Russia is rich, but also with remarkable poets of the 18th-20th centuries, who left a significant mark both in Russian literature and in the world. Perhaps these Russian poets can become an integral part of your home library.
Russian poets of the 18th century
The 18th century is the era of Russian classicism in poetry and literature. At the same time, there appeared Russian poets, which marked the beginning of a radical reform of Russian poetry.
Nikolai Karamzin
Love for literature manifested itself in Karamzin at a young age. He sought to lead Russian literature away from classicism towards realism. Issues of aesthetics and philosophy had a great influence on Karamzin's poetry. At first he did not write about politics, but later such a topic was also raised in poems about Paul I and Alexander I, and in appeals to royal persons (“To Mercy”).
Karamzin also wrote poetry about poetry: he praises it in the poem of the same name (“Poetry”) and tells what an important place it occupies in life, and in the poem “Proteus” he touches on the theme of the poet's duty to society. Karamzin's poetry on the theme of love has its own specifics - it is aimed not so much at describing love experiences and events, but rather only at the feelings themselves.
Mikhail Lomonosov
Lomonosov's poems are a reflection of Russian life in the very period when our people were being established; the poet then wrote about the triumph of his mind, power and greatness. He worked in the era of classicism in Russian literature. The encyclopedic mindset of Lomonosov largely determined the themes of his poetic works.
The basic principle that Lomonosov invested in his poetry was educational. "Letter on the Benefits of Glass" - good example scientific and philosophical lyrics of Lomonosov, associated with his interests in the field of chemistry. Just like Karamzin, Lomonosov considered poetry also a means of fulfilling the poet's civic duty and wrote about the joy it brings to the author himself if it is aimed at the benefit of society.
Gabriel Derzhavin
Derzhavin was able to come up with combined live images, touching on patriotic, civil, and personal feelings, and creating poems about everything in the world. real, real people, their characters and life - this is what became the main theme of Derzhavin's poetry. Like Karamzin, he made attempts to bring his work closer to realism. He happily combined colloquial vocabulary with vocabulary high style, used satire, chose the simplest subjects for his own poems.
Often Derzhavin wrote odes - the best of them are considered "God", "Felitsa", "Vision of Murza". All these works also have a plot, they no longer have abstract images, but only concrete people. Many Russian poets the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century noted that Derzhavin's work had a very significant influence on them.
Russian poets of the 19th century
The first part of the 19th century is called the Golden Age of Russian literature, which revealed to us such great poets like Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov, Fedor Tyutchev, Afanasy Fet, Ivan Krylov, Nikolai Nekrasov and many others.
Mikhail Lermontov
The main object of Lermontov's lyrics was the contradictory inner world of man. The poet himself always acutely felt misunderstood, unlike others, and because of this he was lonely, which was reflected in his work. In the works of Lermontov, there is practically no theme of friendship, and love is most often unrequited or with a tragic ending.
One of Lermontov's most famous poems is "Sail". The narrative appears before us as a landscape sketch, but we understand that in this way the author shares with us the experiences of the protagonist. Another poem, "The Death of a Poet" reflects the death of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.
Lermontov's early work belongs to romanticism (youthful period), and then turns into realism (mature period). Many Russian poets of that time went through a similar rethinking in their work. And the works of Pushkin and Byron had the greatest influence on Lermontov's work.
Athanasius Fet
Fet's work is remarkable in that it is free and not subject to any conditions: the poet did not write about poetry, citizenship, politics and social vices, but only about what he wanted to write himself - the aesthetics of the world, beauty and universal ideals and values.
He did not seek to depict a realistic world, rather, on the contrary, he idealized it. Fet believed that Russian poets should follow their imagination, be able to escape from experiences and immerse themselves in such a world. And only in the latest period of his work, Fet also began to touch upon philosophical topics, for example, about the harmony of man and the universe.
Nikolai Nekrasov
Life and suffering ordinary people, their problems and disasters - Nekrasov wrote about such things in his lyrics, as if speaking on behalf of the whole people. There was no limit to the poet's indignation that in Russia there was serfdom. The poet knew about this not from the outside: his father, who belonged to a noble, but impoverished family, was very cruel with his peasants.
In a plausible depiction of the realities of peasant life lies the strength of the poet. This is especially evident in the well-known poem by Nekrasov called “Frost, Red Nose”, where the poet draws the image of the same Russian woman who can handle a horse on the go and a burning hut. Nekrasov is also concerned about the issues of social inequality and people's hardships in the poem “Who is living well in Russia”, about which they already say - “an encyclopedia of people's life”.
Russian poets of the 20th century
The end of the 19th-first third of the 20th century became the so-called Silver Age of Russian literature. Our list will include some Russian poets, without which it is impossible to imagine this era.
Sergey Yesenin
For many, Sergei Yesenin, first of all, is a talented lyricist. The poetry of this poet focuses on nature, love, the countryside, religion, reflections on life and death, folk songs and heroes. After using these themes and researching Russian folklore, Yesenin was even called a peasant poet. His poetry was true folk poetry Russia, which is all permeated with love for the Motherland.
Yesenin wrote about Russian nature - alive and pulsing in pristine freshness, full of colors, sounds, smells, inseparable from the feelings of the poet (“Goy you, Russia, my dear ...”, “Birch”, “Golden grove dissuaded ...” ). Closer to the last years of his life, peasant lyrics are replaced by love, filled with admiration. female beauty, gentle girlish images, drama and romantic feelings, and is intertwined with landscape (“You said that Saadi ...”, “I remember, my love, I remember ...”).
Alexander Blok
Blok is a prominent representative of such a trend in art and literature as symbolism. He was a very talented lyric poet. Blok himself divided his work into three conditional cycles: in the first book he identified "Poems about a Beautiful Lady", in the second - poems from the period 1904-1907, in the third - poems from 1908-1916.
All his work was based on contradiction, and the poetic world seemed to be not tied to time, but dissolved in eternity. Blok often challenged himself and used even erased, trivial rhymes, such as “Loving You”, to give them a new meaning, and also created unusual metaphors (“And eyes glow like candles ...”).
Another outstanding poetess of the 20th century, Anna Akhmatova, called Blok a man-epoch.
Vladimir Mayakovsky
Perhaps, the poetry of Vladimir Mayakovsky is simply impossible to confuse with any other - such sharp, dynamic poems saturated with hyperbole and author's neologisms with a challenge to the society of his contemporaries cannot be found anywhere else.
Few Russian poets of the Silver Age positively perceived the revolution, but Mayakovsky was just one of them - and most importantly, his poems fit perfectly into the canvas of the new political system. But even despite the frequent political stuffing of poems, one cannot fail to recognize the talent of this unusual poet, who failed to fit into the standard framework of Russian poetry.
We invite you to watch a documentary about the Russian poet of the Golden Age Athanasius Fet:
in 4 options with answers
Test "LiteratureXVIII century" Option number 1
A1. What writer are we talking about: "Russian scientist and poet of the 18th century, who, hiding his peasant origin, entered the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy in 1730." Enter your last name.
