Crimean Sonnets Mickiewicz's Crimean Sonnets Essay

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Mickiewicz is also able to create a connection to the Crimean landscape through his Western views on religion. In "Chatyr Dagh," Mickiewicz is able to bring together nature, and Eastern and Western religious perspectives. Through the use of the word "Mussulman," an archaic form of Muslim, Mickiewicz hints at the regions dominant religion. Paradoxically, while Mickiewicz writes that the "Mussulman salutes [Chatyr Dagh's] foot with awe," the mountain withdraws from the lowlands "To watch heaven's portals, fair and without a flaw,/Like Gabriel guarding Eden" (1, 4-6). It is evident that Mickiewicz does not know too much about Islam or the Muslim culture aside from a few of their religious practices. He has a better grasp on the representation of Nature in poetry and is able to convey what he sees better than the culture in which he finds himself. Additionally, Mickiewicz does not attribute any of Chatyr Dagh's magnificence to Allah, but rather states that "In mid-creation [the mountain] [listens] to God's will,/Interpreting to worlds what he has said" (13-14).

Another instance of orientalism can be seen in "View of the Mountains from the Steppes of Kozlov" during the poetic conversation between a pilgrim and a mirza, or high nobleman. It is in this poem that the reader is able to see the questions that a Westerner may have in regards to Islam and a Muslim's interpretation of God, or Allah. The pilgrim alludes to the mountain Chatyr Dagh and asks about its creation.

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He poses the questions, "Did Allah raise a wall of frozen foam?/or for his angels hosts a cloud throne near?" (lines 1-2). The way in which Mickiewicz poses the questions regarding Chatyr Dagh, and the poems first stanza, seem to be reminiscent of William Blake's "The Tyger" in which the narrator begins to question what compelled God to create such a ferocious and intimidating creature. Despite any preconceived notions that the pilgrim may have about Allah, the mirza knows what the pilgrim is referring to and emphatically states "I know that region…I've breathed the air which ev'n the eagle quits…There is Chatyr Dagh!" (line 8,11,14). This reaction to the foreigner's preconceptions highlights the vast divide between the East and the West, and brings orientalism to the forefront of Mickiewicz's writing.

Despite Mickiewicz's attempts to find a connection to the Crimean peninsula on his journey, he continues to write from a Western perspective. The differences between his perspective and Crimean perspectives are highlighted mostly in the manner in which he approaches, or references, religion. Mickiewicz's view of Crimea remains limited to the landscapes and ruins that he witnesses; he does not appear to interact with anyone, but rather internalizes his beliefs and observations. Because of this, Mickiewicz's poetry, also rich in nature and complexity, appears one-sided despite his attempts to bridge cultures.

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