What does ivory tower mean? Oxxxymiron - Ivory Tower

• The ivory tower is a metaphor first used in the biblical Song of Songs: “Your neck is like a pillar of ivory” (Song of 7:5).

  In the Middle Ages, in Catholic worship, this expression began to be used allegorically in relation to the Virgin Mary (for example, in the litany addressed to her). In the era of romanticism, the meaning of metaphor changed significantly; it has become a symbol of departure into the world of creativity from the problems of our time, self-isolation, closure in spiritual quests, “divorced” from the “prose of life.”

  The simile, taken from the Song of Songs, was originally used as a metaphor for beauty and purity. In the 16th century it Latin translation(lat. Turris eburnea) was included, among other epithets, in the litany of the Virgin Mary, although the image itself most likely dates back to at least the 12th century. Images of the tower are common in Catholic religious paintings and on church stained glass windows.

  The metaphor acquired a completely different meaning in the 19th century. The current use of this image was introduced by the French critic and poet Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve. In one of the poems in the collection “August Thoughts” (French Pensées d'Août, 1837), comparing contemporary poets, Sainte-Beuve described the work of Alfred de Vigny with the following words: “And the most mysterious, Vigny, seemed to be returning to the tower even before noon made of ivory" (Et Vigny, plus secret, Comme en sa tour d'ivoire, avant midi rentrait). (De Vigny, unlike such contemporaries as Victor Hugo and Alphonse de Lamartine, was distinguished by ostentatious indifference to political problems and insisted on absolute independence creative personality from external circumstances, avoided going out into the world and led an extremely secluded life.)

  Thanks to the authority and popularity of Sainte-Beuve, the expression “ivory tower” quickly changed its meaning, and its original meaning was forgotten. Flaubert already used this phrase to emphasize his “aristocratism of spirit.” In private letters, he constantly used the image of an ivory tower: “...You must surrender to your calling - to climb your ivory tower and there, like a bayadera among the incense, plunge into your lonely dreams”; “Let the Empire move forward, and we will close the door, climb to the very top of our ivory tower, to the very last step, closer to the sky. It's sometimes cold there, isn't it? But no problem! But the stars shine brighter, and you don’t hear fools”; “I've always tried to live in an ivory tower; but the sea of ​​crap surrounding it rises higher and higher, the waves hit its walls with such force that it is about to collapse.”

  In US culture, the idea of ​​the “ivory tower” is associated with criticism of universities (especially those in the Ivy League) and the academic elite in general for their contemptuous attitude towards “profane” people, snobbery and isolation.

Table bone tower

The ivory tower is a symbolic refuge of the spirit from the filth of everyday life, the abomination, pettiness, and vileness of everyday life; from people who do not understand but interfere; from events that cripple character and flesh; from a life in which there is no meaning or pleasure; escape to freedom of mind, joy of knowledge, unity of thought and feeling

In Chapter 7 of the Song of Songs, the canonical book Old Testament, attributed to King Solomon, the author extols female beauty,

“Look around, look around, Shulamite! look around, look around, and we will look at you.” Why should you look at the Shulamite as at the round dance of Manaim? Oh, how beautiful are your feet in sandals, eminent daughter! The rounding of your hips, like a necklace, is the work of a skilled artist; your belly is a round cup in which the fragrant wine does not run dry; your belly is a heap of wheat, surrounded by lilies; Your two breasts are like two kids of goats, the twins of a chamois; ; your eyes are the lakes of Heshbon, which are at the gates of Bathrabbim; your nose is the Tower of Lebanon, facing Damascus; your head is like Carmel, and the hair of your head is like crimson..."

But modern meaning expressions the world owes to the French poet Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve (1804-1869), who talks about the work of the writer Alfred de Vigny (1797-1863) “And the most mysterious, Vigny, even before noon seemed to be returning to the ivory tower” (De Vigny insisted on the independence of the individual from external circumstances, avoided going out into the world and led an extremely solitary life (Wikipedia)

Synonyms of the phraseological unit “ivory tower”

• aristocracy of spirit
• snobbery
• isolation
• privacy
• seclusion
• aestheticism
• world of high feelings

Application of the expression in literature

— “I've always tried to live in an ivory tower; but the sea of ​​crap that surrounds it rises higher and higher, the waves hit its walls with such force that it is about to collapse.”(Gustave Flaubert “Letters 1830-1880”)
— “You are a king, live alone,” an ivory tower, tragic isolation is the lot of the chosen few, descendants will have compassion.”(Yuri Davydov “Blue Tulips”)
— “Tower “In French - an ivory tower, and in Russian - a cell under a spruce tree,” translated by M. Osorgin”(M. L. Gasparov “Records and extracts”)
— “He could call school notebooks “gymnasium.” Ivory tower? But did he resemble an esthete?(A. Kozintsev “In the eyes of the soul”)

The “ivory tower” symbolizes the artist’s separation from society and immersion in creativity.
The phrase has become a symbol of leaving problems in the world of creativity
modernity, self-isolation.
Usually this expression is used in stable phrases - “to retire to an ivory tower”, “to lock yourself in an ivory tower”, etc. - and is applied to people of creative professions.