1) Derzhavin 2) Fonvizin 3) Radishchev 4) Lomonosov
A2. Indicate the name of the Russian poet-encyclopedist of the 18th century, for whom poetic creativity was an important means of educational propaganda of advanced scientific and social-patriotic ideas:
1) Radishchev 2) Lomonosov 3) Derzhavin 4) Fonvizin
A3. Indicate the name of the literary movement that emerged in Russia in the 2nd quarter of the 18th century, which includes the work of Lomonosov, Derzhavin, Fonvizin.
A4. Who did Derzhavin glorify in the ode "Felitsa"?
1) Catherine I 2) Elisaveta Petrovna 3) Catherine II Anna Ioannovna
Part 2. Write down the answers to the tasks of this part in a word in the nominative case or in numbers (2 points for a correctly completed task, 1 point for an inaccurate answer, an answer with a spelling mistake)
IN 1. Who is dedicated to "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow"?
IN 2. What writer are we talking about: “He was born into a large impoverished noble family with deep religious and cultural interests; Russian branch of the Livonian family"
AT 3. Specify the genre of the work "Undergrowth". High, medium or low?
AT 5. In which chapter of "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" is the terrible picture of the sale of living people at auction described?
AT 6. What happened to the main character at the end of the story "Poor Liza"?
AT 7. Who is this? "Not sparing her rare beauty, she worked day and night - weaving canvases, knitting stockings."
pleasant places", " gloomy towers"
AT 9. Yes or no? Lisa's father was a wealthy peasant.
AT 10 O'CLOCK. Indicate the modern version of the underlined word “All things will present themselves today in their natural form"
AT 11. Which of the writers of the 18th century completed his life path with the words: "Descendants will avenge me."
C1. “What is in my name for you ...” The name Mitrofan in Greek means “mother-like”. Does the hero live up to his name? Justify your point of view, give two arguments. (5 points)
Total - 31 points
"5" - 30-31 points
"4" - 24-29 points
"3" - points
"2" - 6-14 points
"1" - 0-5 points
Test "LiteratureXVIII century" Option number 2
Part 1. Choose the correct answer from the suggested answers, write it down.
A1. What is the name of the Russian poet and scientist who in the 18th century created a coherent theory of Russian syllabo-tonic versification.
1) Derzhavin 2) Lomonosov 3) Karamzin 4) Fonvizin
A2. Indicate the name of the Russian comedian whose play was an educational satire on the mores of the Russian nobility in the second half of the 18th century:
1) Knyazhnin 2) Griboyedov 3) Karamzin 4) Fonvizin
A3. Indicate the name of the literary movement of the second half of the 18th century, which is characterized by high civic-educational pathos and the establishment of the cult of the human mind.
A4. Who did Lomonosov glorify in the ode of 1747?
1) Catherine I 2) Elisaveta Petrovna 3) Catherine II 4) Anna Ioannovna
IN 1. Which of the rulers, after dismissing, gave the reason: “You serve very zealously”?
IN 2. Who is it about: “Born into a poor, but old noble family, a frail and weak child”
AT 3. Indicate the genre of the work "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow"
AT 5. In which chapter of "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" does the traveler talk about the character of the Russian man, whose soul was embodied in the song?
AT 6. What kind of flowers did Liza, the main character of the story "Poor Liza" sell?
AT 7. Who is this? “Learning about her fate, he could not console himself and considered himself a murderer.
AT 8. Indicate the means of expression: “The soul shone in your eyes, like the sun shines in the dew drops of heaven»
AT 9. Yes or no? Erast was in the army and fought with the enemy.
AT 10 O'CLOCK. Indicate the modern version of the word "spoke"
AT 11. Which of the writers of the 18th century ended his life with the release of the magazine "Friend of Honest People, or Starodum", which was banned; this broke the author, he fell ill and soon died"
C1. “What is in my name for you ...” The name Erast in translation means “ardently loving.” Does the hero live up to his name? Justify your point of view, give two arguments.
Total - 31 points
"5" - 30-31 points
"4" - 24-29 points
"3" - points
"2" - 6-14 points
"1" - 0-5 points
Test "LiteratureXVIII century" Option number 3
Part 1. Choose the correct answer from the suggested answers, write it down.
A1. What writer are we talking about: “Russian scientist and poet of the 18th century, who wrote that physics is his exercises; poetry is his delight. Enter your last name.
A2. Indicate the name of the 18th century Russian poet-odist who tried to imitate Lomonosov, but could not stand the splendor and pomp of the language, so he introduced elements of live colloquial speech.
1) Fonvizin 2) Derzhavin 3) Lomonosov 4) Karamzin
A3. Indicate the literary trend of the 18th century, the basis of which was the view of man as a sensitive being.
1) "Rulers and Judges" 2) "God" 3) "Morning reflection on God's greatness" 4) "Felitsa"
Part 2. Write down the answers to the tasks of this part in a word in the nominative case or in numbers (2 points for a correctly completed task, 1 point for an inaccurate answer, an answer with a spelling mistake)
IN 1. What historical person is associated with the ode of 1747?
IN 2. What writer are we talking about: “Born in the family of a wealthy landowner from an ancient family, he was the best student in military educational institution for the nobility"
AT 3. Indicate the genre of the work "Felitsa". High, medium or low genre?
the doctor will not help, unless he himself becomes infected ”
AT 5. Which chapter of Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow tells about a peasant who has the opportunity to work for himself only on Sundays and at night?
AT 6. The beauties of which city are described at the beginning of the work "Poor Lisa"?
AT 7. Who is this? " A young, well-dressed, pleasant-looking man met her on the street"
AT 8. Specify the means of expression: “But soon the rising luminary awakened all creations"
AT 9. Yes or no? Lysine bouquet cost one ruble.
AT 10 O'CLOCK. Indicate the modern version of the highlighted word “Covered with bribes tow »
AT 11. Which of the writers of the 18th century ended his life, passing the baton of creativity to the young Pushkin.
C1. “What is in my name to you ...” The name Elizabeth in Hebrew means “honoring God.” Does the heroine live up to her name? Justify your point of view, give two arguments.
Total - 31 points
"5" - 30-31 points
"4" - 24-29 points
"3" - points
"2" - 6-14 points
"1" - 0-5 points
Test "LiteratureXVIII century" Option number 4
Part 1. Choose the correct answer from the suggested answers, write it down.
A1. What Russian scientist, poet of the 18th century, in his odes, propagated the ideas of the peaceful prosperity of the motherland under the guidance of wise monarchs who care about the development of science?
A2. What is the name of the Russian poet of the 18th century, whose poetic innovation manifested itself in the destruction of the purity of the classic genres: he combined elements of ode and satire in one poem, combined "high" and "low" "calms".
1) Lomonosov 2) Fonvizin 3) Derzhavin 4) Karamzin
A3. Indicate the literary direction of the 18th century, to which Karamzin's story "Poor Liza" belongs.
A4. Which work does not belong?
