The Poetics of Humanism and Nature in Konstantin Paustovsky’s Stories
Keywords:
Paustovsky, Russian prose, humanismAbstract
This article examines the prose of Konstantin Paustovsky (1892–1968), one of the most lyrical and humanistic Russian writers of the twentieth century. Focusing on a range of his key stories and novellas—including Romantics (1921), The Cart (1922), The Left Bank (1923), The Old Cook (1924), Philistines (1925), The Sea Laborer (1927), Kara-Bugaz (1932), Colchis (1934), Snow (1944), and the essay collection The Golden Rose (1955)—the study highlights Paustovsky’s thematic concerns, stylistic innovations, and moral vision. It argues that Paustovsky’s work is characterized by the synthesis of lyrical description and philosophical reflection, the elevation of ordinary lives into exemplars of dignity, and a profound engagement with the natural world as a moral and symbolic force. His writings are analyzed within historical, cultural, and comparative perspectives, revealing his contribution not only to Russian but to world literature as a defender of beauty, memory, and human values.
References
Paustovsky, K. (1921). Romantiki [Romantics]. Moscow: Gosizdat.
Terras, V. (1991). A History of Russian Literature. Yale University Press.
Peace, R. (1992). “Lyricism in Soviet Prose: Paustovsky and His Contemporaries.” Slavic Review, 51(4), 784–803.
Kelly, C. (2001). Russian Literature: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
