The Title-Page Conundrums of Osip Mandel´shtam's 'First' Kamen´: Baron A.A. Del´vig and the Gumilevs

This article offers an interpretation of the potential significances of the title-page design of Osip Mandelprimeshtam's first book of verse. It argues in particular that the image of an angel/cupid astride a docile lion is programmatically related to literary subtexts in the poetry of Delprimevig and others, and that it makes a series of playful and predominantly private allusions to the internal Acmeist context. The underlying semantic procedures reflect an abiding fondness for mystification on the part of the Acmeists, and afford broader insight into the poetic milieu, ‘Golden Age’ models and personal and literary interrelationships of leading members of the group.