I think that in the track there is a question of whether a creator can be constantly immersed in creativity and live it without turning in the other direction. In this case, this applies to Mark, because he tried to retreat from this by becoming politicized, which became dangerous for him. You shouldn't go into places where you don't understand anything. So I ran into trouble.
And now, having gone through all this, he wondered:
"You answer this question for me,
Can a creator live in an “ivory tower?”

Since our title has always been the theme of any work, it means this moment must be key in the track.

Mark lived immersed in writing, but, having decided to find justice, he ended up in the wrong direction. If he had continued to live in his tower, there would have been no problems. This is one of the main points.
He himself insisted that he was “just a writer” and not a politician. But, later defying politics, his tower began to break, and, alas, it did not work out to come back without consequences.

The last phrase "Or maintain your neutrality?" was interrupted by a shot. For myself, I realized that neutrality will not help if you have chosen “yours” and what is “not yours.” There is no neutrality between this, because the result will be the same: a shot. And anyone can do it.
And as you are into someone, so into you!

So I can conclude: you need to do what is your calling. If you are a writer, then be a writer. You should not follow the lead of someone who is trying to involve you in other networks and make you a victim (yes, he became a victim for the city). Mark went specifically to what he despised so much.
Because, I repeat, you may not return to your ivory tower later, losing everything.

Write your versions! :)

Reviews

Carefully! Many letters.

> There is no neutrality between this, because the result will be the same: a shot. And anyone can do it.<
Considering that Oksimiron is a maximalist, and also a perfectionist, there is no middle ground for him. His logic is simple: either a genius or shit. The first is “mine”, the second is “not yours”. I even agree with him, because, indeed, the success of an individual depends on high self-realization, which is achieved through activity in the field intended for you. If you stick your nose into someone else’s business, then you are shit, but if an individual, as they say, has found himself, then he will justifiably become a genius. But there is no neutrality, no middle state between these extremes for Oksimiron. I really agree with him. If you want to achieve the best success in life, act as if every day is your last, as if your whole life is at stake, as if it is a matter of “life and death” - all or nothing, now or never.
And neutrality leads to a shot - suicide. Most likely, Mark still shot himself, realizing the hopelessness of his existence: they say, he is disgusted with being shit, but at the same time he is unable to succeed in an area that has recently become a priority, has become so important to him, and , it’s not hard to guess that this was influenced by the acquaintance with the F*cked Girl, the same acquaintance that turned the inner world of the main character, Mark, upside down; The girl served as a catalyst for the extinguishing of the “universe”(*1) (the main character suffered, waged an internal struggle, sought strength not only within himself, but also outside, because he believed that someday a capable person(*2) would appear in his life turn his entire inner world, the “universe” upside down, and when Mark found such a person, his entire worldview changed radically). A girl after a fateful meeting with chapters. character became for him the most important part of existence, without which he subsequently began to consider himself lost. He understood that the Girl would leave sooner or later, but he was ready to do anything for the sake of a new, happy life. Mark believed in the best and still risked standing in the way of the mayor, especially since he understood that time was running out and that the Girl would leave him, he understood that the game was big, which is why he dared to take a risky path. Everything turned out to be intertwined.
Everything is intertwined - this phrase, alas, reflects the fate of the chapters. hero...
Mark realized hopelessness and took the final step - all or nothing, either now or never. As we understand, this step was not successful; Mark was a fiasco. And then, walking through the city from the mayor to his house, Mark finally felt all the hopelessness of his existence: that he was shit, that he was not given to be a genius, that he was not given to do what was proudly called “his own.” Mark also remembered that the Fucked Girl left him, but as if from his last breath, having gathered all his last strength, Mark reflects further: “But I will survive this too” - while this self-consolation is followed by a rhetorical question: “Can the creator live in an ivory tower? - and this is where the chapters come in. the hero, once again soberly assessing the whole situation that has developed with him, understands that his life is empty and hopeless. The girl left, life was not a success, 30 years were wasted, the search for himself was not crowned with success, and excuses in the style of “I’m just a writer” no longer console Mark. Life of chapters. of the hero abruptly ended, as did the word “neutrality” in his reasoning - and why finish the word to the end, since the feeling of futility and hopelessness of existence has done its job? After an “epiphany,” Mark took out a firearm and shot himself. “Just a writer” has gone to where we are not, to where, according to the faith of the heads. hero, there are fairer, happier worlds. Yes, faith also left its mark on Mark’s courage: he believed that even if he suffered a fiasco, he would not be lost, that suicide was also a way out, but, walking around the city and seeing with his own eyes all the vanity and decay, chapters. the hero understands that he is no longer able to contemplate such an unjust, unhappy world. Mark gives up, even if before suicide he consoles himself with the last of his strength: “But to the evil of the world, we will take off among the bustle!” And yet the feeling of emptiness overcame the heads. character. But faith took over. No, Mark is not crazy. Mark is a believer. Only faith (and love) can make a person take decisive steps, knowing that his whole life is at stake.

