Requiem, Lot's Wife 'And Thank You, God'

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” quotes Proverbs 31:8-9 (New International Version, Prov. 31:8-9). This maxim has been accomplished by countless people throughout history through a myriad of ways. One example of such a person is Anna Akhmatova, a 20th century Russian poet who lived through Joseph Stalin’s rule of the Soviet Union, a time period characterized by severe oppression and a persistent fear of death. Akhmatova used a variety of techniques throughout her poetry, but nevertheless the biblical allusions used in Requiem, Lot’s Wife, Rachel and “Thank you, God” were remarkably effective in demonstrating the

suffering of the Russian people during Stalinist Russia.
Akhmatova particularly used biblical allusions in Requiem. The title Requiem has a direct connection to religion since a requiem is a hymn for the dead. Hymns have religious connotations and are often used for religious services. Requiem was created to commemorate those who died during Stalin’s reign of Russia and to give voice to those who were silenced either through death or persecution. Furthermore, Requiem contains many religious elements throughout its individual poems. One of Requiem’s poems, Crucifixion, is an extended religious metaphor that alludes to the death of Jesus Christ and compares the imprisonment of Akhmatova’s son to Jesus Christ’s death. In Crucifixion, the apostrophe “Weep not for me, mother” begins the poem, which gives Jesus’ mother reassurance that he will be able to survive the ordeal (Requiem 167). It is continued with the paradox “I am alive in my grave” which may seem self-contradictory since a grave is not for the living; however, this is an apt metaphor for the gulag since millions of people died at these labor camps, practically making it a graveyard (Requiem 168). Crucifixion later brings “a choir of angels” that “glorified the greatest hour” into perspective (Requiem 169). The alliteration in these lines along with the context behind this event where the “heavens [were] [melting] into flames” illustrates how important Akhmatova’s son was to her and how much suffering she was experiencing since she compares her son’s verdict to one of the most impactful events in human history (Requiem 170).

Akhmatova then alludes to an actual verse in the gospels by depicting Jesus as saying “Why hast thou forsaken me!” to describe how many people were feeling during Stalinist Russia (Requiem 171). The Russian people felt abandoned in life since religion was banned. This suppression of religion made it more difficult to cope with the misery that they were encountering since they had no hope for the future. Moreover, repetition of the phrase “weep not for me” is used to emphasize that Akhmatova had hope that her son would’ve been able to survive working in the gulag. Crucifixion later alludes to Mary Magdalene with the quote “Magdalena smote herself and wept” (Requiem 174). Magdalene was one Jesus’ most zealous followers and stayed with him until his crucifixion (Carroll 2). Her reaction to the death of Jesus is a metaphor as to how the Russian people often felt after the death of their loved ones in that they felt hopeless and suicidal. Jesus’ mother, who was deeply impacted by her son’s death, is introduced by saying “but there, where the mother stood silent, not one person dared to look” (Requiem 176-177).

This demonstrates how devastating it is to lose a son and the difficulty involved in approaching someone who is enduring such a travesty. This is comparable to how Akhmatova felt when her son was sentenced to the gulag and how other Russian mothers felt when they lost their children or saw their sons forced to work at the inhumane labor camps. Furthermore, Akhmatova’s use of simple diction in Crucifixion supports acmeism which gives her poetry simplicity so that anyone could have understood it, even those who were illiterate. This allows her to better represent the Russian people since more people were given the opportunity to listen to her work and relate to it. Thus, through the use of biblical allusions in Requiem, Akhmatova described the suffering of the Russian people during Stalinist Russia.
Biblical allusions were likewise used in Lot’s Wife.

