Title

Joseph Brodsky – A Bilingual Journey

Document Type

Grant Proposal

Date Accepted

Summer 2004

Project Description/Abstract

The focus of this project is the investigation of bilingual transformation that Joseph Brodsky underwent during his exile from Russia into the USA. The project provides evidence of the linguistic and psychological complexities involved in bilingual writing through discourse/content analysis of Brodsky’s selected poems, autobiographical prose and interviews. The project redefines adult language learning as a constant process of self-discovery, self-invention and possibly identity change. Using the case of Brodsky as a springboard for further discussion, this project attempts to determine an equitable answer to the question of how writing changes in the second language and what factors influence this transformation. The project underscores the importance of viewing bilingualism as a non-static, evolutionary process that permits additional opportunities for creative self-expression and leads to the reconstruction of the self in the new language.

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