A lot of meaning. Alas, I couldn’t fit everything into this “opus”, otherwise I would have ended up with at least two or even three times as much text, albeit with repetitions. But everything is so deep and subtle that dotting the i’s would have to take a long time and be repeated, otherwise there would be a chance of missing something. However, I still went over the main points. Once again I am amazed at how deeply and subtly everything was composed by Oksimiron. Strong, deep experiences, accompanied by a life crisis - all this can be observed even in just one track. This said track is like Myron’s own fear of his future life. Yes, he has a fear of suicide - not because he is afraid of death, but because he is afraid(*3) of continuing to exist with his “inner hell”(*4).
This designated 10th track in the playlist of the album “Gorgorod” is like Miron’s last inner life reflections at the moment. Whereas, for example, the 4th track “Girl F*cked” is reasoning at earlier stages, when Miron was, say, 26 years old. But, as we know, he was married, and later was divorced - an analogy of Mark’s life: he met the F*cked Girl, but then broke up with her, that’s how his fate turned out. In general, “Gorgorod” is another “inner hell” of Myron. And this album is not just a fantasy. This album is an ideal (from the word perfect) sublimation of the life of a talented, brilliant rapper, whose name will forever remain in the history of Russian rap/hip-hop.

*1 - “You approached and the entire universe went out!”
*2 - “But don’t think that I’ve been waiting for you since childhood. But to be honest... I’m waiting!”
*3 - “So many years, but so scary”
*4 - "Magnifying glasses, letters, words - my inner hell"

During divine services, this expression began to be used allegorically in relation to the Virgin Mary (for example, in the litany addressed to her).

Modern usage

The metaphor acquired a completely different meaning in the 19th century. The current use of this image was introduced by the French critic and poet Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve. In one of the poems in the collection “August Thoughts” (fr. Pensées d'Août, 1837), comparing contemporary poets, Sainte-Beuve described the work of Alfred de Vigny in the following words: “And the most mysterious one, Vigny, even before noon seemed to be returning to ivory tower» (Et Vigny, plus secret, Comme en sa tour d'ivoire, avant midi rentrait). (De Vigny, unlike such contemporaries as Victor Hugo and Alphonse de Lamartine, was distinguished by ostentatious indifference to political problems, insisted on the absolute independence of the creative personality from external circumstances, avoided going out into the world and led an extremely solitary life.)

Thanks to the authority and popularity of Sainte-Beuve, the expression “ivory tower” quickly changed its meaning, and its original meaning was forgotten. Flaubert already used this phrase to emphasize his “aristocratism of spirit.” In private letters he constantly used the image of an ivory tower: “...You must surrender to your calling - to climb your ivory tower and there, like a bayadera among the incense, plunge into your lonely dreams”; “Let the Empire move forward, and we will close the door, climb to the very top of our ivory tower, to the very last step, closer to the sky. It's sometimes cold there, isn't it? But no problem! But the stars shine brighter, and you don’t hear fools.”; “I've always tried to live in an ivory tower; but the sea of ​​crap that surrounds it rises higher and higher, the waves hit its walls with such force that it is about to collapse.” .

In US culture, the idea of ​​the “ivory tower” is associated with criticism of universities (especially those in the Ivy League) and the academic elite in general for their contemptuous attitude towards “profane”, snobbery and isolation.