1) "Monument" 2) "On the motion of the Earth" 3) "Conversation with Anacreon" 4) "Evening meditation"
Part 2. Write down the answers to the tasks of this part in a word in the nominative case or in numbers (2 points for a correctly completed task, 1 point for an inaccurate answer, an answer with a spelling mistake)
IN 1. What historical person is associated with the ode "Felitsa" in the work of Derzhavin?
IN 2. Who are we talking about: “He came from a poor, but an old noble family, who traced his origins to the Tatar Murza.”
AT 3. Indicate the genre of the work "Poor Lisa"
AT 5. In which chapter of "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" does not the Russian tsar act, but "the king, shah, khan, king, bey, nabab, sultan"
AT 6. What monastery is described in the work "Poor Liza"?
AT 7. Who is this? “The poor widow who shed tears almost incessantly over the death of her husband”
AT 8. Specify means of expression: ...and her blood cooled with horror»
AT 9. Yes or no? Royal vodka is a mixture of sulfuric and acetic acid.
AT 10 O'CLOCK. Indicate the modern version of the underlined word "but below I don't want to be a fool with my Lord"
AT 11. Which of the writers of the 18th century ended his life with the words: “I don’t grieve about death: I lived, suffered and I know that the children of the fatherland will regret me”
C1. “What is in my name for you ...” The name Sophia in Greek means “wise”. Does the heroine live up to her name? Justify your point of view, give two arguments.
Total - 31 points
"5" - 30-31 points
"4" - 24-29 points
"3" - points
"2" - 6-14 points "1" - 0-5 points
Answers. Test "Literature of the 18th century"
1 option | Option 2 | 3 option | 4 option |
|
Alexander I | Elizaveta Petrovna | Catherine II |
||
Derzhavin | Derzhavin |
|||
Comedy, low | journey | Ode, high | ||
Derzhavin "God" | Karamzin "Poor Liza" story | Fonvizin "Undergrowth" | Radishchev "Journey...", Journey |
|
"Copper" | "Lubani" | "Spasskaya field" |
||
drowned herself | Simonov Monastery |
|||
Lisa's mother |
||||
comparison | personification | metaphor |
||
Fonvizin | Derzhavin | Lomonosov |
||
Mitrofan | Elizabeth |
The main direction in the literature of the XVIII century. became classicism(from lat. classicus - exemplary)
CLASSICISM(from lat. classicus - exemplary), style and direction in literature and art 17 - early. 19th centuries, who turned to the ancient heritage as a norm and an ideal model. Classicism took shape in the 17th century. in France. In the 18th century classicism was associated with the Enlightenment; based on the ideas of philosophical rationalism, on ideas about the rational laws of the world, about the beautiful ennobled nature, he strove to express a great social content, lofty heroic and moral ideals, to a strict organization of logical, clear and harmonious images. According to the lofty ethical ideas, the educational program of art, the aesthetics of classicism established a hierarchy of genres - "high" (tragedy, epic, ode, history, mythology, religious painting, etc.) and "low" (comedy, satire, fable, genre painting, etc.). etc.). In literature (the tragedies of P. Corneille, J. Racine, Voltaire, the comedies of Moliere, the poem "Poetic Art" and the satires of N. Boileau, the fables of J. La Fontaine, the prose of F. La Rochefoucauld, J. La Bruyère in France, the work of the Weimar period of J. V. Goethe and F. Schiller in Germany, odes by M. V. Lomonosov and G. R. Derzhavin, tragedies by A. P. Sumarokov and Ya. For theatrical art (Mondori, Duparc, M. Chanmelet, A. L. Leken, F. J. Talma, Rachel in France, F. K. Neuber in Germany, F. G. Volkov, I. A. Dmitrevsky in Russia) the solemn, static structure of the performances, the measured reading of poetry are characteristic. Heroic, normative and elevated style, logical clarity of drama, dominance of recitative (operas by J. B. Lully in France) or vocal virtuosity in arias (Italian opera seria), noble simplicity and sublimity (reformed operas by C. V. Gluck in Austria). The architecture of classicism (J. Hardouin-Mansart, J. A. Gabriel, K. N. Ledoux in France, K. Ren in England, V. I. Bazhenov, M. F. Kazakov, A. N. Voronikhin, A. D. Zakharov, K. I. Rossi in Russia) are characterized by clarity and geometrism of forms, logical planning, a combination of a smooth wall with a warrant and restrained decor. art(painters N. Poussin, C. Lorrain, J. L. David, J. O. D. Ingres, sculptors J. B. Pigalle, E. M. Falcone in France, sculptors G. Schadov in Germany, B. Thorvaldsen in Denmark, A. Canova in Italy, painters A. P. Losenko, G. I. Ugryumov, sculptors M. I. Kozlovsky, I. P. Martos in Russia) are distinguished by a logical unfolding of the plot, clarity, and balance of composition. [TSB]
This style developed as a result of the creative assimilation of forms, compositions and samples of art from the ancient world and the Renaissance. The artist, according to the founders of classicism, comprehends reality, in order to then display in his work not specific person with his passions, but the type of man, the myth, in a word, the eternal in the temporal, the ideal in the real. If this is a hero, then without flaws, if the character is satirical, then it is base to the end. Classicism did not allow the mixing of “high” and “low”, and therefore between genres (for example, tragedy and comedy) boundaries were established that were not violated.
Russian classicism
attached particular importance to the "high" genres: epic poem, tragedy, solemn ode. The creator of the ode genre in Russian literature was M.V. Lomonosov, the tragedy - A.P. Sumarokov. The odes combined lyrics and journalism, which made it possible not only to praise the kings, but also, as it were, to “teach” them. Russian tragedies, as a rule, were not written on antique material - their heroes were figures of Russian history.
Since the 70s of the XVIII century. a new trend in the literature sentimentalism. With him, new genres appear: travel and sensitive story. A special merit in the development of this genre belongs to N. M. Karamzin (the story “Poor Liza”, “Letters from a Russian Traveler”). A new view of life invaded literature, a new narrative structure arose: the writer looked more closely at reality, portrayed it more truthfully.
Giving a characteristic to a writer or a poet, one cannot limit oneself only to the mechanical attribution of their work to one or another direction. Each artist has his own unique destiny.
Antioch Cantemir
(1708-1744)
KANTEMIR Antioch Dmitrievich (1708-44), prince, Russian poet, diplomat. Son of D.K. Cantemir.
