THE CONCEPT “ARAB EAST” IN THE INDIVIDUAL STYLE OF N. GUMILYOV

Abstract

Unlike the Symbolist tradition, the Acmeist poet Nikolay Gumilyov creates not an abstract, but a materially tangible, "thing-like" image of the Arab East, based on personal experience and the principles of Acmeist poetics. In the article based on the poet's works containing Oriental vocabulary, a lexical-semantic and conceptual analysis of the structure and dynamics of the concept "Arab East". Particular attention is paid to the methods of linguistic verbalization of the concept, as well as its philosophical-symbolic and plot-forming significance. The formation of the conceptual field occurs through the artistic reworking of elements of medieval Arabic poetry, as well as Qur'anic and Sufi motifs. The juxtaposition of the concepts poet-dervish marks the deep impact of Sufism upon Gumilyov's poetic philosophy. As a result, the concept "Arab East" is transformed from a geographical reality into a complex religious and philosophical construct, reflecting the evolution of the author's worldview – from romantic exoticism to Acmeist precision in depicting the East and its deep existential comprehension.