Twenty Sonnets to Mary Queen of Scots: Eternity, Death, and Parallels Between Joseph Brodsky and Mary Queen of Scots

Abstract

The paper examines the identification that Joseph Brodsky felt with Mary Queen of Scots, which is displayed in his collection of poems Twenty Sonnets to Mary Queen of Scots. The connection between the two individuals can be seen through a comparison of their personal lives, as well as through the themes contained within Brodsky’s poems. The symbols present within his work are also discussed, linking back to his themes and the Queen. All four translations are used in the analysis, and each language makes a reference to a poem by another individual. These references are examined, resulting in a look at poems by William Cullen Bryant, Alexander Pushkin, and Fyodor Tyutchev