Enlightener-rationalist, one of the founders of Russian classicism in the genre of poetic satire.[TSB]
The Russian writer Antioch Dmitrievich Cantemir was the youngest son of the Moldavian ruler, Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich, who arrived in Russia in 1711. Advisor to Peter 1, Prince Dmitry was also known as the author scientific papers(“Description of Moldova”, “History of the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire”, etc.) A. Cantemir was a descendant of the Byzantine emperors by his mother. For a short time he studied at the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. Fascinated by the transformations of Peter the Great, Antioch Cantemir pinned all his hopes on monarchical power. In his satires, he ridiculed the "evil-tempered" nobles and churchmen. In this genre, he wrote nine works (“On those who blaspheme the teaching”, “On the envy and pride of the malevolent nobles ...”, “On education”, “On human malevolence in general ...”, etc.). January 1, 1732 A. Kantemir was appointed Russian ambassador in London. It was at this time that his literary talent flourished. He writes and translates a lot. The book of Fontenelle, translated by him, “A Conversation about the Many Worlds,” was banned under Elizabeth Petrovna as “contrary to faith and morality.” A. Cantemir also wrote a religious and philosophical work “Letters on Nature and Man”. He died young on March 31, 1744 in Paris and was buried in the Moscow Nikolsky Greek Monastery.
Trediakovsky V.K.
(1703-1768)
TREDIAKOVSKY Vasily Kirillovich (1703-68), Russian poet, philologist, academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1745-59).
In the work "A new and short way to the addition of Russian poetry" (1735) he formulated the principles of Russian syllabo-tonic versification.
The poem "Tilemakhida" (1766).[TSB]
The poet and philologist Vasily Kirillovich Trediakovsky was born in Astrakhan, in the family of a priest. Educated at the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. In 1726 he fled abroad, to Holland, and later moved to France. At the Sorbonne he studied theology, mathematics and philosophy. In 1730 he returned to Russia, becoming one of the most educated people of his time and the first Russian academician. In the same year, at the expense of his patron, Prince A. B. Kurakin, he published the first printed work, “Riding to the Island of Love”, a translation of an old book by a French author. There were also poems by Trediakovsky himself. The publication immediately made him a famous, fashionable poet. In 1733, V. K. Trediakovsky was instructed at the Academy of Sciences to “clean out the language of Russian writing both in verse and not in verse; give lectures if required; finish the grammar he started, and work together with others ... translate from French into Russian everything that is given to him. Contemporaries treated him differently: he surprised some with his education, knowledge of Latin, French, Italian, eloquence, others struck with the servility of a court poet, capable of rude flattery and self-humiliation. When offering his odes to Empress Anna Ioannovna, Trediakovsky had to crawl on his knees from the very doors of the hall to the throne ... Trediakovsky's behavior, in fact, was not always distinguished by nobility, but the authorities at that time were not embarrassed by their own rudeness and cruelty. Sincerely devoted to Russian literature, V. K. Trediakovsky was the author of dozens of volumes of translations and a brilliant connoisseur of the theory of European poetry. In the 40s of the 18th century, in the Elizabethan time, the poetic palm was taken away from him by M.V. Lomonosov and A.P. Sumarokov.
Sumarokov A.P.
(1718-1777)
SUMAROKOV Alexander Petrovich (1717-77), Russian writer, one of the prominent representatives of classicism.
In the tragedies "Khorev" (1747), "Sinav and Truvor" (1750) raised the problem of civic duty. Comedies, fables, lyrical songs. [TSB]
Among the ancestors of Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov, a poet and theatrical figure, Ivan Bogdanovich is known, who saved Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from a bear while hunting, for which he received the nickname Eagle. His own nephew, the father of the poet, Pyotr Pankratievich, rose to the rank of a real state councilor and was, by the standards of that time, a well-educated person. At the age of 13, A.P. Sumarokov was sent to the “knight's academy” - the land gentry corps. There were so many lovers of Russian literature here that a “society” was even organized: in their free time, the Cadets read their works to each other. Sumarokov's talent was also discovered, he became interested in French songs, and began to compose Russian songs according to their model. His songs reached the imperial court, they were performed in aristocratic salons. One of the most mature works of this time is the poetic message of A.P. Sumarokov to his friend M.M. Kheraskov. In the cadet corps, for the first time, the tragedy of A.P. Sumarokov “Khorev” was played out. Her heroes are the Kiev prince Kiy, his brother and heir to the throne Khorev, Osnelda, the daughter of the former Kiev prince Zavlokh, the boyar Stalver. All of them are noble people, filled with a sense of duty. Negative characters - the whole "mean people". Khorev and Osnelda love each other, but their marriage is impossible because of the enmity between Kiy and Zavlokh. At the end of the tragedy, the lovers die. The appeal to national history was, of course, rather formal: the first Russian tragedies imitated French models. Elizaveta Petrovna found out about the production - and the performance was repeated already at the imperial court.
A.P. Sumarokov wrote not only tragedies (“The Hermit” (1757); “Yaropolk and Dimiza” (1758), etc.), but also comedies. One of the best - "Guardian", staged in 1768. The author's son-in-law became the prototype of the main character, the usurer Chuzhehvatov. The poet described him this way in a petition submitted to the empress: “An idle man, profit-greedy, unenlightened, and who did not read anything except the watchmaker ... He calls science a calendar, poetry is a dashing pain, an educational house with an obscene name.” Sumarokov had a heavy, extremely quarrelsome character, an unbridled disposition. He could, for example, furiously scold the person who prevented him from writing, and once in a rage he chased a servant with a drawn sword and did not notice how he ended up ... in a pond. Naturally, he was in a quarrel with almost all relatives. Catherine II herself was once forced to intervene in the poet's relationship with her mother.
One of the first Sumarokov took advantage of the real freedom of the press, which appeared with the accession to the throne of Catherine II. He publicly expressed his thoughts on the ideal structure of society: “It is impossible to make Russian serfs free ... there will be a terrible disagreement between the landlords and peasants, for the sake of pacifying which many regiments are needed; and there will be incessant internecine strife in the state ... And it is noted that the landowners of the peasants, and the peasants of the landowners, are very fond of, and our low people still do not have any noble feelings.
Catherine II with irritation wrote on the margins of the manuscript of A.P. Sumarokov: “Mr. Sumarokov is a good poet, but he thinks too soon to be a good legislator, he does not have a contented connection in his thoughts.”
Sumarokov rose to the rank of real state councilor and became the most popular poet of his era. He also wrote philosophical and mathematical works. He spent his last years in Moscow. His glory faded. The bilious poet had many enemies, and they took revenge on him. Sumarokov complained to G. A. Potemkin: “I am a man. My passions were burning and burning. And my persecutors have ice feathers for orders: they will be pleased if I die from hunger or from the cold. Persecuted, the unfortunate poet became addicted to alcohol, which hastened his death.
Fonvizin D.I.
(1745-1792)
FONVIZIN Denis Ivanovich (1744 or 1745-1792), Russian writer, educator.
In the comedy The Brigadier (staged in 1770) he satirically depicted the mores of the nobility, their predilection for everything French. In the comedy The Undergrowth (staged in 1782), a landmark work of Russian literature, Fonvizin, seeing the root of all Russia's troubles in serfdom, ridiculed the system of noble upbringing and education.
"Notes of the First Journey" (letters to P.I. Panin; published in the 1800s) played a significant role in the development of Russian prose.[TSB]
Magic edge!