Lot’s Wife used biblical allusions to demonstrate how some reacted to tragedies during the Stalinist time period. Lot’s Wife alludes to the story of “a just man”, Lot, and his family in Genesis where they were instructed to leave Sodom due to the wrongdoing done by people there (Lot’s Wife 1). Specific instructions were given by “God’s messenger”, a metonymy used for angels, for his family to not turn back at any cost while they were departing from Sodom (Lot’s Wife 1). “[Uneasiness] shadowed [Lot’s] wife” and she began to think about the past in flashbacks (Lot’s Wife 3). Akhmatova used flashbacks in the next few lines to describe the satisfying life Lot’s wife had back in Sodom (Lot’s wife 5-8). These flashbacks are comparable to how some Russians felt nostalgic about the past they enjoyed before Stalin’s rule of Russia. Lot’s wife succumbed to the pressure and looked back, causing “her body [to turn] into transparent salt” and “her swift legs to [become] rooted to the ground” (Lot’s Wife 11-12). This imagery of the passing of Lot’s wife is somewhat equivalent to how some Russians during the Stalinist time period failed to endure their misfortune, leading to them give up on life. Moreover, the rhetorical questions “Who mourns one woman in a holocaust?” and “Surely her death has no significance?” are utilized to demonstrate how sympathy was often not shown by others during a time where a countless amount of people died

(Lot’s Wife 13-14). These rhetorical questions illustrate how the Russian people were enduring so much desolation during Stalin’s rule that death was seen as something insignificant. Akhmatova ends Lot’s Wife with an allegory explaining how “in [her] heart [Lot’s wife] will never be lost” due to her “[giving] up her life to steal one glance” (Lot’s Wife 16). To Akhmatova and many others in Stalinist Russia, the past was fondly remembered and the failure of Lot’s wife to endure temptation represents how many Russians felt about their difficulties. Akhmatova’s use of end rhyme throughout Lot’s Wife contributes to acmeism which promoted clarity of expression. Thus, Akhmatova used biblical allusions to describe the misery Russians were experiencing during Stalin’s rule of Russia.
Biblical allusions were also effectively used in Rachel which alludes to Jacob and Rachel in the book of Genesis. Akhmatova used a simile to describe Jacobs first encounter with Rachel when he “bowed to her like a humble wayfarer” (Rachel 2). This encounter began their love for each other and Jacob “bargained to toil seven years” to Rachel’s “artful father” in order to take Rachel for marriage (Rachel 9-10). An oxymoron is used to describe Jacob’s experience as “sweet little sadness” with “seven years [seeming] as a few dazzling days” (Rachel 7; Rachel 12). Jacob’s endurance to attain Rachel is comparable to how hard the people of Russia worked at forced labor camps in order to see their loved ones again. Moreover, religious elements are seen in “Thank You, God…” which demonstrates gratitude to God for helping her endure the loss of someone important to her life. Akhmatova expresses appreciation to God for helping her “dream of him more seldom” and making “[her] soul healthy” (“Thank You, God…” 1; “Thank you, God…” 15). Religion is what could have helped many Russians during the Stalinist time period to persevere, but religion was banned and those pursing it were persecuted. The shift from the personal pronoun “I” to the plural possessive pronoun “our" in “Our Lord” demonstrates the universal functionality of religion in helping Russians persevere under Stalinist Russia (“Thank You, God…” 15). Hence, Akhmatova used religious references to explain the despair that Russians were experiencing during Stalinist Russia and their inability to effectively combat it.
“I will never forget one single thing. Even in new grief. Even if they clamp shut my tormented mouth through which one hundred million people scream” said Anna Akhmatova in Requiem (Requiem 204-207). This quote encapsulates the central theme of Akhmatova acting as a mouthpiece to demonstrate the suffering of the Russian people during Stalinist Russia through a variety of methods, particularly biblical allusions. Allusions to the crucifixion of Jesus showed the grief that many, especially mothers and close friends, went through due to losses. Allusions to Lot and his wife showed the sentimentality many Russians felt about the past and the feeling of apathy towards tragic events. Allusions to Rachel and Jacob showed how many endured to reconnect with those they love. “Thank you, God” showed how religion could have been used by Russians to cope with their misfortune. These biblical allusions and the literary techniques used with them explain why Akhmatova was able to effectively act as a mouthpiece and “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” (New International Version, Prov. 31:8).