Page:Knight (1975) Past, Future and the Problem of Communication in the Work of V V Khlebnikov.djvu/9

1 Chapter One:

KHLEBNIKOV'S EARLY LIFE

This chapter touches on some aspects of Khlebnikov's childhood and early life which have significance in relation to the themes later to be discussed. These include: 1) the clash between Eastern and Western cultural influences; 2) the combination of artistic and scientific interests; 3) the poet's personal inarticulateness and shyness; 4) his anarchistic or revolutionary leanings; 5) his early fondness for the Symbolist poets.