There in the old days
Satyrs are a bold ruler,
Fonvizin shone, friend of freedom,
Wrote A. S. Pushkin in "Eugene Onegin". And in fact, the “friend of freedom” more acutely than anyone at the end of the 18th century felt the historical evil - the absence in Russia “ state laws” . And therefore, he prophetically wrote: “Where ... the arbitrariness of one is the supreme law, there a strong common bond cannot exist; there is a state, but there is no fatherland, there are subjects, but there are no citizens, there is no political body whose members would be connected by a knot of mutual rights and obligations.
Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin was born in Moscow on April 3, 1745 (according to other sources - 1744). His father, who served in the Revision College and retired in 1762, was wonderful person, disinterested, honest, about which the son recalled with warmth and pride: “No one saw him in the front of the then noble nobles.” Some of his features were embodied in the positive characters of the writer.
In 1762, Fonvizin graduated from the noble gymnasium at Moscow University and entered the service of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs. Since 1769, he was one of the secretaries of Count N.I. Panin.
In the mid 60s of the XVIII century. Fonvizin becomes a famous writer. The comedy "The Brigadier" brought him fame. Her actors- noblemen. The comedic conflict, it would seem, is traditional: a well-bred girl is forced to marry the unsympathetic and stupid Ivanushka. He, who has just been in Paris, treats everything he sees at home with contempt: “Everyone who has been in Paris already has the right, speaking of Russians, not to include himself among those French than Russian." The success of the Brigadier was deafening. N. I. Panin spoke about the heroine of the comedy Akulina Timofeevna: “When he (D. I. Fonvizin) reads her role, I see and hear her herself.” In Russian literature, a new - genuine - character of the heroes was born.
In 1787, D. I. Fonvizin visited France. Fascinated by the development in this country of “factories and manufactories”, theatrical dramatic art, the writer saw something else: “The first right of every Frenchman is liberty; but his true real state is slavery, for a poor man cannot earn his livelihood except by slave labor, and if he wants to use his precious liberty, he will have to die of hunger.
V last years life D. I. Fonvizin thought hard about the high duties of the Russian nobility. In oblivion by the nobility of their own duty to the country, he saw the root of all social ills. In 1783, the writer addressed Catherine II: “I happened to travel around my land. I saw in what most of those bearing the name of a nobleman believe their piety ... I saw contemptuous descendants from the most respected ancestors. In a word, I saw noblemen servile. I am a nobleman, and this is what tore my heart to pieces.
One of the most significant works of D. I. Fonvizin is the comedy “Undergrowth”.
“This comedy is an incomparable mirror,” wrote V. O. Klyuchevsky about the “Undergrowth”. And he added: “The comedy is not of persons, but of positions.” Why did a literary work of the 18th century arouse the burning interest of the great historian a century later? “Fonvizin took the heroes of The Undergrowth straight from the whirlpool of life, and took what he found in, without any cultural coverings, and put them on stage with all the turmoil of their relationship ... These heroes, snatched from the public wreckage for the amusement of the theatrical public , turned out to be not at all funny, but simply intolerable in any well-organized society: the author took them for a while for display from under police supervision, where he hurried to return them at the end of the play with the assistance of the official Pravdin ... ”, - the historian wrote.
What does the “Undergrowth” explain to us with its artistic images, how does it help us understand the 18th century? When Mrs. Prostakova wanted to whip her household, all the servants, she was noticed that no one was free to tyrannize. And then a significant objection broke out from the depths of the prostakov's soul: “Not free! A nobleman, when he wants, and a servant is not free to flog! But why was the decree on the freedom of the nobility given? In these words - the historical meaning of comedy. Prostakova - "a skilled interpreter of decrees" - wanted to say: there is a law that justifies her lawlessness.
Many nobles, not accustomed to independent responsibility, understood the decree signed by Peter III as a release from all duties and the acquisition of new rights in relation to serfs. “A significant part of the nobility in the last century did not understand the historically established position of their class, and the undergrowth, Fonvizinsky undergrowth Mitrofan, was a victim of this misunderstanding,” wrote V. O. Klyuchevsky. The comedy of D. I. Fonvizin reflected the turning point in the position of the Russian nobility. It freed itself from its slavish attachment to the state, but still with difficulty got used to the idea of civic responsibility.
The nobility had to master a new role - the master on earth, diligent, kind, thrifty, aware of his duty, his rights and obligations. Only by comprehending these basics of freedom and liberty, it was possible to atone for the “historical sin” of possessing serf “souls”. In that autumn of 1782, when the actors made the audience laugh for the first time, presenting Mitrofanushka and Mrs. Prostakova on stage, a significant event took place: a monument to Peter the Great was unveiled. If the nobles had studied, as the great reformer wanted, then Fonvizin would have written an ode. The comedy is out. A writer from his 18th century, as it were, warned future generations of nobles: a “comedy” could end in a real drama.
Radishchev A.N.
(1749-1802)
RADISHCHEV Alexander Nikolaevich (1749-1802), Russian thinker and writer.
Ode "Liberty" (1783), story "The Life of F. V. Ushakov" (1789), philosophical writings. In the main work of Radishchev - "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" (1790) - a wide range of ideas of the Russian Enlightenment, a truthful, sympathetic image of the life of the people, a sharp denunciation of autocracy and serfdom. The book was confiscated and until 1905 was distributed in lists. In 1790 Radishchev was exiled to Siberia. Upon his return (1797), in his draft legal reforms (1801-02), he again advocated the abolition of serfdom; the threat of new reprisals led him to commit suicide.[TSB]
Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev was born in Moscow, spent his childhood in the Saratov estate. The wealthiest landowners, the Radishchevs, owned thousands of serf souls. During the Pugachev uprising, the peasants did not give them away, they hid them in the yards, smeared with soot and mud - they remembered that the owners were kind. In his youth, A. N. Radishchev was the page of Catherine II. Together with other educated young men, he was sent to Leipzig to study, and in 1771, the 22-year-old Radishchev returned to Russia and became a Senate recorder. On duty, he had to deal with a lot of court documents. In 1775, having retired with the rank of second major, he marries Anna Vasilievna Rubanova (they will have four children). In 1777, Radishchev was in the civil service at the St. Petersburg customs with the rank of collegiate assessor. Apparently, he served successfully: he was awarded an order, and in 1780 he received a promotion - he became an assistant to the customs manager. In the meantime, the first chapters of Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow were already being composed. July 22, 1789 - a few weeks after the start of the French Revolution - the St. Petersburg Chief of Police authorizes the publication of A. N. Radishchev's book. In January -1790 the book was typed in the writer's home printing house. In late May - early June, it comes out with a circulation of about 600 copies. On the title page no author name. The epigraph - “The monster is oblo, mischievous, huge, stozevno and barking” - symbolized the hated serfdom and was taken by Radishchev from V.K. Trediakovsky’s poem “Telemakhiada”. In the poem, the monster was “trizevo” (with three sips). Radishchev has “stozevno”.
On June 25, 1790, a copy of Journey... was on Catherine II's desk.
After the death of Catherine II, A. N. Radishchev was transferred into exile in Kaluga, and only Alexander 1 in 1801-1802. amnestied him and allowed him to return to St. Petersburg ...
