition to the Christmas date, several links can be made between "Рождение" and
Gippius's poems about Teresa. Gippius uses many of the multiple subjects and
addressees of "Рождение" to describe Teresa elsewhere: the cave water of the first line
resembles the refreshing mountain water of the epigraph; the heavenly burning star of the
third line recalls the enormous Star of "Втайне"; the night, which belongs to Teresa in
"Втайнe," is called upon to caress and warm the newborn, just as Teresa, also in
"Втайне," is asked to "warm, quiet, and console" the poet (Согрей,—утишь,—утешь,
любя...). The various attributes given to the feminine subjects of "Рождение" (чистая,
радостная, нежная) are also applied to Teresa. While these adjectives are relatively
common, an unusual echo is found between the attributes of the star in "Рождение"
(многоконечная, многоочитая, and most particularly многолучистая) and the manyleafed
(многолистая) rose of Teresa in "St. Thérèse de l'Enfant Jésus." The leaves of
Teresa's rose reach out from its rosy (i.e. absolute, pure) core in multiple directions, just
as the many points, eyes, and rays shine out of the star in "Рождение." Both the star and
the rose are able to share their purity and holiness by means of this radiant reach.
In "Втайне," December 24 is not so much the night of Christ's birth as the night
of Teresa's rebirth—her spiritual awakening: И в ночь смотрю я, и сердце
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