Notes

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See what “Ivory Tower” is in other dictionaries:

From French: La tour d ivoire. From a poem by the French critic and poet Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve (1804-1869), which was included in his collection “Augustian Thoughts” (1837). In this poem, written in the form of a message, Sainte-Beuve creates... ... Dictionary of popular words and expressions

Noun, number of synonyms: 1 subject of dreams (1) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary

The expression, metaphorically meaning the theory of “art for art’s sake,” symbolizes the artist’s separation from society and immersion in creativity. First used by S. O. Sainte-Beuve in a letter to G. Flaubert. According to Flaubert, in “a tower of... Literary encyclopedia

Book Dream peace symbol; about the subject of dreams, divorced from life. SHZF 2001, 17; BTS, 63. /i> The expression belongs to the French. poet and critic S. O. Sainte-Beuve. BMS 1998, 43 ...

ivory tower- dream symbol; about the subject of dreams, divorced from life. The expression belongs to the French poet and critic S.O. Sainte Beuvou (1804 1869) (poetic message to Willemann, included in the collection “Thoughts of August”). The image goes back to the words of the Catholic... ... Phraseology Guide

Symbol of ascension and vigilance. Its symbolism is similar to that of the staircase and the column. When there is a girl, a princess, etc., in the tower, it takes on the meaning of an enclosed space or a walled garden. In Christianity this symbol... ... Dictionary of symbols

Give it to someone in the tower. Jarg. they say Joking. Have sexual intercourse with someone. orally. Maksimov, 29. Cover the tower. Jarg. they say Joking. Put on a hat. Maksimov, 267. Turn away the tower to someone. Jarg. sport. Defeat someone Maksimov, 29. Demolished... ... Big dictionary Russian sayings

- (English: The Ebony Tower) a book by British writer John Fowles, consisting of five stories united by intersecting motifs, published in 1974. Contents 1 Contents 1.1 Ebony tower ... Wikipedia

TOWER, and, gen. pl. shen, female 1. Tall and narrow architectural structure. Kremlin towers. Television b. Water pump b. B. lighthouse. 2. Elevation for guns on ships, tanks, armored vehicles. 3. A tall and narrow multi-storey building.… … Dictionary Ozhegova

AND; pl. genus. shen, dat. shnyam; and. [from Italian bastia fortress]. 1. A tall, narrow architectural or engineering structure (round, tetrahedral or polyhedral shape) for various purposes. Kremlin towers. B. lighthouse. Television, water pump... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

• A Fire in the Night My Brother Michael The Ivory Tower Novels, Stuart M. Mary Stewart's books have won the hearts of millions of readers, while receiving high praise from critics who especially noted her mastery in the genre of adventure novel. She, like no one else, managed...

"ivory tower"

"ivory tower"

An expression metaphorically meaning theory " art for art's sake", symbolizes the artist’s separation from society, immersion in creativity. First used by S. O. Sainte-Beuve in a letter to G. Flaubert. According to Flaubert, in the “ivory tower” one can “see the stars and hear no fools.”

Literature and language. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Rosman. Edited by prof. Gorkina A.P. 2006 .

See what “ivory tower” is in other dictionaries:

On the stained glass window of the Church of St. Ignatia (Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA) ... Wikipedia

From French: La tour d ivoire. From a poem by the French critic and poet Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve (1804-1869), which was included in his collection “Augustian Thoughts” (1837). In this poem, written in the form of a message, Sainte-Beuve creates... ... Dictionary of popular words and expressions

Noun, number of synonyms: 1 subject of dreams (1) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary

Book Dream peace symbol; about the subject of dreams, divorced from life. SHZF 2001, 17; BTS, 63. /i> The expression belongs to the French. poet and critic S. O. Sainte-Beuve. BMS 1998, 43 ... Large dictionary of Russian sayings

ivory tower- dream symbol; about the subject of dreams, divorced from life. The expression belongs to the French poet and critic S.O. Sainte Beuvou (1804 1869) (poetic message to Willemann, included in the collection “Thoughts of August”). The image goes back to the words of the Catholic... ... Phraseology Guide

The ivory tower symbolizes inaccessibility and, moreover, the feminine principle. In Christianity, it means the Virgin Mary, purity, incorruptibility and moral strength... Dictionary of symbols

Tour d'Ivoire- * tour d ivoire. Ivory tower. A refuge of personal experiences to which the poet surrenders, escaping from the vulgar bourgeois reality. The source of the expression is a poetic message from French. poet and critic Sainte-Beuve (1804 1869) to Villemont. BISH. Here in... ... Historical Dictionary Gallicisms of the Russian language

Lotte no Omocha! ... Wikipedia

Symbol of ascension and vigilance. Its symbolism is similar to that of the staircase and the column. When there is a girl, a princess, etc., in the tower, it takes on the meaning of an enclosed space or a walled garden. In Christianity this symbol... ... Dictionary of symbols

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Catholic prayer to the Mother of God, built in the form of a litany. One of the seven litanies approved by the Church for public use. Also called the Loreto Litany after the name of the Loreto... ... Wikipedia

Books

• A Fire in the Night My Brother Michael The Ivory Tower Novels
• Bonfire in the night. My brother Michael. The Ivory Tower, Stewart M.. Mary Stewart's books have won the hearts of millions of readers, while receiving high praise from critics who especially noted her mastery of the adventure novel genre. She, like no one else, managed...