Back in Siberia, in the Ilim prison, Radishchev learned about the events of the French Revolution, about the execution of the royal couple, about the terrible Jacobin dictatorship that claimed thousands of lives, about the mutual extermination of each other by the Jacobins, about the reaction, finally, about the emergence of a new despot, Napoleon. He saw the revolution differently ... A cruel disappointment set in: “From torment, liberty is born, from liberty, slavery.”
Under Emperor Alexander 1, a recent exile becomes an important person, participates in the development of the laws of the empire - and, nevertheless, external well-being is poisoned by grave doubts. The writer does not stand them - commits suicide. How to explain his decision? He was disillusioned with the revolution, saw no point in peaceful enlightenment, the secular circle, in his view entirely serfdom, was hated by him.
The writer passed away, and the book, out of 600 copies of which only 26 survived the burning, became immortal.
Derzhavin G.R.
(1743-1816)
Derzhavin Gavrila Romanovich (1743-1816), Russian poet. Representative of Russian classicism.
Solemn odes, imbued with the idea of a strong statehood, included a satire on the nobles, landscape and everyday sketches, religious and philosophical reflections ("Felitsa", 1782; "Nobleman", 1774-94; "God", 1784; "Waterfall", 1791-94 ); lyric poetry. [TSB]
The most famous Russian poet of the late XVIII century. Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin was born in Kazan in the family of an army officer. As a child, he was frail, weak, but he was distinguished by an “extreme propensity for the sciences.” At the age of II he lost his father. His mother, left with her children without a livelihood, was forced, but, according to the poet’s memoirs, “to go around the judges, stand at their front doors for several hours ... but when they went out, no one wanted to listen to her decently, but everyone passed by her with hardness of heart, and she had to return home with nothing. The boy remembered these humiliations for the rest of his life. In 1759, Derzhavin nevertheless entered the gymnasium in Kazan. Although they taught poorly in it, the future great poet improved in German, became addicted to drawing and drawing, learned to dance and fence. He made up for what he lacked in education by reading.
In 1762, G. R. Derzhavin entered the military service. She left sad memories in his soul. Hard menial work stupefied, carousing seemed the only outlet. Derzhavin, who was fond of nature, became addicted to gambling and once lost money at cards, sent by his mother to buy an estate. Derzhavin wrote about himself in the third person in his memoirs: “He traveled, so to speak, out of desperation, day and night, to taverns, looking for games. I got acquainted with the players, or, better, with the decent deeds and clothes of the robbers covered up; I learned from them conspiracies, how to get beginners into the game, card selection, fakes and all sorts of game scams. True, he did not stoop to “insidious betrayal”. Derzhavin's morally pure nature was aided by poetry that uplifted the soul: radiance of the sun through the cracks of the closed shutters. "Soil" he began in the gymnasium. In the barracks, willy-nilly, he had to forget about the sciences, but sometimes he still managed to read accidentally obtained Russian and German books.
After a ten-year soldier's service, G. R. Derzhavin was promoted to officer and in 1773 personally appeared to General A. I. Bibikov, commander of the troops sent to suppress the Pugachev uprising, with a request to take him with him to Kazan. In the next four years of service, Derzhavin proved to be a resourceful, quick-witted officer and managed to attract the attention of his superiors. During the Pugachev uprising, Derzhavin's Orenburg estate was badly damaged: for two weeks a convoy of 40,000 carts carrying supplies to the army was stationed there. The soldiers "ruined the peasants to the ground". It cost Derzhavin hard work to achieve at least some kind of compensation.
In 1777, “out of inability” to military service he "graduated to full-time" service with the award of 300 souls in Belarus. Derzhavin had every reason to consider himself offended. He was much luckier in cards and in love. In 1775, “having only 50 rubles in his pocket”, he won 40,000 rubles, and in 1778 he married his beloved girl and was happily married.
Publishing his first poetic works, G. R. Derzhavin admitted that “in expression and style he tried to imitate Lomonosov, but since he did not have his talent, this was not possible.”
Derzhavin accurately determined the time of his creative rebirth: “I did not want to soar, but I could not constantly withstand the elegant selection of words characteristic of Lomonosov alone, the splendor and pomp of speech. Therefore, since 1779, I have chosen a very special path.” This path is really special - Derzhavinsky. The first odes, written after 1779, were distinguished by the sonority of verse, unprecedented in Russian poetry, and the power of poetic expression.
"Felitsa", published in 1783, caused a real delight of readers. This work was new both in form and in content. The former grandiloquent odes began to “boost” everyone, their “paper thunder” irritated. In "Felitsa" the reader met living poetry, permeated with life's realities, which were easily guessed. The name of the ode is associated with “The Tale of Tsarevich Chlorine” - a moralizing allegory that the Empress herself wrote for her grandson, Alexander Pavlovich. The heroine of the fairy tale, the daughter of the Kyrgyz Khan Felitsa, helps the prince find a rose without thorns. But does it happen? Yes, a rose without thorns is a virtue.
The reader guessed the poet's allusions to the courtiers: “I'm jumping to the tailor's caftan” - a characteristic pastime of G. A. Potemkin; “I go hunting, And amuse myself with the barking of dogs” - a characteristic of P.I. Panin; “I amuse myself with horns at night” - the music of hunting horns was brought into fashion by Chief Jägermeister S.K. Naryshkin; “I read Polkan and Bova” is about Derzhavin’s immediate superior, Prince Vyazemsky, who amused himself by forcing his subordinates to read lubok novels aloud to him ...
Derzhavin's friends discouraged him from publishing such a daring ode, but Catherine II liked it. Moreover, the empress sarcastically gave “Felitsa” to her close associates, emphasizing those places that related to the sins of the recipient.
In 1784, G. R. Derzhavin, having spoiled relations with his superiors in the Senate, was forced to resign. But in the same year he was appointed governor of Olonets. Not getting along with the governor of the region, he was transferred by the governor to Tambov - and then he ruined relations with the governor! The poet-governor was even on trial. A long trial began. Derzhavin arrived in St. Petersburg "to prove to the empress and the state that he is capable of deeds, innocent of hands, pure of heart and faithful in the positions assigned to him." Derzhavin was told that the empress could not accuse the author of Felitsa, ”he was ordered to appear at the court. Derzhavin wrote about himself in the third person: “Having had the pleasure of kissing the hand of the monarchess and having dinner with her at the same table, he pondered to himself what he was: guilty or not guilty? in service or not in service? For more than two years, the poet, who craved state activities, waited for an answer and, wasting no time, wrote odes. One of them - "The Image of Felitsa" (1789) - he again dedicated to Catherine. The ode “On the Capture of Ishmael” had an equally great success. Now many courtiers dreamed that Derzhavin would dedicate "poems of praise" to them. In 1791, the poet was appointed Secretary of State of Catherine II.
