Even far away at Oxford, philosopher and intellectual historian Isaiah Berlin—whom I considered the most brilliant person in the entire University when I was a student there—allegedly pined away with romantic longings based on his brief encounter with Akhmatova 35 years before.
I don’t think it’s going too far to claim that she could have been a movie actress, given her beauty and allure.
But Akhmatova was crushed under Soviet rule.
Not only was her poetry sharply criticized and censored, but the secret police bugged her apartment, and kept her under surveillance.
She was silenced so completely, that many people simply assumed she was dead.
But Akhmatova was crushed under Soviet rule.
Not only was her poetry sharply criticized and censored, but the secret police bugged her apartment, and kept her under surveillance.
She was silenced so completely, that many people simply assumed she was dead.
by Ted Gioia, Honest Broker | Read more:
Image: Nathan Altman, 1915