It was a sign of special mercy. But service in such an honorable field turned out to be unsuccessful for G. R. Derzhavin. He intervened in business, fought the bureaucracy - "the clerical hook-working squad", but this was not at all expected of him. Catherine II hinted more than once that he should write something “like an ode to Felitsa”. But the poet did not show a surge of feelings, inspiration. “I lost my temper,” he wrote about himself. Perhaps because Derzhavin got to know the court better and now saw Catherine II in a different light? The empress also lost interest in the poet, removing him from herself and appointing him a senator. Derzhavin also quarreled with everyone in the Senate: persistence, zeal, service zeal prevented him from living “like everyone else”. Even on Sundays he went to the Senate.
In 1796 (after many office troubles and personal dramas) he wrote, imitating Horace's ode "To Melpomene", the poem "Monument".
With the accession to the throne of Paul 1, the position of G. R. Derzhavin as a whole did not change, despite the fact that at first he was persecuted by the monarch “for an obscene answer committed to the sovereign”. G. R. Derzhavin continued to serve under Alexander 1, he was even the Minister of Justice (1802-1803). But he condemned the spirit of transformation and did not sympathize with the plans of the new emperor. In 1807 he finally retired, after which he spent his time mainly in the village of Zvanka, Novgorod district.
Children's works occupy an important place among other varieties of fiction, since they largely reflect the characteristics of the culture of a particular people, their system of values. Every culture has its own concepts of good and evil, right and wrong, beautiful and ugly, fair and unfair. In childhood, we absorb values that stay with us for the rest of our lives. The value of literature for children, therefore, should not be underestimated.
It should be noted salient feature children's books - a combination of artistry and pedagogical requirements. Such literature should not only entertain, but also teach, guide, and orient. Children's writers of the 18th century (and their works, of course) sought to convey to children important knowledge about the world, to instill the right values.
Let's take two countries - Great Britain and Russia - and on the example of children's works created in these states, we will be convinced that this is really so. writers and their works are offered to your attention.
18th century British children's literature
Each of us has favorite books from childhood: fairy tales "Alice in Wonderland", "The Kid and Carlson, who lives on the roof", "Matilda", "Thumbelina", "Gulliver's Travels" and "Robinson Crusoe" (the list, of course). , to each his own). But suppose that we grew up not in the 21st century in Russia, but in the 18th century in England, what could we read then?
From the above list, we would have left only the book "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe (1719) and "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift (1726) in a special version for children, written in a simplified language, with many pictures.
However, does this mean that in the 18th century there was nothing for English children to read? Let's figure it out.
The fact is that fairy tales have always existed, and there has never been a shortage of them. Even when there was no written language, they were passed down from generation to generation in the form of folklore. But in the 17-18 centuries, with the development of printing, more and more professional writers began to appear, in particular children's. Fairy tales then, as now, delighted and frightened children, creating fantasy worlds, which adults absorbed in everyday worries did not always approve.
Here are just the main children's writers of the 18th century and their works.
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Let's go back to 18th century England. At that time, so to speak, the real "bestseller" was the work of Defoe. The book "Robinson Crusoe" praised the courage, stamina, resourcefulness of a person forced to exist in extreme conditions. Jonathan Swift's fairy tale, in which the author's call to discover new dimensions and horizons, was also very popular.
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
The success of Gulliver's Travels even led to the appearance of other children's books that clearly showed the desire to imitate this work, with the words "Gulliver" and "Lilliput" in the titles to evoke a certain association. One early example is the 1751 children's Journal of the Lilliputians, created by John Newbery, a writer from London. Another example is The Library of the Lilliputians, or the Gulliver Museum, in ten volumes of small format, published in Dublin in the 1780s. This book was produced especially for children, and its price was small so that children could buy it for themselves. The total cost of 10 volumes was only five British shillings, and individual parts could be bought for six pence each. However, even this relatively low price was still too much for many children and their parents. Only middle- and high-income families could afford to buy such literature and were literate enough to read it.
Other books
Cheap books in the genre of popular literature already existed then and were accessible to segments of the population. They included children's stories, stories, travels, songs, prayer books, stories about robbers, robbers and murderers. These volumes were Bad quality and sold for a penny or two.
In 1712, an English translation of the famous Arabian tales"Thousand and One Nights".
As you can see, children's literature of that time was actively developing in England. And what happened on the territory of Russia? Read more about this.
Russian books for children of the 18th century
Children's writers of the 18th century and their works appear in Russia (the first Russian books written specifically for children were created on the territory of our state back in the 17th century, the 18th century continued this tradition).
The era of Peter I gave impetus to the development of education, in particular literature for children. The king himself believed that it was very important to take care of the upbringing of the younger generation. At this time, children's books pursue mainly an educational goal. Textbooks, alphabets and primers are printed.
"Youth honest mirror"
Writers of the 18th century (Russians) open the list of children's literature with educational. As an example, we can cite the "Honest Mirror of Youth". This work described the rules of conduct at court, which Peter I introduced with his reforms. This book was compiled by the tsar's associates by his personal decree. At the head of the writers working on the work was Gavrila Buzhinsky. In the book, among other things, were placed materials on spelling, alphabet, spelling. The "Honest Mirror of Youth" was intended for the future elite, the tsar's support - children, who in the future were to become courtiers. The book is main idea that in achieving success, it is not the origin of a person that is more important, but his personal merits, although the special position of the nobility was emphasized. His vices were pointed out and criticized. A special code of twenty virtues was created for girls, among which helpfulness, silence, religiosity, hard work should be especially noted. Writers of the 18th century (Russian) figuratively revealed the list of women's virtues, using examples, creating vivid female images in their works.
translated literature
In the eighteenth century, translated literature also spread, such as Aesop's fables. These fables, written in the 6th century BC. e. sage Aesop, are well perceived by children due to the opportunity to imagine themselves in the form of heroes - animals, birds, trees, flowers ... Aesop's fables provide an opportunity to overcome their vices and develop associative thinking while joking and playing.
After the 1850s, children's writers of the 18th century and their works began to appear. But still, the bulk of children's literature is borrowed from the West (especially from France). Here it should be noted, of course, the famous French storyteller of the 17th century, Charles Perrault. His fairy tales "Cinderella", "Sleeping Beauty", "Little Red Riding Hood", "Bluebeard" are known and loved by children all over the world. Not only readers, but also poets and writers of the 18th century drew inspiration from these works.
18th century writers
The list opens This author wrote two books for children - "A Brief Russian History", as well as "The First Teaching to the Young". In the preface to the second book, he noted that childhood is very important time in the life of every person, since it is then that the main character traits and habits are formed. Children should read books and love them.
Catherine II
Not only professional poets and writers of the 18th century created children's books. Even the heads of state considered it their duty to educate the youth on their own. A real example of this was Catherine II. She created a large number of works, among which were books for children, such as "The Tale of Tsarevich Chlor" and "The Tale of Tsarevich Thebes." Of course, they were far from fairy tales in the modern sense of the word, with their bright characters and heroes. These works only depicted vices and virtues in a general, abstract way. However, the example of Catherine II turned out to be contagious, and many famous Russian writers of the 18th century followed him, creating works especially for children.
Nikolay Ivanovich Novikov
Nikolai Ivanovich Novikov also made an important contribution to the development of children's literature. He is the publisher of the first children's magazine- "Children's reading for the heart and mind." It published works of various genres: fairy tales, stories, plays, jokes, etc. Not only fiction was presented in the magazine. It also included popular science articles for children telling young readers about nature, the world around them, various countries and cities, and the peoples inhabiting them. These articles were written figuratively, interestingly, in the form of a conversation. Novikov in his works preached the ideas of goodness and humanism, human dignity, which, in his opinion, should be instilled in children from a young age. The magazine was a great success and was very popular at the time. 18th century were printed in this edition.
Nikolai Mikhalovich Karamzin
It is necessary to say a few words about Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin. This writer has created and translated over 30 different works for children. Being a representative of sentimentalism (followed by many Russian writers of the 18th century), so close to childish nature, he became especially beloved among young readers of middle and older age. In 1789, the first works of Karamzin were published in the journal Children's Reading for the Heart and Mind. Nikolai Mikhailovich wrote for children even after the closure of this magazine. In the last decade of the 18th century, he created such works as "The Beautiful Princess" and "Ilya Muromets". Russian epics are reflected in the last tale. This work has not been completed. Ilya Muromets, created by the author's pen, was not at all like a typical hero from epics, as we usually imagine him, but only partly resembled the latter. The fairy tale does not describe the battles with the enemies of Russia, it reveals the lyrical part of the soul of Ilya Muromets in communication with his beloved. In the spirit of sentimentalism, Karamzin depicted in detail the feelings of the characters, creating vivid pictures.
Conclusion
Thus, the 18th century brought a lot of new things to children's literature both abroad and in our country. Literature for children actively continued its development in the 19th and then in the 20th century. Moreover, continuity is clearly felt in its development. For example, the fairy tales of Charles Perrault in various versions were later used by Andersen, Pushkin, the Brothers Grimm, Irving. That is, the motives of some fairy tales took root perfectly in others. The works of Russian writers of the 18th century were read in the 19th and later. Children's literature of the 19th century is characterized by an even greater connection with fiction for adults, as well as with education and culture in general.
There is a clear boundary between the creations of the first and second halves of the 18th century, and works created at the beginning of the century are very different from subsequent ones.
Large literary forms were already developing in the West and preparations were underway for the creation of the genre of the novel, while Russian authors were still copying the lives of saints and praising rulers in clumsy, unwieldy poems. Genre diversity in Russian literature is poorly represented; it lags behind European literature by about a century.
Among the genres of Russian literature of the early 18th century, it is worth mentioning:
- hagiographic literature(sources - church literature),
- panegyric literature(texts of praise),
- Russian poems(the origins are Russian epics, composed in tonic versification).
Vasily Trediakovsky, the first professional Russian philologist who was educated at home and consolidated his language and style skills at the Sorbonne, is considered a reformer of Russian literature.
Firstly, Trediakovsky forced his contemporaries to read, and his followers to write prose - he created a mass of translations of ancient Greek myths and European literature created on this classical basis, throwing a theme for future works to contemporary writers.
Secondly, Trediakovsky revolutionary separated poetry from prose, developed the basic rules of syllabo-tonic Russian versification, based on the experience of French literature.
Genres of literature of the second half of the 18th century:
- Drama (comedy, tragedy),
- Prose (sentimental journey, sentimental story, sentimental letters),
- Poetic forms (heroic and epic poems, odes, a huge variety of small lyrical forms)
Russian poets and writers of the 18th century
Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin occupies a significant place in Russian literature along with D.I. Fonvizin and M.V. Lomonosov. Together with these titans of Russian literature, he is included in the brilliant galaxy of the founders of Russian classical literature of the Enlightenment era, dating back to the second half of the 18th century. At this time, largely due to the personal participation of Catherine II, science and art were rapidly developing in Russia. This is the time of the appearance of the first Russian universities, libraries, theaters, public museums and a relatively independent press, though very relative and for a short period, which ended with the advent of A.P. Radishchev. By this time, as Famusov Griboedova called it, "the age of the golden Catherine", the most fruitful period of the poet's activity belongs.
Selected Poems:
Fonvizin's play is a classic example of a comedy in compliance with the traditional rules for creating plays:
- The trinity of time, place and action,
- Primitive typification of heroes (classicism assumed the lack of psychologism and depth of character of the hero, so they were all divided into either good and bad, or smart and stupid)
The comedy was written and staged in 1782. The progressiveness of Denis Fonvizin as a playwright lies in the fact that in a classical play he combined several problems (the problem of family and upbringing, the problem of education, the problem of social inequality) and created more than one conflict (love conflict and socio-political). Fonvizin's humor is not light, serving solely for entertainment, but sharp, aimed at ridiculing vices. Thus, the author brought realistic features to the classical work.
Biography:
Selected work:
Time of creation - 1790, genre - travel diary, typical for French sentimental travelers. But the journey turned out to be filled not with bright impressions of the voyage, but with gloomy, tragic colors, despair and horror.
Alexander Radishchev published Journey at his home printing house, and the censor, apparently having read the title of the book, mistook it for another sentimental diary and released it without reading it. The book produced the effect of an exploding bomb: in the form of disparate memories, the author described the nightmarish reality and the life of the people he met at each station along the way from one capital to another. Poverty, filth, extreme poverty, mockery of the strong over the weak and hopelessness - these were the realities of the modern state for Radishchev. The author received a long-term exile, and the story was banned.
Radishchev's story is not typical for a purely sentimental work - instead of tears of tenderness and charming travel memories, so generously scattered by French and English sentimentalism, an absolutely real and merciless life picture is drawn here.
Selected work:
The story "Poor Lisa" is an adapted European plot on Russian soil. Created in 1792, the story has become a model of sentimental literature. The author sang the cult of sensitivity and sensual human nature, put "inner monologues" into the mouths of the characters, revealing their thoughts. Psychologism, subtle portrayal of characters, great attention to the inner world of heroes - a typical manifestation of sentimental traits.
The innovation of Nikolai Karamzin was manifested in the original resolution of the heroine's love conflict - the Russian reading public, accustomed mainly to the happy ending of the stories, for the first time received a blow in the form of suicide main character. And in this meeting with the bitter truth of life turned out to be one of the main advantages of the story.
Selected work:
On the Threshold of the Golden Age of Russian Literature
Europe went from classicism to realism in 200 years, Russia had to hurry up with the development of this material in 50-70 years, constantly catching up and learning from someone else's example. While Europe was already reading realistic stories, Russia had to master classicism and sentimentalism in order to move on to creating romantic works.
The golden age of Russian literature is the time of the development of romanticism and realism. Preparation for the appearance of these stages among Russian writers took place at an accelerated pace, but the most important thing that was learned by the writers of the 18th century was the opportunity to assign to literature not only an entertaining function, but also an educational, critical, moral-forming one.